ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon men's basketball team shot 63.6 percent (14-22) during the second half, had a go-ahead lay-up from
A'Darius Porter (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland) with 24 seconds left and didn't allow Mercyhurst to get a shot off during its last possession en route to a heart-stopping 56-54 victory Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
Gannon has grinded through a tough season, playing in its ninth game decided by five points or less Saturday afternoon. The Golden Knights had lost six of the first seven, but have now won two straight after consecutive close calls against Slippery Rock (59-56) and Mercyhurst. The win enabled Gannon to leapfrog Mercyhurst and into sole possession of second place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with four games remaining. The squad remained tied with Indiana (Pa.) in the win column (9), but trails by one in the loss column due to an extra game.
The last two victories have come in odd fashion. After out-rebounding its first 20 opponents, Gannon has won the last two despite being out-rebounded. It marks the first time the Golden Knights have won consecutive games while being out-rebounded since their last two victories last season. The squad defeated Lock Haven 82-69 on February 23, 2013 despite being out-rebounded 28-25 and then knocked off Slippery Rock 75-63 on February 27, 2013 with a 36-30 rebounding disadvantage.
Gannon had to rally late against Mercyhurst. Trailing 54-51 and without possession,
C.J. Oldham (Solon, Ohio/Solon) got the ball back with a steal.
Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) followed with a jumper while being fouled. The junior guard's ensuing free throw knotted the score at 54 with 1:36 to play.
Jean Onana misfired on a three-pointer during Mercyhurst's next possession, setting up the key final minute. Gannon missed on a three-pointer of its own, but maintained possession after a Mercyhurst player grabbed the ball while falling out of bounds. With the shot clock off, the Golden Knights fooled everyone by not holding for the last shot. Instead, Oldham found a wide-open Porter on the right side. The junior forward converted the go-ahead lay-up off the in-bound play as a Laker defender came flying in late.
Mercyhurst had 24 seconds remaining to win the game, but was never able to get a shot off. Gannon hounded the Lakers and trapped the ball in the corner, forcing the home squad to call its last time-out with four seconds left. After the time-out, a pass underneath was stolen away by a Gannon defender as the horn sounded to seal the victory.
It was a typical Gannon-Mercyhurst battle that featured a low-scoring contest with 10 ties and 12 lead changes. The first half included seven ties and five lead changes. A mini 5-0 run gave the Golden Knights their biggest lead of the half at 15-11 with 8:38 remaining. The Lakers held a three-point lead on two occasions, including their 24-21 halftime advantage after Greg Williams hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.
Neither team was able to muster a lead larger than six points during the second half. Gannon transformed a one-point deficit into a five-point lead with a 7-1 run midway through the final stanza.
Girbran Smith (Nassau, Bahamas/Seton Academy) pushed the Golden Knights ahead with a three-pointer, before
Brandon Emmitt (Akron, Ohio/Akron Garfield) and
Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Leicester, England/The Gateway School) sandwiched a Laker free throw between a pair of lay-ups. The blitz gave Gannon a 45-40 edge with 8:12 to play.
Mercyhurst responded with a 9-2 run to turn a 49-45 deficit into a 54-51 lead with 2:09 remaining, setting up the final minute of play.
Thomas-Edwards led all scorers with 17 points and five rebounds, hitting 7-of-9 shots. The junior heated up during the second half when he netted 15 of those points. Blazek was the only other Golden Knight in double digits with 15 points.
Gannon shot a season-best 56.4 percent (22-39) from the field, including a red-hot 63.6-percent (14-22) clip during the second half. The Golden Knights shot 36.4 percent (4-11) from three-point range and 66.7 percent (8-12) from the free throw line.
Williams and Onana headlined the Mercyhurst offensive unit with 14 points each. The Lakers shot 43.6 percent (17-39) from the floor, 40 percent (6-15) from behind the arc and 77.8 percent (14-18) from the charity stripe.
Gannon improved to 14-8 overall and 9-3 in the PSAC Western Division with its eighth victory in the last nine games. The win represented the Golden Knights' first at the MAC since February 16, 2011. Mercyhurst dropped to 12-9 overall and 8-3 in divisional play.
Head coach
John T. Reilly's club returns to action Wednesday, February 12 against Edinboro at the Hammermill Center. The rivalry contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
