Wolves sweep Panthers

led Keystone with 22 points and 9 rebounds.
  North Clarion has got double digits from Kurt Wolbert (16 points), Mike Carr (18 points) and Dustin Weiser (10 points).  Keystone got 12 points, all on three-pointers, from Ryan Rupert.
   The game was close throughout with North Clarion holding an 18-16 lead at the end of one quaryter, a 35-30 lead at halftime and a 53-49 lead going to the fourth quarter.
   The Wolves used an 8-2 run at the end of the first quarter to get the two-point lead and an 8-0 run toward the end of the second quarter to take an eight-point lead 35-27.
    Keystone, however, responed with a mini 3-0 run at the end of the first half and extnded it into a 15-4 run with a 12-4 run to begin the second half to take a 42-39 lead midway through the thrid quarter.
    North Clarion, which has lost only twice at home in coahc Ryan Cornecki's three seasons at the school, responded with a 7-0 run to take a 46-42 lead that they continued to hold through the end of the third quarter.
    Keystone, though, started the final frame with a 5-0 run to take a 54-53 lead.
    The game then remained close and was tied at 58-58 when Jared Resinger jump started a 5-0 North Clarion run that gave the Wolves the lead for good with a three-pointer with 2:55 left in the game. When the run was over, North Clarion held a 63-58 advantage.
   With the score 65-62, Banner hit a shot to close teh gap to one points, 65-64 with 1:04 remaining.
    A free throw by Siegel and two by Wolbert gave North Clarion a 68-64 lead, but Rupert hit a three-pointer from the left corner with 23 seconds left to cut the lead to 68-67.
    Siegel then made one of two free throws with 13.7 seconds left to make the score 69-67. Siegel missed the second free throw, and Banner grabbed theg board.
     Keystone then called timeout with eight seconds left, and Rupert took the ball hard to the hoop. Carr fouled him with 6.1 second left, and North Clarion called timeout to freeze the shooter.
     The timeout worked, as Rupert missed the front end of the two-shot foul. Keystone then pulled Banner, its top rebounder, from the game because he had four fouls , and North Clarion called a second timeout.
     With Banner on the bench, Rupert intentionally missed teh second free throw, but the shot didn't catch iron giving the ball to North Clarion with 6.1 seconds left.
      Siegel was fouled with 5.2 seconds left, and Banner re-entered the game.
      Siegel missed by free throws giving Keystone life when Justin Braumbaugh hauled in the rebound. But Braumbaugh's outlet pass was intercepted by Carr at midcourt securing the North Clarion win.
      With the win North Clarion moves a 1/2 game in front of Clarion Area pending the outcome of the Clarion Area-A-C Valley game Wednesday and two games ahead of Keystone.
      Keystone, meanwhile, holds a 1 1/2 game lead over Karns City and A-C VAlley for third place pending Karns CIty's game Tuesday and A-C Valley's Wednesday.  Chris Rossetti 2/8/00

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