MARION -- Dusty Albaugh is a man for all seasons for the Marion Indians.

Winter, spring, summer, fall. Basketball, track, baseball, football. You name it, he does it.

It was basketball Tuesday night and Albaugh helped the Indians trim Clear Creek Amana, 57-53, in a key Wamac Conference game at Marion.

Albaugh tossed in three 3-pointers and scored 13 points. Of equal importance, he drew the key defensive assignment against hot-shooting Clay Miller with the game on the line and made sure Miller did not get good looks at the basket.

The night began with Marion, Clear Creek Amana and Vinton-Shellsburg all tied for the West Division lead in the Wamac Conference with 7-3 records, so the Indians left the gym with at least a share of the lead in their trousers.

Marion blew a 21-point lead and lost in overtime at Vinton-Shellsburg on Friday, so the Indians got a little antsy when they squandered an 11-point advantage against Clear Creek Amana.

"We're not repeating that again," Albaugh thought. He was right.

Albaugh, a 6-foot-1 senior, excels at all four sports at Marion and will get a chance to play in college, based on the number of recruiters who are calling him.

"I'd probably choose football," he said. "You have that team bond. And you get to hit people.

"I had six missed calls last night from recruiters. They want you to come visit."

Albaugh has drawn the most interest from Iowa Conference schools and junior colleges. He visited Wartburg this past weekend, but has not made a decision.

"He's a great kid," Marion Coach Mike Manderscheid said. "He's a kid that you want your son to grow up and be like him. He works hard at everything he does. He's a competitor, by nature."

Albaugh excels in the classroom as well with a 3.84 GPA.

"School always comes first," Albaugh said, repeating what his parents have told him. "Sports is a privilege. You want to get your grades, because that's what's going to get you to college. Not everybody makes it to the NFL or NBA."

Albaugh has four favorite sports, not just one.

"Whichever sport is in session," he said. "That's the one I dedicate myself to. I just love it all."

Albaugh dedicated himself to beating Clear Creek Amana Tuesday.

The Clippers (7-7, 7-4) grabbed a 53-51 lead on a bucket by Miller with 2:35 left. The Indians (8-4, 8-3) responded with a three-point play by Dylan Cronk, who grabbed an offensive rebound, hit a twisting shot, got fouled and made the free throw for a 54-53 advantage.

Tyler Fisher intercepted a Clipper pass and fed Kasey Semler for a layup, giving Marion a 56-53 edge with 1:25 remaining.

Miller missed a shot, but Clear Creek Amana got the ball and called a timeout. Albaugh hounded Miller again, and Miller missed a long 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds to play.

Fisher got fouled and made one free throw with 8.1 seconds left to seal the victory at 57-53.

Semler scored 16 points for the Indians. Miller led all scorers with 20 points for the Clippers. Nile Eckermann added 15 points for the visitors and Hunter Stokes scored 11.

Nine players scored for Marion, compared to five for Clear Creek Amana.

CLEAR CREEK AMANA (53): Manders 0 2-2 2, Miller 8 2-2 20, Eckermann 5 4-4 15, Volk 0 0-0 0, Stopko 1 3-4 5, Stokes 5 1-2 11, Villhauer 0 0-0 0, Hergert 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 12-14 53.

MARION (57): Albaugh 5 0-0 13, Cannoy 1 0-0 3, Cronk 3 1-1 7, Semler 5 6-10 16, Van Gorp 1 0-0 2, Kinney 2 1-2 5, Fisher 2 1-2 5, Hardman 1 2-2 4, Stone 1 0-0 2, Frazier 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 11-17 57.

Halftime -- Marion 27, Clear Creek Amana 19. 3-point goals -- Clear Creek Amana 3 (Miller 2, Eckermann 1), Marion 4 (Albaugh 3, Cannoy 1).