ERIE, Pa. - Gannon fans who haven't attended any of the last three men's basketball home games have missed quite a bit. George Johnson's (Arlington, Va./Wakefield) controversial basket as time expired in overtime enabled the Golden Knights to secure a heart-stopping 66-65 victory against Clarion Saturday afternoon at the Hammermill Center, giving the program its third consecutive one-point home victory and moving Gannon to 7-1 in games decided by four points or less this season.

The verdict was Gannon's 11th consecutive victory over Clarion at the Hammermill Center. The Golden Eagles are 3-17 all-time at the 'Mill, where they haven't won since an 83-80 win during the 1981-82 season.

Both teams missed ample opportunities to win Saturday's contest in the final minutes of regulation and during the five-minute overtime, before the frantic finish decided the outcome.

The last two minutes of regulation provided a few twists that were a prelude to what was coming. Clarion grabbed a 59-57 lead on Shameel Carty's free throw with 2:07 to play. The junior guard missed his second free throw, allowing Steve Piotrowicz's (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) three-pointer to push the Golden Knights in front 60-59 with 1:40 remaining.

Gannon had two chances to ice the victory, but missed the front end of two one-and-ones in the final 19 seconds. Clarion's Lloyd Harrison then had a chance to win the game in regulation when he was fouled with five seconds left. However, Harrison made only 1-of-2 free throws to tie the contest at 60. Piotrowicz's half-court shot at the buzzer was dead on, but rimmed out.

Only 11 points were scored during the intense overtime period. Clarion was the first to draw blood in the extra session as Harrison scored while being fouled. His free throw gave the Golden Eagles a 63-60 lead 28 seconds into overtime. It turned out to be Clarion's only field goal in overtime. Gannon answered with two free throws over the next three minutes, setting up the final 60 seconds.

Johnson hit the first of two clutch shots, scoring on a jumper to give Gannon a 64-63 lead with 31 seconds left. Harrison, who was nearly uncontainable all afternoon, was then fouled with seven seconds showing on the clock. He drained both free throws as the Golden Eagles regained the lead 65-64.

On the final possession, Piotrowicz dribbled to half court before handing the ball to Johnson. The Arlington, Va., native drove down the right side while facing intense pressure by several Golden Eagles. His jumper from the right baseline as he was falling sideways and time was expiring found the bottom of the net. The three-man officiating crew immediately signaled the basket good and indicated the shot came before the final horn sounded. The shot sent the Golden Knights into celebration as the Golden Eagles feverishly debated the call.

Saturday's game was no different from Gannon's last seven in terms of both teams trading run for run. The Golden Knights initially took a 14-4 lead, holding the Golden Eagles to four free throws. The visitors didn't convert their first field goal until Mike Sherry's three-pointer 7:44 into the contest.

A 9-0 Clarion run later in the half brought the Golden Eagles within 18-17 at the 5:25 mark. Gannon snapped a 23-23 tie by ending the first half on a 9-3 run over the final 2:01.

Johnson's three-pointer 1:27 into the second half pushed Gannon's lead to 37-28. The Golden Knights held a nine-point lead three times in the first nine minutes of the second stanza. The final one came at 45-36, before Clarion went on a 15-5 run and grabbed a 51-50 advantage with 6:37 remaining. The lead exchanged hands four times in the final 7:29 of regulation.

Johnson led the Gannon scoring attack with 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and one block. Tanner Furno (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) was the only other Golden Knight in double digits, chipping in 15 points off the bench.

Gannon shot 40 percent (24-60) from the field, 21.7 percent (5-23) from three-point range and 56.5 percent (13-23) from the free throw line.

Lloyd Harrison headlined the Clarion offensive unit with 25 points, including 18 after halftime. Carty netted 14 points off the bench. Jamar Harrison and Paul McQueen chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Clarion shot 42.3 percent (22-52) from the floor, 25 percent (3-12) from behind the arc and 62.1 percent (18-29) from the charity stripe.

Gannon evened its overall record at 11-11 while improving to 6-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. Clarion dropped to 15-8 overall and 7-3 in conference play. The Golden Knights will take a break from conference action to host Lake Erie Monday, February 15 in their final non-conference game of the season. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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