Friday, January 6, 2012
ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team returns to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play this weekend with two home games at the Hammermill Center. All your live play-by-play action can be heard live locally on Jet Radio 1400.
Gannon kicks off the weekend Friday, January 6 against Bloomsburg. The Golden Knights then complete their PSAC crossover schedule Saturday, January 7 against Mansfield. Game time for both games is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Ticket windows will open at 4:30 p.m. each day as both conference doubleheaders will begin with the women's game. Tickets cost $5 for adults and $3 for non-Gannon students and senior citizens.
All Gannon students are admitted free of charge by showing their school ID at the front door.
Gannon (6-4, 4-2 PSAC) is in the midst of a season-high seven-game homestand. The Golden Knights are 4-2 at the Hammermill Center this season with both losses being decided on the final possession, falling to Daemen 67-65 and Seton Hill 103-100 in double overtime. The program has won 78 percent (784-225) of the home games during its 63-year history.
Head coach
John T. Reilly's squad is averaging a PSAC-best 87.6 points per game, nearly four points better than the school record (83.8) set by the 1968-69 team. The Golden Knights rank sixth among all NCAA Division II teams in assists per game (19.6), ninth in scoring offense, 14th in field goal percentage (51.0), 18th in rebounding margin (7.7) and 18th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.28).
Gannon has reached the 90-point plateau five times this season, including each of the last four games. The last Gannon team to score at least 90 points in a game five times was the 2002-03 squad that finished 20-10. The 2001-02 team was the last to accomplish the feat more times, having six 90-plus performances en route to a 21-7 overall record.
Senior guard
Steve Piotrowicz has not committed a turnover in the last four games, dishing out 19 assists while logging 75 minutes during those contests. His last turnover came with 5:08 left in regulation at West Chester on December 4. He ranks third in the nation with a 3.75 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Bloomsburg (9-2, 5-1) has been the PSAC success story of the first half. The Huskies sit atop the Eastern Division standings with a 5-1 conference mark. The squad is 3-0 on the road this season with victories at Pitt-Johnstown (74-72), Indiana (Pa.) (66-64) and California (Pa.) (71-65).
Head coach John Sanow, a former Gannon assistant under Jerry Slocum in 2003-04 and 2004-05, is arguably the front runner for PSAC Coach of the Year. The Huskies are 9-2 after going 4-23 three seasons ago.
Bloomsburg entered the 2011-12 season with a string of 10 consecutive losing campaigns. The Huskies last posted a winning record during the 2000-01 season, producing a 20-8 record en route to the PSAC Eastern Division championship. The run includes four consecutive campaigns (2002-03 to 2005-06) when the Huskies won only six games each season.
Trevon Johnson is the mastermind behind the Bloomsburg offense, leading the PSAC and ranking ninth among all NCAA Division II players in assists per game (6.6). Nnamdi Njoku is the PSAC's best in three-point field goal percentage.
Mansfield (5-5, 2-4 PSAC) has been playing at an even level this season. The Mountaineers have not been able to produce a winning streak longer than two games, but conversely has not lost more than two games in a row.
Head coach Rich Miller's club improved to 5-2 at home with a 79-70 victory against Roberts Wesleyan last Tuesday. The Mountaineers enter Friday's game at Clarion still in search of its first road victory of the season. The PSAC Eastern Division squad was 0-3 away from home. The road slate included losses at California (Pa.) (91-65), Indiana (Pa.) (76-51) and Le Moyne (65-57).
Josh Dupuy is one of the nation's best ball handlers. The senior guard leads the PSAC and ranks fifth among all NCAA Division II players in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.18). He ranks second in the conference and 12th nationally in assists per game (6.0).
