ERIE, Pa. - The No. 6 Gannon women's basketball team limited visiting St. Thomas Aquinas to 25.4 percent (15-59) shooting and posted a 52-31 advantage on the glass en route to a 60-39 victory Wednesday afternoon at the Hammermill Center. The contest represented the final non-conference game of the season for the Lady Knights, who play their final 18 regular-season contests against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents.

Gannon jumped out to a 27-9 halftime lead after limiting St. Thomas Aquinas to 6.5 percent (2-31) shooting in the first half. The Spartans missed their first nine shots and fell behind 11-0, before Colleen Vogel nailed a three-pointer 7:32 into the game.

Head coach Cleve Wright's squad assumed a 21-5 advantage with a 10-0 run midway through the half and eventually went to the intermission with an 18-point lead. The Lady Knights had a 33-14 rebounding advantage in the first 20 minutes. In addition, St. Thomas Aquinas hit only 2-of-31 overall shots and 1-of-14 three-point attempts in the first half. 

The second half was played on more even terms with Gannon out-scoring St. Thomas Aquinas 33-30 in the final 20 minutes. The Lady Knights opened the half with a 25-10 run and grabbed their largest lead at 52-19 with 10:44 to play. The visitors had a slight 11-8 scoring edge in the final 10 minutes, before the final horn sounded with Gannon on top 60-39.

Julie Kleber (Suffern, N.Y./Suffern) led all scorers with 14 points and six rebounds, hitting 6-of-8 shots off the bench. Carrie Nolan (Girard, Pa./Girard) was the only other Lady Knight in double digits with 10 markers. The senior guard hit two three-pointers and extended her streak of consecutive games with at least one triple to 43.

Gannon shot 41.9 percent (26-62) from the field, 19 percent (4-21) from three-point range and 57.1 percent (4-7) from the free throw line.

Briana Sloper was the only St. Thomas Aquinas player in double digits with 10 points. The Spartans shot 25.4 percent (15-59) from the floor, 15 percent (3-20) from behind the arc and 75 percent (6-8) from the charity stripe.

Gannon continued the best start in program history while moving to 12-0. St. Thomas Aquinas evened its record at 5-5. The Lady Knights return to action Saturday, January 2 at Kutztown. The PSAC crossover contest is scheduled for 1 p.m.

For a complete box score from Wednesday's Gannon-St. Thomas Aquinas women's basketball game, please click here.