ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon women's basketball team returns home after a four-game road swing to host a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover games at the Hammermill Center. The Lady Knights will face Cheyney on Friday, December 9th at 5:30 p.m. before hosting Shippensburg on Saturday. Please note Saturday's game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start time.
The Lady Knights are off to a 5-0 start this season, holding a 4-0 record in the PSAC. Gannon leads the PSAC in scoring margin (+28.4) this season, holding opponents to an average of 51.2 points per contest. They also rank first in the conference in field goal percentage defense, limiting contenders to 33.9 percent shooting.
Jen Papich (Pittsburg, Pa. / Fox Chapel) enters the weekend after netting 23 points or more in each of Gannon's two road wins last weekend. She averaged 24.5 points, six rebounds and 2.5 steals. The sophomore shot 59.4 percent from the floor, accounting for 42 (49-of-118) of Gannon's total points. She earned her first PSAC Player of the Week award for her efforts. Last season Papich was named Freshman of the Week twice.
Cheyney is still looking for their first win this season, entering the contest with a 0-7 seven record and dropping the first four PSAC games. Nadirah Brown leads the Wolves in points (12.7), rebounds (7.7) and field goal percentage (46.3) while averaging 34 minutes per game.
Shippensburg earned a two-point win (59-57) over California (Pa.), and nearly defeated Edinboro (63-31) during PSAC West action. The Raiders also fell 78-73 to Indiana (Pa.) and 66-54 to Lock Haven.
Three Raiders are averaging double-digits in scoring with Shawna Wert (12.3), Dana Wert (10.0) and Monae Baker (16.1) all averaging more than 10 points per contest. Baker also leads the team in rebounding with 10.1 per game.
The meeting with Cheyney will be the second all-time after Gannon won the first match-up last season by a 55-41 score. The Gannon-Shippensburg series is tied at 3-3. Since joining the PSAC the two teams have played a pair of lopsided games with Gannon winning 72-45 in 2008-09 and Shippensburg winning 83-62 last season.
