SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. –
Brittany Batts' (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) six three-pointers headlined a barrage of 10 first-half triples by the No. 7 Gannon women's basketball team as the Lady Knights rolled to an easy 82-64 victory Wednesday night at Slippery Rock. As a result, Gannon clinched a spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament. It will be the program's 15th postseason appearance during the last 16 years.
Gannon appeared to be on a crash course with the program's all-time three-point records, before cooling off during the final 20 minutes. The school record for individual three-pointers in a game is nine and the team record is 20.
Slippery Rock scored the first five points and held Gannon scoreless during the opening four minutes and 39 seconds. Batts was the first to rip the nets, doing so from behind the arc at the 15:21 mark. The bomb ignited a 16-2 run that put the Lady Knights in firm control. Batts hit three consecutive triples during the blitz, before
Doriyon Glass' (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) three-pointer gave the squad a 16-7 lead.
After seeing its lead trimmed to 16-14, Gannon rattled off a 14-2 run to push its lead to 30-16 with 7:08 left in the half.
Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) got in on the long-range party with three straight three-pointers after Batts hit her fourth triple of the opening 10 minutes.
To top things off, Gannon ended the half with a 9-2 run during the final 2:38 to race into the intermission with a commanding 49-29 lead.
The contest was never in question during the second half. The Gannon lead grew to 64-34 after back-to-back three-pointers from Neighbors during the opening five minutes. The difference never dipped below 14 points the rest of the way.
Batts led the Gannon offensive attack with 18 points on the heels of six three-pointers. Every point came during the first half. Neighbors came off the bench to record career-highs in points (15) and three-pointers (5).
Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) completed the double-digit scorers with 14 markers.
Gannon shot 37 percent (27-73) from the field, 43.8 percent (14-32) from three-point range and 73.7 percent (9-13) from the free throw line. The 14 three-pointers were the most in a game since the Lady Knights hit 14 during an 81-60 victory at Clarion on February 11, 2012.
Slippery Rock's Erinne Cunningham topped all scorers on both sides with 20 points, including 15 during the final 20 minutes. Megan Hardiman chipped in 19 points off the bench with 10 of those coming during the second half. D'Asia Chambers added 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Rock shot 40 percent (24-60) from the floor, 32.3 percent (10-31) from behind the arc and 66.7 percent (6-9) from the charity stripe.
Gannon, ranked seventh in the
USA Today Sports Division II Coaches' Poll, improved to 19-2 overall and 13-1 in the PSAC. The Lady Knights maintained their one-game lead over two-time defending conference champion Edinboro with eight regular-season games remaining. Slippery Rock dropped to 4-14 overall and 3-11 in conference action.
Head coach
Cleve Wright's club has now won 19 of its last 20 games against Slippery Rock. Gannon returns to action Saturday, February 2 against Lock Haven at the Hammermill Center. The opener of the annual Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame doubleheader is slated for 1 p.m. The Class of 2013 will be honored at halftime of the men's game, before being formally inducted during a banquet Saturday night in the Yehl Ballroom of the Waldron Center.
