C-L’s Quest for Third Straight KSAC Title Falls Short, as Keystone Takes Home Crown


CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) – Isaak Jones spearheaded a fourth-quarter comeback for Keystone, as the Panthers ended Clarion-Limestone’s two-year reign atop the KSAC with a 59-54 come-from-behind victory Saturday night at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym.

(Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)

With Keystone down seven, 52-45, with six-and-half minutes to play, Jones scored eight straight points while hitting a pair of 3-pointers to turn the game around for the Panthers.

“I was open,” Jones, who was named the game’s MVP Presented by All American Awards & Engraving and chosen by D9Sports.com/ExploreClarion, said. “We needed points, so I just shot it.”

Relisten to the game:

Shoot it he did.

Jones got Keystone within four with a 3-pointer at the 6:13 mark then made it a two-point game, 52-50, with a basket at 5:38 before hitting another triple, this time with 4:49 to play, to put Keystone ahead for good, 53-52.

Isaak Jones with D9Sports.com's Chris Rossetti. Jones was named the game's MVP presented by All American Awards & Engraving and chosen by D9Sports.com/EYT Media

Isaak Jones with D9Sports.com’s Chris Rossetti. Jones was named the game’s MVP presented by All American Awards & Engraving and chosen by D9Sports.com/EYT Media

“We were running a set where we thought he would probably be open,” Keystone head coach Greg Heath said. “And he was, and he knocked them down. He is certainly capable of doing that.”

After Jones gave Keystone the lead, Andrew Lauer took a feed from Troy Johnson and put the Panthers up three, 55-52, with 2:53 to play.

Hayden Callen answered on the other end for C_L making it 55-54 with just over a minute left, and then Keystone killed 35 seconds off the clock before Alex Rapp was fouled and went to the line to shoot a 1-and-1 with 25.7 seconds left.

Rapp calmly sunk both charity shots to push the lead to three. This despite a mix up at the table where the horn sounded after Rapp had gotten the ball and then the foul announcement was made over the loudspeaker while Rapp was taking his first shot. But the senior didn’t allow any of that to bother him.

“Those were some big free throws from Alex Rapp,” Heath said.

Callen tried to force a 3-pointer that would have tied the game, but his shot came up way short, and Andrew Lauer grabbed the rebound.

Lauer then hit two foul shots to put the game out of reach.

“It means a lot,” Jones said. “All the hard work and practice. This is big.”

Heath said watching his players win the KSAC title probably meant more to him than the title itself.

“I am just really happy for that group of kids,” Heath said. “They are just a great group of young men. I’m just thrilled for them. I’ve been here before. I guess I am excited, I am happy, but I am happy for them. I really am. They are a very tight-knit group, pulling for each other all the time.”

The game was back-and-forth throughout the night with no team leading by more than the seven-point lead C-L had in the fourth quarter.

Behind the hot shooting of Marc Rearick, Keystone took a 21-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Rearick connected on four 3-pointers in the quarter while scoring all 13 of his points in the first eight minutes.

“We love Marc,” Jones said. “We love when he shoots. That was awesome by him.”

Watch all of Jones’ postgame interview.

Keystone’s lead might have been bigger if it wasn’t for a great effort on the offensive boards by C-L’s Curvin Goheen, who collected seven offensive rebounds while helping the Lions gather nine offensive boards in the first quarter.

That work allowed C-L to stay within four points despite shooting 8 of 20 in the opening eight minutes thanks to eight of the Lions 17 points being second-chance tallies.

In the second quarter, Keystone got the lead to five, 24-19, on a 3-pointer by Brandon Pierce, but C-L went on a 10-3 run that included a pair of deep 3-pointers from Deion Deas, to take a 29-27 lead.

Keystone tied the game at 33 late in the half on four straight Johnson free throws, but C-L scored four points in the final 17 seconds to take a 37-33 halftime lead.

First, Deas put home an offensive rebound, and then the Lions got a steal that led to a Callen basket.

C-L then took a 48-42 lead after the third quarter thanks to a quarter-ending 10-2 run that saw Kaden Park scored four of the points.

The teams then exchanged 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter – Johnson hit one for Keystone and Jordan Hesdon for C-L – before a Goheen free throw put the lead at seven at the 6:31 mark.

That is when Jones took over and willed the Panthers to victory.

“We tried to mix up the defense a little bit,” Heath said. “We made some little adjustments on the ball screens they were using against our zone. Just little things, that’s all. Nothing major.”

Jones led all scorers with 16 points with Johnson adding 11 points in the win for the Panthers, and Lauer chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Goheen had a double-double to pace C-L scoring 14 points and hauling down 11 rebounds, nine on the offensive glass including seven first-quarter offensive rebounds.

Callen also scored 14 for the Lions with Deas adding 12, but only two after halftime.

Keystone shot 46.3 percent (19 of 41) while C-L was 24 of 60 (40.0 percent). The Lions snagged 19 offensive rebounds, 14 in the first half, but were outrebounded by Keystone, 39-33, for the game.

Both teams advance to the District 9 playoffs with Keystone (21-2) the top seed in Class 2A and C-L (19-4) the second seed in Class 1A. The Panthers await the winner of the Clarion vs. Karns City game, while C-L plays seventh-seeded Otto-Eldred Friday.

THE COACH AND THE SCRIBE

Jess Quinn (The Coach) and Chris Rossetti (The Scribe) broke down the games in the Feb. 15 edition of The Coach and The Scribe Powered by the Rehab Centre. The Rehab Centre has six locations serving you, including in Clarion, Brookville, and Kittanning. The Rehab Centre, Chiropractors Caring for Health.

KEYSTONE 59, CLARION-LIMESTONE 54

Score by Quarters

Keystone 21 12 9 17 – 59
C-L 17 20 11 6 – 54

KEYSTONE – 59

Troy Johnson 2 6-7 11, Marc Rearick 4 1-2 13, Isaak Jones 0 2-2 2, Andrew Lauer 4 2-2 10, Gavin Hogue 0 0-0 0, Jayden Blazosky 0 0-0 0, Brandon Pierce 1 0-0 3, Colin Say 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 12-14 59.

CLARION-LIMESTONE – 54

Deion deas 5 0-0 12, Jordan Hesdon 2 0-0 5, Bryson Huwar 1 0-0 2, Curvin Goheen 6 2-5 14, Braden Rankin 2 0-0 4, Kaden Park 1 0-0 2, Hayden Callen 7 0-0 14, Mitch Knepp 0 1-4 1. Totals 24 3-9 54.

Three-pointers: Keystone 9 (Rearick 4, Jones 3, Johnson, Pierce). C-L 3 (Deas 2, Hesdon).


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