Carrying a roster of 14 players into Wednesday night’s opening games in the 10th annual Clearfield Ninth Grade Basketball Tournament, including 10 ninth-graders and four eighth-graders, coaches Mark Mitchell and Darin Elvey’s young Eagles defeated two solid junior high teams from St. Marys and Curwensville to raise their record to 22-3, and make their way to the semifinal game Friday night at 9 p.m..
In their first game, held at the Clearfield Elementary School gym, the Golden Eagles took on a determined St. Marys team (17-6 record) who put full-court pressure on Tyrone’s guards throughout most of the game. While the pressure did cause some turnovers, the Eagles methodically moved the ball upcourt, seeking to get the ball behind the press to their post players. The result was a thin 11-9 first quarter lead led by John Shaffer’s five points down low, and baskets by Nate Dane, Travis Peterman, and Ethan Etters.
Etters came into the game late in the first quarter, and immediately put his quickness and defensive tenacity to work as he started to neutralize St. Marys best scoring threat.
That effort started to pay off in the second quarter as Nate Dane got three scores close to the basket with passes from Shaffer and Etters, and Peterman hit a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 24-15 lead.
A last-second steal and basket by St. Marys cut the lead to 24-17 just at halftime.
In the third period, St. Marys came out with a valiant defensive effort, and were able to slow down the Tyrone attack.
Dane, Shaffer, and Ben Ingle were the only players able to get scores, and the Eagles were only two of six from the foul line. The margin at the end of three quarters remained seven points at 32-25.
St. Marys continued their effort into the fourth quarter, allowing only one basket from Shaffer to get through the net. But the Eagles took advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe as the St. Marys fouls added up, and they put the game away.
Shaffer, Etters, and Wes Young shot a combined nine for 11 free throws.
The result was an 11-3 fourth quarter advantage, and a 43-28 win.
John Shaffer’s 15 points led the way with 10 from Nate Dane and eight from Ethan Etters.
Tyrone 43 St. Marys 28
Score by quarters
Tyrone 11 13 8 11 – 43
St. Marys 9 8 8 3 – 28
Tyrone – Shaffer 15, Dane 10, Etters 8, Peterman 5, Young 3, Ingle 2
In the second game of the evening, played at the Clearfield Middle School gym, the Eagles faced the Golden Tide of Curwensville who had defeated Bellefonte earlier in the evening.
Tyrone spread the ball around well in the first quarter, as the Eagles got baskets from Dane, Shaffer, Peterman, Young, and Etters to jump out to a 13-5 lead.
They stretched that lead to 24-9 in the second period behind two scores each from Shaffer and Etters, just before the Tide hit a long three-pointer to make it 24-12 at the half.
Nate Dane provided the muscle down low in the third quarter, providing six points as Tyrone took a commanding 37-21 lead.
And then guards Kyle Updyke and Ben Ingle shut the door in the fourth with four and six points, respectively.
Ingle’s scores took advantage when the Tide’s defense relaxed with two three-pointers.
The Eagles won handily 52-25, and featured nine scorers led by Dane with 10 points and Etters with nine.
Tyrone 52 Curwensville 25
Score by quarters
Tyrone 13 11 3 15 – 52
Curwensville 5 7 9 4 – 25
Tyrone – Dane 10, Etters 9, Updyke 7, Shaffer 6, Ingle 6, Young 6, Peterman 5,
Desch 2, Taylor 2
Friday at 9 p.m., the Eagles returned to the Clearfield Middle School gym to take on either the Clearfield Bisons (a team they barely defeated last week 36-35), or the defending tournament champion Jersey Shore Bulldogs.
A win would put the Eagles in the driver’s seat for a tournament finale this morning.
