Box Score

ANAHEIM, Calif. – A quick 8-0 run early in the second half gave the No. 15 Gannon women's basketball team a comfortable lead as the Lady Knights knocked off No. 8 UC San Diego 69-58 during the opening night of the prestigious Disney Tip-Off Classic Friday in Anaheim, California.

The season opener immediately pitted two of the nation's best. UC San Diego was ranked eighth in the USA Today Sports/ESPN Preseason Coaches Poll while Gannon was tabbed 15th.

Gannon led the entire second half, pulling away initially during the first five minutes. Leading 35-33, the Lady Knights rolled off eight consecutive points to assume a 43-33 advantage with 15:49 to play. Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) ignited the run with a three-pointer for her first career points. Doriyon Glass (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) followed with a fastbreak lay-up, before Kelsey McCoy (Sylvania, Ohio/Sylvania Northview) capped the streak with a triple.

Head coach Cleve Wright's club bumped its lead up to 50-38 after Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) drained a three-pointer with 10:12 to play. The difference hovered around that same margin until UC San Diego put a final run together. The Tritons pulled within 62-56 on an Emily Osga three-pointer with 1:06 showing on the clock.

However, that would be as close as it would get as Gannon iced the victory from the free throw line. The Lady Knights converted seven free throws during the final 63 seconds to account for the final 69-58 score.

The first 12 minutes featured six lead changes and four ties. Neither team was able to produce a lead larger than three points during that time.

Gannon was the first team to produce a sizable run, erasing a 16-15 deficit with six consecutive points. Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) tallied the final five points, including a three-pointer that gave the Lady Knights a 21-16 edge with 6:47 remaining in the first half.

The lead reached its first-half apex at 25-18 following a Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn./E.O. Smith) lay-up at the 4:01 mark. Unforeseen at the time, UC San Diego would be right there four minutes later. The Tritons rattled off a 10-3 run to tie the affair at 28 with under a minute to play. But a Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) jumper with 28 seconds left sent the Lady Knights into the break with a 30-28 lead.

Blake led the Gannon offensive attack with her fifth career double-double. The sophomore forward had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Glass tied Blake with a team-high 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Sundberg completed Gannon's double-digit scorers with 10 markers.

Gannon shot 48.9 percent (22-45) from the field, 50 percent (7-14) from three-point range and 75 percent (18-24) from the free throw line. The Lady Knights had a large 38-25 edge on the glass.

Daisy Feder headlined the UC San Diego offense with 19 points. Osga was the only other Triton in double digits with 16 points.

UC San Diego shot 32.7 percent (16-49) from the floor, 23.8 percent (5-21) from behind the arc and 75 percent (21-28) from the charity stripe.

Gannon improved to 1-0 with its fourth consecutive season-opening victory. UC San Diego dropped to 0-1. The Lady Knights continue play at the Disney Tip-Off Classic Saturday, November 10 against top-ranked Ashland. The Eagles began the tournament Friday with a 70-48 win against West Texas A&M. Saturday's Gannon-Ashland tip-off time is scheduled for 12 p.m. Eastern time.