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THE BASICS
Score: at No. 13 Gannon 69, Slippery Rock 48
Records: Gannon (2-0, 1-0 PSAC), Slippery Rock (1-1, 0-1 PSAC)
Location: Erie, Pa.  | Hammermill Center
The Short Story: The No. 13 Gannon women's basketball team opened Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action with a 69-48 victory over visiting Slippery Rock Wednesday evening at the Hammermill Center. The win marked the Lady Knights' eighth consecutive victory over The Rock. Taking an early lead in the first half, the Lady Knights never looked back in the game en route to the conference-opening win. Since joining the PSAC in the 2008-09 season, the Lady Knights remain undefeated in the conference opener.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The first basket for either team came 3:45 into the game courtesy of senior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County). Batts hit a jumper to give the Lady Knights the lead, which would hold for the entire first half and beyond.
- The Lady Knights scored the first five points of the game until The Rock finally got on the board with 13:09 remaining in the first half. The Lady Knights stuck right back with a three from freshman McKenna Shives (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers).
- In the midst of a 12-0 run, the Lady Knights pushed their lead to double digits, 20-4. The Maroon and Gold held The Rock scoreless for a span 6:35, as the visitors went 0-for-9 from the floor.
- Following a layup by senior Candice Hendricks (Randallstown, Md./McDonogh) with 4:08 remaining, The Rock ended the half on a 9-0 run to put the score at 25-15 heading into the break.
- The Lady Knights fired out of the gate in the opening 1:15 of the second half, taking a 30-17 lead on a jumper by junior Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) and a trey from Batts.
- Starting with a visit to the foul line by Thies, the Lady Knights went on an 8-2 run to push their lead to 42-25 with 14:54 left including four points coming from the junior.
- Halfway through the final stanza, the Lady Knights found themselves on another run. Thies would once again start the stretch with a jumper before Hendricks ended it with back-to-back layups for a 61-31 GU lead with seven minutes left, marking the Lady Knights' widest margin.
 
GAME NOTES
- For the second straight game, Thies registered a double-double. She finished the evening with a career-high 21 points, shooting an impressive 9-for-11 from the field. She also collected 11 rebounds and added two steals.
- Batts scored 14 points and registered a career-best four assists. She also went a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
- Hendricks was one of three Lady Knights to reach double-digit scoring with 10 points. She missed a double-double by two rebounds, finishing the day with eight.
- Playing a game-high 36 minutes, junior Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) tallied eight assists and grabbed five rebounds.
- Senior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) tied a season-high 15 rebounds in the game, coming one short of a career-high. 
- Gannon took the lead at 16:15 of the first half with the first basket on a Batts jumper before running away with the win.
- Both teams shot below 30-percent in the first half, as the Lady Knights shot 28.6 (10-35) and The Rock closed the half at 17.9 (5-28). Following a tough start for both teams, the second half was a different story as both shot above 40-percent. In the second stanza, the Lady Knights performed at 42.4-percent (14-33), while The Rock shot at 42.9 (12-28).
- The two squads shared in their struggles from the long-range. For the game, the Lady Knights finished at 16.7-percent (5-30) and The Rock connected on just 15.4-percent (2-13)
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Gannon improved to 30-9 in the all-time series against Slippery Rock, capturing its eighth consecutive victory against The Rock. The Lady Knights have won 23 of the last 24 meetings. At the Hammermill Center, the Lady Knights hold a 19-3 record against The Rock.
- The Lady Knights have outscored The Rock by 16 or more points in six of their last seven meetings.
- Entering the game, the Lady Knights are ranked 13th in the latest USA Today Sports NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll.
- Surrendering just 15 first-half points, the Lady Knights allowed their lowest-point total in a half since Clarion tallied 12 second-half points last season in a 73-33 loss at the Hammermill Center.
- The Lady Knights have held The Rock to under 15 points in two of the last four halves the two squads have played. Last season against The Rock, the Lady Knights allowed just 13 first-half points in a 71-39 victory Feb. 5.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon travels to crosstown-rival Mercyhurst Nov. 22, for an early conference matchup. The tipoff is set for 1 p.m., as part of a conference doubleheader with the men's team.