ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team returns from a 16-day holiday break this weekend by hosting a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) crossover games at the Hammermill Center. The Golden Knights battle defending PSAC Eastern Division champion Bloomsburg Friday, January 4 and Mansfield Saturday, January 5. Both contests can be heard live locally on Jet Radio 1400 and are scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Ticket windows will open both days at 4:30 p.m. Each day will feature doubleheaders with the women's teams playing at 5:30 p.m. Tickets for each doubleheader 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 (9-2, 3-2 PSAC) had won four consecutive games before taking 16 days off for the holidays, including seven days for the NCAA Division II “Life in Balance” mandatory break. The last 17 games will all come against PSAC programs.
Darrell Blanton captured the last PSAC Western Division Athlete of the Week honor announced December 20. The senior forward leads the PSAC and ranks third among all NCAA Division II players in field goal percentage (65.8).
Gannon's 9-2 record equals the third-highest winning percentage among all NCAA Division II Atlantic region programs. The first NCAA Division II regional rankings are scheduled to be released February 20.
Head coach
John T. Reilly's club is the PSAC's best in scoring defense, allowing only 56.5 points per game. That figure ranks seventh in the country. The Golden Knights also rank 10th nationally in rebounding margin (10.4) and 13th in free throw percentage (76.8).
Bloomsburg (2-7, 0-5) has struggled this season after a fabulous 2011-12 campaign. The defending PSAC Eastern Division regular-season champions lost its last six games prior to taking 16 days off for the holidays.
Dontahe Jordan returns after being named to the All-PSAC Eastern Division first team last season. The junior was also named 2011-12 PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Year. He has recorded four double-doubles this season. Jordan ranks 12th among all NCAA Division II players in rebounds per game (9.9) and 25th in double-doubles.
Bloomsburg finished 19-9 overall and 15-7 in the PSAC last year after falling at home to West Chester in the conference quarterfinals. As a result, head coach John Sanow was named PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year. He was the first Bloomsburg coach to receive the honor since Charlie Chronister in 2001. The Huskies qualified for the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2002 and hosted their first postseason game since 2001.
Mansfield (3-6, 1-4) is off to a slow start, entering the weekend with a 3-6 overall record. The Mountaineers play at Mercyhurst Friday night.
Head coach Rich Miller's club spent last weekend at the Winter Park Rotary Tangerine Tournament in Winter Park, Florida. The Mountaineers opened the tournament with a 71-61 loss to the host school Rollins, before posting a 56-54 victory against Flagler the next night. Chuck Harper's lay-up in traffic with 30 seconds remaining proved to be the difference.
Joe Bell is one of the premier players in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region. The sophomore forward averages 17.8 points and 9.7 rebounds. He ranks 15th among all NCAA Division II players in rebounds per game and 25th in double-doubles. The 2011-12 PSAC Eastern Division Freshman of the Year captured the last PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Week honor announced on December 20.
Gannon leads the all-time series against both squads. The Golden Knights are 8-0 all-time against Bloomsburg, including a 7-0 mark at the Hammermill Center. Gannon has won six of its last eight games against Mansfield and leads the all-time series against the Mountaineers 7-6.
