EDINBORO, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team has won games with defense, with offense, and with blowouts. The Golden Knights proved Wednesday night they also have the perseverance to overcome deficits late in the game on the road.

Gannon overcame a four-point deficit in the final three minutes with two clutch shots and four key defensive stops en route to a heart-stopping 66-65 victory at rival Edinboro before 2,062 fans at the McComb Fieldhouse.

Head coach John T. Reilly's club led 30-25 at halftime and never trailed in the second half until 3:37 was left in regulation. Gannon led by as many as 11 points on two occasions in the second half and owned a 58-50 lead after Joe Lindsey's (Spring Valley, N.Y./Spring Valley) jumper with 6:11 left to play.

Edinboro then rallied with 12 consecutive points to assume a 62-58 lead on two free throws from Larry Bryant with 2:56 showing on the clock. The Fighting Scots forced six turnovers and one missed shot in the span of two minutes and 29 seconds. The home squad scored after all six turnovers.

However, Gannon showed it was the more determined team on this night. George Johnson (Arlington, Va./Wakefield) drilled his only three-point attempt of the night with 2:40 remaining, cutting the deficit to 62-61. Following two Edinboro misses, Pierre Howard (Chicago, Ill./Bloom) put the Golden Knights back in front 63-62 with a baseline jumper at the 1:25 mark.

The two teams traded missed jumpers, before Edinboro called time-out with nine seconds to play. An inbound play designed for a lob pass into the post was knocked away by Mark Demski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and secured by Tyler Stoczynski (Erie, Pa./McDowell).

Lindsey made one free throw, before Stoczynski grabbed an offensive rebound off the second miss. The senior then drained both free throws with five seconds left. A Gil Cummings triple at the buzzer accounted for the final 66-65 score.

Edinboro initially opened a 9-4 lead, before Gannon responded with a 24-5 run over the next nine minutes and two seconds. Dave Wilson's (Vidalia, La./Vidalia) lay-up with 5:14 left in the first half gave the Golden Knights their biggest lead of the evening at 28-14. The Fighting Scots ended the half on an 11-2 run, cutting the Gannon lead to 30-25 at the break.

Howard led all scorers with 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds. Stoczynski and Wilson chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Gannon shot 43.9 percent (25-57) from the field, 58.3 percent (7-12) from three-point range, and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the free throw line.

Jones headlined the Edinboro offensive unit with 19 points, hitting 7-of-12 shots. Cummings followed with 18 points. Justin Moore and Larry Bryant added 11 and 10 points, respectively. The four starters accounted for 58 of the team's 65 points.

Edinboro shot 42.9 percent (21-49) from the floor, 41.2 percent (7-17) from behind the arc, and 80 percent (16-20) from the charity stripe.

Gannon, ranked sixth in NCAA Division II and second in the Atlantic regional rankings, improved to 15-2 with its fourth consecutive victory while snapping a four-game losing streak against the Fighting Scots. Edinboro, ranked eighth in the region, dropped to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play with its second consecutive home loss. The Golden Knights return to action Saturday, January 31 against Lock Haven at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

For a complete box score from Wednesday's Gannon-Edinboro men's basketball game, please click here.