CALIFORNIA, Pa. - California (Pa.) held Gannon to its lowest shooting percentage since December 29, 2009 and eliminated the Golden Knights from post-season contention with a low-scoring 53-50 victory Saturday night in the final men's basketball game ever played at Cal's Hamer Hall. The Vulcans will move into a new arena next season.

Saturday's decision leaves Gannon two games behind Cal for the final playoff spot with two to play. However, the Vulcans win a possible tiebreaker due to their season sweep of the Golden Knights. Gannon also loses possible tiebreakers if there is a multiple-team tie regardless of the teams involved.

Gannon and Cal did what they usually do - play down to the wire. Saturday's contest featured eight ties and 10 lead changes. It was the third consecutive game played in the series that came down to the final possession. In all, eight of the 18 games played in the all-time series have been decided by three points or less.

Head coach John T. Reilly's club held its biggest lead at 11-6 with 12:41 remaining in the first half. Trailing 4-3, the Golden Knights went on a mini 8-2 run. Travis Brannen (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) began the run with a pair of free throws, before Danard Crouch (Syracuse, N.Y./Anthony Henninger) and Anthony Claggett (Mount Rainier, Md./Friendship Collegiate Academy) threw down back-to-back three pointers.

Gannon held a slim lead for the next five minutes until Cal took a 16-15 advantage on two free throws from C.J. Townes at the 7:19 mark. The Vulcans later assumed a 26-21 lead with a 10-2 run. The Golden Knights went 1-of-5 from the field and turned the ball over four times during the time span that lasted five minutes and 26 seconds.

Gannon did recover the get four free throws from Kelvin Agee (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) in the final 27 seconds and went to the break with a 26-25 deficit.

California (Pa.) eventually grabbed its biggest lead of the evening at 37-31 with 14:14 remaining. The Vulcans scored 11 of the first 17 points in the second half, capped by Townes' lay-up. In all, the home team had a 21-12 run that spanned 12:06 and both halves.

Gannon set up the frantic finish by producing a run of its own. The Golden Knights forged the game's fifth tie (39-39) on a Claggett three-pointer and a Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) lay-up.
Neither team was able to grab a lead larger than three points during the final 10 minutes and 28 seconds that featured four ties and four lead changes.

Gannon assumed a 42-41 lead on Battle's three-pointer with 8:48 left and a 45-43 advantage on Steve Piotrowicz's (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) triple with 6:21 remaining.

Cal took the lead for good when it snapped the game's eighth tie on two free throws from Rashawd Hatten at the 1:17 mark. However, the Vulcans left the door open by missing 4-of-6 free throws in the final 32 seconds. But the Golden Knights gave up a key offensive rebound, turned the ball over once and missed a potential game-tying three-pointer during that critical time period.

Agee was the lone Gannon player in double digits with 13 points and six rebounds. Brannen chipped in seven points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Gannon shot 30.4 percent (14-46) from the field, 31.8 percent (7-22) from three-point range and 68.2 percent (15-22) from the free throw line. It was the Golden Knights' worst shooting day since hitting 29.1 percent (16-55) of their shots during a 64-44 loss to Seton Hill on December 29, 2009.

Hatten led all Cal scorers with 17 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Steve Swiech added 12 points off the bench on 6-of-10 shooting.

Cal shot 36.4 percent (20-55) from the floor, 21.1 percent (4-19) from behind the arc and 52.9 percent (9-17) from the charity stripe.

Gannon dropped to 13-11 overall and 4-8 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with Saturday's loss. Cal improved to 13-11 overall and 6-6 in conference play. The Golden Knights begin the final week of the regular season Wednesday, February 23 against Slippery Rock at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

For a complete box score from Saturday's Gannon-California (Pa.) men's basketball game, please click here.