Box Score

CLARION, Pa. - Returning to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division action after six cross-divisional matchups, the No. 2 Gannon women's basketball team defeated the Clarion Golden Eagles, 68-47, at Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium on Saturday evening. The Lady Knights improve to 16-0 overall and 5-0 in divisional play, while the Golden Eagles fall to 6-7 on the season and 1-3 in the division.

Senior Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) and junior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudon County) each netted 11 points to the lead the Lady Knights. Papich also registered a team-high nine rebounds. Junior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) added 10 points with six rebounds.

Sophomore Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) tied a career game-high with eight points, matching a career-best three made field goals. Berchtold added three rebounds and an assist to her totals. Senior Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn./E.O. Smith) finished with a game-high eight assists including three steals, one block, six points and five rebounds, one board away from a career game-high.

The Lady Knights finished the day at 40.4 percent (23-57) from the field and 36.8 (7-19) from beyond the arc.

The Golden Eagles were led by Emma Fickel with a game-high 14 points and five rebounds followed by Hannah Heeter with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The Golden Eagles struggled in the first half, shooting only 27.6 (8-29) from the field and 30 percent (3-10) behind the arc. Their struggles followed them to the free-throw line, as the team hit 20 percent (2-10). In the second half, the Golden Eagles saw improvement from the field, shooting 38.7 (12-31), but still could not hit the shots from the three (2-8) and foul line (0-2). The Golden Eagles finished the day at just 16.7 percent (2-12) from the foul line, marking the team's lowest percentage this season.

After an exchange of possessions to open the game, the Lady Knights and Golden Eagles found themselves tied twice within the opening 2:28. With the score tied at 4-4, Redshirt junior Doriyon Glass (Boardman, Ohio/Boardman) located an offensive board off a missed three-point attempt and threw the ball back in for a Lady Knights' 6-4 lead with 16:13 remaining. The rest of the way, the Lady Knights held the lead over the Golden Eagles off Glass' put-back under the basket. Glass finished the day with six points and five rebounds in 15 minutes of action, marking highs in each category since returning to the lineup on Jan. 3 after missing four straight games.

Glass' layup opened up a 10-0 run for the Lady Knights, who took a 14-4 lead off back-to-back three-pointers from Batts and Berchtold. The Golden Eagles gave the ball away four times during the Lady Knights' run. Fickel finally broke the Lady Knights' run off a three with 12:13 left.

Berchtold gave the Lady Knights a double-digit lead for the first time during a 7-0 run capped by a trey from Glass and a Lady Knights' 24-11 lead with 8:21 left.

Following a jumper by Delrika Jones-Carey, the Lady Knights poured it on the Golden Eagles in the next 5:56 with a 13-2 run to take a 37-15 lead.

Papich's successful visit to the charity stripe with 24 seconds gave the Lady Knights a 39-18 lead, but not before Fickel ended the half on a three for a 39-21 score heading into the break.

The opening 2:45 of the second half turned into an aerial show with four threes; Fickel accounting for two.

Neither team was able to make an extended run in the second half, resulting in a close 29-26 score in the second stanza.

Sophomore Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) led the Lady Knights in the second half, scoring all seven of her points for the day. Including Thies' output, the Lady Knights' bench accounted for 25 points compared to the Golden Eagles' 13.

On the boards, the Lady Knights out-rebounded the Golden Eagles, 45-37. Papich's nine rebounds raised her career total to 593, moving the senior into tenth on the program's all-time rebound list.  

Gannon returns home to the Hammermill Center on Wednesday, Jan. 15, against No. 20 Indiana (Pa.) with the tip set for 5:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES: The Lady Knights captured their 12th double-digit win of the season, marking their eighth win decided by more than 20 points… Following a return to his alma mater, head coach Jim Brunelli is now only two wins away from capturing his 100th career victory… The Lady Knights improved to 30-14 in the all-time series against Clarion, capturing their 13th consecutive victory… 11 of the last 13 wins over Clarion have been decided by 14 or more points.