Box Score
Highlights and Post-Game Interviews
ERIE, Pa. - The No. 2 Gannon women's basketball team relied on four starters reaching double digits to top the California (Pa.) Vulcans, 73-64, in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference home-opener at the Hammermill Center on Wednesday evening. The Lady Knights improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the PSAC West, while the Vulcans fell to 0-4 on the season and 0-1 in West Division action.
Junior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va. / Loudoun County) led the Lady Knights with 19 points, while tying a career game-high five steals. Batts night was highlighted at the free-throw line, as the junior went a perfect 10-for-10. Senior Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel) added 14 points to go along with six rebounds and a season-high three blocks. Senior Kelley Sundberg (Mannsfield, Conn. / E.O. Smith) posted season-bests off 13 points and five rebounds. Rounding out the Lady Knights' starters in double-digits was junior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J. / Marist), tallying 12 points and four rebounds.
Leading California (Pa.) was Miki Glenn and Elena Antonenko. Glenn scored 13, going 3-for-4 from the distance, while Antonenko finished with 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds.
In the opening 7:47 of the game, the Lady Knights controlled play for most of the half despite California (Pa.) tying the game three times in the span. The Vulcans would take their first lead of the game, 17-16, off a fast-break by Antonenko with 12:13 remaining.
Holding the lead for the next 5:31, California (Pa.) worked its advantage to 24-19, the team's widest lead of the half. The Lady Knights recaptured the lead off a 5-0 run, 25-24, following successful outings at the free-throw line by Papich and Blake, as well as a jumper by Papich. California (Pa.) answered back to take the lead until the Lady Knights wrestled it away with 3:24 left. The Lady Knights held the lead for the rest of the opening half, taking a 35-33 advantage into the break.
The Lady Knights opened the second half on a 17-3 run to extend their lead to 52-36 highlighted by Batts' third three-pointer with 14:28 forcing a Vulcan timeout. The Vulcans managed to pull within seven of the Lady Knights, 60-53, off a 12-3 run with 3:33 left in regulation.
In the time remaining, the Vulcans came within five of the Lady Knights' lead, 67-62, off a three-pointer by Glenn. Down the final stretch, Batts went six-for-six at the foul line to seal the Lady Knights' 73-63 victory.
In the second half, the Lady Knights ran into turnover issues. The Lady Knights gave up 16 turnovers in the second half alone, doubling their first-half total. However, the Vulcans were only able to convert the 22 stops into 12 points.
Despite the Vulcans' inability to fully capitalize on turnovers, they were able to score 27 points off second chances. The Vulcan reserves were able to generate 32 points, whereas Gannon's bench contributed nine total points including three free throws by Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio / Westerville South), tying a career-high at the line.
On the glass, the two teams pulled in 37 rebounds each. Papich and junior Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio / Holy Name) tied for the team-high with six rebounds.
Gannon returns to action on the road at PSAC first-year member Seton Hill on Saturday, Nov. 23, with a 1 p.m. start as part of a PSAC doubleheader with the men's game at 3 p.m.
