With starters Garrett Heldberg out with a shoulder injury and Carsyn Ryg sidelined with a broken finger, the C boys are banged up early in the season.
Another starter injury almost cost them the game against Cedar Mountain on Tuesday, but they held on to beat the Cougars 41-40.
The Clippers, who were coming off a 52-45 loss to United South Central in Wells 24 hours earlier, were in front 39-32 late in the second half when Kiptyn Coon exited with a hurt ankle.
The Cougars put in a free shot, and Miles Tomaszewski scored on a jumper, but the Cougars made a pair of free shots, a three and a jumper from the floor to pull within a point.
With nine seconds left, the Cougars had possession with an inbounds pass, but their shot at the buzzer was off the mark, and the Clippers escaped with the win.
En route to 19 points, Tomaszewski scored the first four baskets for the Clippers for a 10-6 Cleveland advantage. With a Coon bucket and a Wyatt Krenik three, the Clippers were ahead 13-9.
Coon drove down the baseline for a basket and Luke Heldberg hit a jumper to extend the Clipper lead. Down the stretch, Tomaszewski grabbed an offensive rebound and put it back up for a basket, and Jack Anderson plopped in a jumper from outside the lane.
The Cougars closed the half with a three, but the Clippers still led 20-18 at the break.
Coon scored 10 points. Anderson totaled seven points, including a three. Krenik put in the only other Clipper three. Heldberg chipped in a basket.
Cleveland got off to a good start in the second half. Tomaszewski put another offensive rebound in for a bucket, and Anderson bagged a three. Coon’s underhand layup somehow found its way through the rim, and he followed up with another basket. With a Tomaszewski layup, the Clippers were in front 32-22.
But the Cougars posted the next seven points. Coon and Anderson scored on layups, and Tomaszewski hauled down another O rebound and scored before Coon suffered the injury.
The Clippers went to the infraction line three times and made one of five shots from there. Cedar Mountain put in three threes in the first half and two more in the second half. They were seven of 13 from the foul line.
In Wells, Krenik bagged a pair of threes in the first half, Coon added four buckets from the floor and a pair of freebies, and Tomaszewski put in a three, a two and two free shots, but the Clippers, allowing one Rebel to score 18 points, trailed 29-25 at the break.
Coon contributed four more baskets from the floor and three free shots in the second half, and Krenik, Anderson and Charlie Perkins each parked a three, but it wasn’t enough.
With 21 points, Coon led the effort. Krenik had nine points, all on threes. Tomaszewski added seven points, Anderson had four points, and Perkins chipped in three points.
The Clippers made nine of 19 free shots. USC put in three shots from behind the arc and half of 22 free throws.
Coon and Heldberg will likely still be sidelined when the Clippers return to action with a make-up game in LeSueur on January 3.
Above: Kiptyn Coon steers the ball towards the bucket.
