ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team begins its non-conference schedule this weekend by hosting the 30th annual Gary Miller Classic Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30 at the Hammermill Center.
Friday's semifinals kick off with Wheeling Jesuit of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) facing Alderson-Broaddus of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) at 5:30 p.m. The nightcap features Gannon against Le Moyne of the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10) at 7:30 p.m. The consolation and championship games are scheduled for Saturday at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
Ticket windows will open at 4:30 p.m. both nights. 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 (1-1, 1-1 PSAC West) will attempt to win its sixth Gary Miller Classic title during the last eight years and 12th in the last 15. The Golden Knights have won 17 Gary Miller Classic titles overall and are 43-9 in tournament play. The program is 22-4 all-time during the first round.
Head coach
John T. Reilly's club opened its season last week with a pair of Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division contests. The Golden Knights began the week with a 59-51 victory against California (Pa.) at the Hammermill Center, before dropping a 56-52 decision at Seton Hill last Saturday.
Defense and rebounding have been Gannon's strengths once again this season. The Golden Knights lead the PSAC and rank fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing a meager 53.5 points during their first two games. The squad is listed third among conference schools and 17th among all NCAA Division II programs in rebounding margin, owning a 13.5 advantage per game. Lastly, Gannon is the PSAC's second-best free throw shooting team at 79.4 percent. That figure ranks 15th nationally.
Le Moyne (2-2, 1-1 NE-10) began its season with a bang, defeating NCAA Division I Monmouth 75-66 during an exhibition on November 3. The Dolphins opened the regular season with a 71-52 loss at Seton Hill, before disposing of Mansfield 81-69. Le Moyne ranks 13th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (45.8) and 22nd in field goal percentage (53.4).
The Syracuse, N.Y., club is no stranger to longtime Gannon faithful. Le Moyne and Gannon used to be fierce rivals in the Mideast Collegiate Conference (MEC) during the 1980's and early 90's. Gannon and Le Moyne have a storied history, but the two programs haven't met since the 1994-95 season. They met five times in the MEC Tournament from 1985-91. Gannon is 19-4 all-time against Le Moyne at the Hammermill Center. The Golden Knights own a 29-15 edge in the overall all-time series.
Alderson-Broaddus (2-2, 0-0 GMAC) has split its first four games this season after reaching the 20-win plateau in 2012-13. The even record includes a perfect 2-0 mark against PSAC teams. The Battlers swept a pair of games at the Shippensburg Tournament, defeating the host school 66-57 and Mercyhurst 68-67 in overtime. The losses have come against Glenville State (74-65) and the District of Columbia (78-77).
The Philippi, W.Va., program was part of the defunct West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) for years, but is competing this year in the Midwest Region as part of the first-year Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Alderson-Broaddus' last trip to the Hammermill Center came during the 2009 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. The Battlers advanced to the second round, before a last-second three-pointer bounced off the rim during a 67-65 loss to eventual regional champion Gannon.
Wheeling Jesuit (1-2, 1-1 MEC) has dropped two of its first three games of the season. The Cardinals began the season with a 97-66 loss to eighth-ranked Findlay. The squad then split a pair of conference match-ups, defeating West Virginia State 87-71 and falling to the University of Charleston 64-56. WJU finished 19-10 last season.
Looking ahead at Gannon's potential second-night opponents – the Golden Knights are 1-0 all-time against Alderson-Broaddus and 4-0 against Wheeling Jesuit. The 2009 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional semifinal match-up represents the only meeting ever between Gannon and Alderson-Broaddus. The Golden Knights haven't faced Wheeling Jesuit since the 1980-81 campaign.
