ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team shot 59.3 percent (16-27) during the first half and
C.J. Oldham (Solon, Ohio/Solon) scored a career-high 17 points as the Golden Knights won their season-best fifth consecutive game Wednesday night with a workmanlike 72-59 victory against Pitt-Johnstown at the Hammermill Center. It was the first meeting between the two clubs since a 76-53 Gannon victory during the first round of the 2009 NCAA Division II Tournament at the Hammermill Center.
Despite the hot shooting and 15 points from Oldham in the first half, Gannon was unable to pull away and clung to a 39-33 lead at the break. The Golden Knights pushed their lead into double digits with the first five points of the second half.
Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Leicester, England/The Gateway School) scored on a lay-up 25 seconds in, before
Adam Blazek's (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) three-pointer gave the home squad a 44-33 advantage 63 seconds into the final period.
In what was the start of several similar sequences, Pitt-Johnstown rallied to pull within 47-42 at the 14:41 mark. Gannon then ripped off eight straight points midway through the second half to regain control at 60-48 with 8:28 remaining. The run consisted of two
Brandon Emmitt (Akron, Ohio/Akron Garfield) baskets, an
A'Darius Porter (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland) jumper and two Thomas-Edwards free throws.
Pitt-Johnstown whittled the lead down again. This time to 64-58 with 2:48 left after a mini 5-0 run. As was the case all night long, Gannon answered again. The Golden Knights put together the clinching run at the free throw line, hitting all eight of their freebies during the final two minutes and 15 seconds. Four straight free throws from Blazek in the final 40 seconds capped a game-ending 8-1 run, giving Gannon its biggest lead of the evening at 72-59 as the final horn sounded.
Gannon grabbed a double-digit lead on four different occasions during the first half, but saw Pitt-Johnstown rally within single digits every time. The Golden Knights' biggest first-half difference was 11 points three different times. After assuming a 37-26 lead with 1:44 remaining in the first half, UPJ ended the stanza on a 7-2 run to enter the locker room with a six-point deficit.
Blazek led all scorers with 21 points, four assists and three steals. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's top free throw shooter canned 10-of-11 attempts from the line while topping the 20-point plateau for the sixth time this season and 15th time during his career.
Oldham exploded for a career-high 17 points and seven rebounds. The senior forward netted 15 of his points during the first half when he was 7-of-8 from the field. Thomas-Edwards rounded out the double-digit scorers with 13 markers.
Gannon shot 52.1 percent (25-48) from the field, including a red-hot 59.3-percent (16-27) clip during the first 20 minutes. The Golden Knights hit 33.3 percent (3-9) of their three-point shots and 79.2 percent (19-24) of their free throw attempts. GU out-rebounded its 18th consecutive opponent by a 31-21 count.
Ian Vescovi headlined the Pitt-Johnstown offensive crew with 19 points and six rebounds, hitting 8-of-10 shots and 3-of-4 free throws. Bill Luther chipped in 10 points.
UPJ shot 46.7 percent (21-45) from the floor, 22.2 percent (4-18) from behind the arc and 81.3 percent (13-16) from the charity stripe.
Gannon improved to 11-7 overall and 6-2 in the PSAC Western Division with its season-high fifth consecutive victory overall and fifth straight win against Pitt-Johnstown. The Golden Knights held serve in a very tight battle at the top of the division. The squad remained one-half game behind first-place Slippery Rock and one-half game ahead of Indiana (Pa.) and Mercyhurst. UPJ dropped to 10-7 overall and 4-3 in divisional play.
Head coach
John T. Reilly's club will be idle Saturday, January 25. Gannon is the last PSAC Western Division team to have its bye in the conference schedule. The Golden Knights return to action Wednesday, January 29 at California (Pa.). Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
