Box Score
INDIANA, Pa. - Following its second loss of the season, the No. 3 Gannon women's basketball team bounced back with a 73-64 win over Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division opponent Indiana (Pa.), 73-64, in front of a record of 1233 at the Kovalchick Complex on Saturday evening. In the win, the Lady Knights clinched a first-round bye and quarterfinal home game in the PSAC Tournament. The Lady Knights improved to 23-2 overall and 12-2 in the division, while the Crimson Hawks fell to 15-8 on the season and 6-7 in divisional play.
The Lady Knights captured their second straight regular-season series sweep of the Crimson Hawks. On Jan. 15, the Lady Knights defeated the Crimson Hawks, 78-79, at the Hammermill Center. The Lady Knights have won five consecutive victories over the Crimson Hawks.
For the fourth game this season, four Lady Knights reached double figures. Senior Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) led the Lady Knights with 14 points, pulling in a game-high nine rebounds. Senior Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn./E.O. Smith) tied a career game-high 13 points, shooting 4-for-4 from the field and 5-for-6 from the foul line. Junior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) added 12 points followed by junior Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) with 11 points. Sundberg and Sebald each collected five assists with the junior tying a career game-high.
The Lady Knights shot 55.3 percent from the field (26-47), shooting over 50 percent in each half. After shooting 1-for-6 from behind the arc in the opening half, the Lady Knights buried 4-for-7 in the second half.
Returning to the lineup after missing six straight games, Lindsay Stamp led the Crimson Hawks with 18 points. Leslie Stapleton scored 17 points with Talen Watson adding 10 points.
Firing 50 percent from the field to open the game, the Crimson Hawks shot 32.1 percent in the second half. The Crimson Hawks drilled half of their 12 attempts from the long range in the first half, but only one out of 11 in the second half. The Crimson Hawks shot 91.7 percent (11-12) from the foul line.
Featuring five tied scores in the opening five minutes of the game, the Crimson Hawks captured a 14-12 lead off a Stamp layup. The Lady Knights managed to pull within one of the Crimson Hawks' lead off an and-one play following a Sebald layup with 12:10 remaining, 18-17.
The Crimson Hawks answered with a 16-4 run to storm out to a 34-21 lead over the Lady Knights. During the run, Stamp tallied 11 points including three long-range shots. All four Lady Knights points came courtesy of sophomore Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern).
Following the IUP run, the Lady Knights fought back with a 12-4 stretch run to pull within five of the Crimson Hawks' 38-33 lead to close out the opening half. The Lady Knights capitalized off five Crimson Hawks' turnovers and a cold-shooting display of 2-for-11 and 0-for-3 from a distance.
Through the opening 7:45 of the second half, the Lady Knights and Crimson Hawks went basket-for-basket with each tallying 14. A free throw by Ashley Stoner pushed the Crimson Hawks' lead to 53-47 with 11:28 left.
A 10-0 offensive outburst gave the Lady Knights their first lead since the 3:21 mark of the opening half. The Lady Knights strung together four straight baskets from the field including back-to-back threes from Sebald to take a 57-53 lead with 8:35 left on the clock.
Stamp managed to pull the Crimson Hawks to within one before consecutive layups by Blake pushed the Lady Knights' lead to 61-56. Stapleton's visit to the charity stripe moved the Crimson Hawks back to within three, the closest they would come to the Lady Knights' lead. Down the stretch, Sundberg and Papich combined for 11 of the Lady Knights' final 12 points to seal the 73-64 win over the Crimson Hawks.
The Lady Knights held a 33-25 advantage at the glass with Papich and Sundberg combining for 16.
In the turnover battle, the Crimson Hawks managed to turn the Lady Knights' 14 turnovers to 18 points. The Lady Knights were only able to convert the Crimson Hawks' 11 giveaways to four points.
Gannon hosts division opponent Clarion in the regular-season home finale on Wednesday, Feb. 19, with a 5:30 p.m. tip. The game will also celebrate Senior Night.
GAME NOTES: Winners of five straight against the Crimson Hawks, the Lady Knights tied the all-time series at 15-15… The Lady Knights improved to 2-1 at the Kovalchick Complex… Sundberg (609) and Sebald (604) eclipsed 600-career points… The Lady Knights overcame its largest deficit in a victory this season, falling behind to the Crimson Hawks by 13 with 7:53 left in the first half… For the eighth time this season, the Lady Knights shot 50 percent or better in a contest.
