ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon women's basketball team will be celebrating the end of 2011 with a pair of games in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Lady Knights will face UPR-Rio Piedras on Friday, December 30 at 1 p.m. before facing UPR-Bayamon on Monday, January 2 at 3 p.m. Both schools are NCAA Division II members.
There will be no live stats, audio or video available for games played during the Puerto Rico trip.
The Lady Knights continue to make a statement defensively this season, limiting opponents to 50.1 points per contest. The number ranks Gannon first in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and fifth nationally among NCAA Division II schools. The stingy defense has led to some big wins for the Lady Knights, out-scoring opponents by an average of 27.1 points. That number that ranks first in the conference and fourth in the nation.
The trio of
Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel),
Caitlyn Lowe (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg) and
Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J. / Marist) are all averaging double digits in scoring for Gannon. Papich has a team-best 14.8 scoring average. The sophomore has reached double digits in all but one game and is the owner of two 20-point performances.
Lowe is netting 11 points per contest while Blake chips in 10.8 points. Lowe is shooting 36.0 percent from three-point range this season. Blake has recorded three double-doubles this season, the most recent effort earning her PSAC Freshman of the Week honors.
Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn. / E.O. Smith) has been in charge of distributing the ball this season, averaging 6.0 assists. The sophomore heads into the tournament having dished out five or more assists in four straight games. During two of those games she recorded a career-best 11 helpers. Sundberg ranks first in the conference in fifth nationally for assists per game.
