ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team scored the game's first 12 points and never looked back Saturday evening in a 61-48 victory over Lock Haven on Senior Night at the Hammermill Center. The Golden Knights qualified for the post-season as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division fourth seed and will travel to division champion Indiana (Pa.) Tuesday, March 2 for the conference quarterfinals.

Gannon didn't seem fazed by the lengthy Senior Night activities that honored 10 seniors between the women's and men's basketball teams. The Golden Knights opened the game by hitting their first four shots and produced a 12-0 lead 3:18 into the contest.

Steve Piotrowicz (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) nailed a three-pointer 22 seconds after the opening tip. Travis Brannen (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) followed with two free throws, before Tanner Furno (Columbus, Ohio/Whetstone) scored on a lay-up. George Johnson (Arlington, Va./Wakefield) then drilled a three-pointer and Piotrowicz capped the opening run with a lay-up.

Gannon grabbed its biggest lead of the evening at 29-7 on Johnson's third three-pointer of the half with 5:14 showing on the clock. The bomb ended a 14-2 run which Johnson started with another triple. Piotrowicz and Alfonso Scandrett (Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford) also hit three-pointers during the blitz.

Lock Haven used the final five minutes to claw back into the game. The Bald Eagles produced their first sizable run with nine straight points. Armandi Marshall's jumper cut the Gannon lead to 29-18. Furno answered with a jumper that sent the Golden Knights into the break with a 31-18 advantage.

The two teams traded blows for the first 10 minutes of the second half, before Lock Haven made the game interesting. The Bald Eagles rolled off 11 straight points and pulled within 45-42 at the 7:17 mark.

But Gannon's offensive player of the game responded. Piotrowicz ignited a 16-2 run over the span of five minutes and 43 seconds with a driving lay-up. Lock Haven's Eric Brennan answered with a jumper, but the Golden Knights then netted 14 straight points.

Piotrowicz scored seven points during the 16-2 blitz. Senior forward Mark Demski (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep), who has not played since January 16 due to an injury, brought the crowd to its feet with a runner jumper with 45 seconds left. The score pushed the home team's advantage to 61-44. The Bald Eagles scored the final two baskets to account for the final 61-48 score.

Gannon put three players in double digits. Piotrowicz led the way with a career-high 18 points, hitting 6-of-11 shots. Johnson recorded 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Scandrett finished his final career home game with 11 points and seven rebounds. Brannen had six points and 12 rebounds.

The Golden Knights shot 40.7 percent (22-54) from the field, 38.1 percent (8-21) from three-point range and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the free throw line.

Warren Christian headlined the Lock Haven scoring attack with 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Brennan and Andres Carpio added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Lock Haven shot 39.2 percent (20-51) from the floor, 15.4 percent (2-13) from behind the arc and 42.9 percent (6-14) from the charity stripe.

Gannon completed the regular season with a 13-14 overall record and 8-6 PSAC Western Division mark. The Golden Knights moved to 17-0 all-time against Lock Haven, including a 13-0 mark at the Hammermill Center. The Bald Eagles finished their season with a 6-19 overall record and 3-11 conference mark.

Head coach John T. Reilly's squad opens post-season play Tuesday, March 2 at sixth-ranked Indiana (Pa.). The PSAC Quarterfinal is scheduled for 7 p.m. The contest can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the Internet at http://www.gannon.edu/athletics/werg/knightsound.html.

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