CLARION, Pa. – Four Golden Knights reached double digits in scoring as the Gannon men's basketball team improved to 7-1 on the road Saturday night with a 65-53 victory at Clarion.
It was the Gannon defense that proved to be the difference again. The nation's seventh-best scoring defense held its opponent under 60 points for the third consecutive game and 11th time this season.
Gannon maintained a slim 30-27 halftime lead, before scoring the first seven points of the second half.
Oscar Macias (Cicero, Ill./Morton) started the scoring with a three-pointer.
Darrell Blanton (Cleveland, Ohio/Euclid) followed with back-to-back jumpers to give the Golden Knights a 37-27 lead 4:42 into the half.
Clarion slowly chipped away at the lead, pulling within 42-39 on Calvin Edward's three-pointer at the 8:29 mark. But Gannon responded again. This time, it was an 11-3 blitz that bumped the lead back into double digits.
Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) ignited the run with five straight points. The sophomore followed a jumper with an old-fashion three-point play, scoring on a lay-up while being fouled. After Clarion hit a three-pointer, Macias and Blazek countered with consecutive long-range bombs for a commanding 53-42 advantage with 5:34 to play. The lead hovered between eight and 12 points the rest of the way.
Gannon led for the majority of the first half despite Clarion netting the first five points of the game. The Golden Knights answered with eight consecutive points and never trailed again. The visitors' largest first-half lead came at 19-13 after
Robert Wilson's (Streetsboro, Ohio/Streetsboro) triple with 10:38 showing on the clock.
Blanton led all scorers on both sides with 19 points and nine rebounds, hitting 7-of-11 shots. Blazek came off the bench with 17 points. Macias and Wilson added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Gannon shot 44.4 percent (24-54) from the field, 26.7 percent (4-15) from three-point range and 61.9 percent (13-21) from the free throw line. The Golden Knights' streak of consecutive free throws made ended during the second half at 33.
Edwards was the only Golden Eagle to hit double digits in scoring with 11 markers. Mike Kromka chipped in eight points while grabbing 16 rebounds.
Clarion shot 37.5 percent (21-56) from the floor, 42.9 percent (9-21) from behind the arc and 40 percent (2-5) from the charity stripe.
Gannon improved to 16-3 overall and 10-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with its fourth consecutive victory and 11th during its last 12 contests. The Golden Knights have won six straight games against Clarion and 12 of the last 13 in the all-time series. The Golden Eagles dropped to 5-12 overall and 3-10 in league play.
Head coach
John T. Reilly's club returns to action Wednesday, January 30 at Slippery Rock. Both teams are tied for second place in the PSAC West following the Rock's 62-59 loss at Edinboro Saturday afternoon. Indiana (Pa.) maintains a one-game lead over both teams after its 57-54 win against Mercyhurst Saturday night. Wednesday's Gannon-Slippery Rock battle is scheduled for 8 p.m.
