Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Completing a three-game road swing, the No. 2 Gannon women's basketball team defeated the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Division leader West Chester Golden Rams, 87-64, on Saturday afternoon at the Hollinger Field House in conference-crossover action. The Lady Knights shut down the conference's top scoring offense in the second half, as the Golden Rams shot 26.9 percent from the field. The Lady Knights improve to 14-0 overall, while the Golden Rams drop to 9-4.
In consecutive games, three Lady Knights secured double digits with junior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudon County) leading the way off 19 points including five shots beyond the arc. Junior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) collected her 16th career double-double and fifth of the season with 18 points and 16 rebounds, tying a career game-high. Senior Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) tallied 18 points, four assists and three steals. For the afternoon, the Lady Knights shot 45.1 percent (32-71) from the field.
Four Golden Rams recorded double digits in the loss. The Golden Rams were led by Dallas Ely with 19 points followed by Brittany Sicinski and Serifat Junaid with 11 points each and Keisha Steele-Hook with 10 points. Sicinski and Steele-Hook led the Golden Rams on the boards with seven rebounds each. Defensively, Ely contributed with a game-high five steals.
In the opening half, the Golden Rams came out shooting 51.7 percent (15-29) including 50 percent (6-12) from beyond the arc. The second half was a different story as the Golden Rams struggled offensively to keep up with the steady Lady Knights' offense. The Golden Rams were unable to connect on their five shots from a distance, leading to a 26.9 shooting percentage (7-26) in the second half.
The Lady Knights raced out with a 9-0 run in the opening 1:31 capitalizing off two failed three-point attempts and a turnover resulting in the Gannon run capped by five points from Batts.
A three by Batts gave the Lady Knights their first double-digit lead with 12:23 remaining in the opening half, 24-14.
Following a layup by sophomore Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) at 5:05 in the first half, the Golden Rams strung together a 7-0 run to pull within six, 43-37, with 2:51 left.
The opening half ended on an exchange of threes including back-to-back treys by sophomore Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) and sophomore Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep). The Golden Rams scored the final bucket of the half, as Steele-Hook hit a shot from a distance to pull her team within nine, 51-42.
The two teams combined for 93 points in the opening half, the second highest combined total for the Lady Knights and an opponent to open a game this season. The 51 points recorded by the Lady Knights were the second highest to open a game this season.
Facing the conference's top scoring offense, the Lady Knights turned on the defense in the second half. The Lady Knights smothered the Golden Rams' offense, holding them to only seven successful field goals from the floor with a 26.9 shooting percentage and no connections beyond the arc off five attempts.
Batts opened the Lady Knights' scoring in the second half with her fourth three pointer of the day as part of a 12-2 run in the opening 4:37 for a Gannon 63-44 lead. Holding a 19-point lead, the Lady Knights took a firm grasp of the game.
The lone bucket at 18:10 during the Lady Knights' run pulled the Golden Rams within a dozen points of the Lady Knights, which would be the closest they would come in the remaining time.
With 6:31 remaining, the Lady Knights ended the game on a 14-8 run en route to the 87-64 win over the East Division leading Golden Rams.
The Lady Knights finished with a 39-37 edge on the boards with Blake leading the way with 16 including 10 on the offensive end. No Golden Ram managed to record more than three rebounds.
The Lady Knights played a disciplined offensive game, recording only four turnovers in the second half to finish with 10 total turnovers. The Golden Rams registered 21 turnovers with 12 coming off Gannon steals.
Gannon concludes PSAC crossover play back in Erie, Pa., when the team hosts Cheyney on Wednesday, Jan. 8, at the Junker Center on the campus of Penn State Behrend. The tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. as part of a cross-divisional doubleheader with the men's team.
GAME NOTES: The Lady Knights improved to 31-2 in all-time PSAC crossovers, moving to 16-1 on the road… The Lady Knights have won 21 straight in conference cross-divisional play… Gannon holds a 3-1 all-time record against West Chester, winning the last three meetings… The Lady Knights recorded less than 10 turnovers for the first time since Nov. 29, 2013, against BYU-Hawaii… Head coach Jim Brunelli is now four wins away from his 100th career victory.
