CLARION, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team lost, 71-66, at Clarion in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division opener Wednesday night. Freshman Callon Dailey scored a career-high 18 points, but it wasn't enough.  
 
After Clarion scored to open the action, Paul Bilbo dunked to tie the match. Hurst answered a short 4-0 Clarion spurt with a Weaver bucket and a three-point play to give the visitors a 7-6 edge. Callon Dailey followed with a jumper for a three-point lead with 16:04 remaining. Calvin Edwards responded for the Golden Eagles with a three-pointer and then Bud Teer regained the home team's advantage with two free throws.
 
Soon thereafter, Dailey's trey evened the score at 13 and Rickard hit from downtown to put the Lakers ahead. The Eagles briefly took the lead again, but Lee answered with another triple before Arnis Libazs put Hurst up four with 10:34 to play in the first half. Jamal Turner hit a free throw and then a lay-in for a 24-17 Mercyhurst advantage.
 
Leonard Patterson quieted the Laker outburst with a basket and then McQueen nailed a trey to get closer. Two Patterson free throws tied the game at 24 with 5:19 to go. Weaver and McQueen traded buckets and then Edwards converted three free throws and Dailey came back with a tying triple. A McQueen three and jumper followed, giving the home team a six-point edge at the half.
 
Weaver kicked off the second frame with two free throws and a lay-in to make it 37-33 in the opening minutes. After four Clarion points, Steven Coleman scored, but Mike Kromka came back with a jumper. Buckets by Lee and Turner got the Lakers down 44-40 with 14:56 to play. After an Edwards trey, Coleman's jumper and two Weaver free throws cut the deficit to 47-44. Dailey made a steal and a breakaway layup, but Patterson answered with a jump shot to go back up three points.
 
Winfield Willis, the Eagles' leading scorer on the year, scored his first points on a three-pointer with 10:54 to go. Bilbo and Teer traded hoops before Rickard and Weaver each scored to tie the score at 54.
 
With 9:13 left, Teer scored inside again and then Kromka converted a three-point play for a five-point edge. The Clarion run continued on a Teer three-point effort to go up 62-54. Weaver's free throw stopped the spurt, and Coleman made a jumper to get within five, but Hurst did not have the finishing push to complete the comeback.
 
Dailey recorded 18 points on 7-12 shooting, along with four steals. Weaver was next with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Lee scored nine. The Eagles had four players in double figures, led by Calvin Edwards with 16. He hit 10-13 free throw attempts on the night.
 
The Lakers host Slippery Rock Saturday, January 14, at the MAC. The PSAC West contest is scheduled for a 3 p.m. tip-off.
 
For a box score of the Mercyhurst-Clarion game, please click here.