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ERIE, Pa. - Facing its largest halftime deficit of the season, the No. 3 Gannon women's basketball team shot 66.7 percent from the field in the second half to defeat Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West Division rival Mercyhurst, 70-56, on Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Senior Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) went a perfect 9-for-9 from the floor, leading the Lady Knights with 22 points in the win. Capturing their fifth straight victory, the Lady Knights improve to 22-1 overall and 11-1 in the PSAC West, while the Lakers drop to 6-15 on the season and 4-7 in divisional play.
For the third time this season, four Lady Knights reached double digits. Papich tied a season game-high 22 points to lead the Lady Knights, burying all her shots from the field. Papich went 1-for-1 from behind the arc and 3-for-4 at the foul line, while adding six rebounds, two assists and a steal in 38 minutes. Junior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J. Marist) scored 15 points, pulling down a team-high eight rebounds. Junior Mollie Sebald tallied 11 points and junior Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) finished with 10 points including a pair of deep threes to tie for third in program history in career three-pointers (221).
The Lakers were led by leading scorer Adrienne Kloecker with 16 points, scoring double digits in 10 of her last 11 games. Kloecker added six rebounds and five assists in 39 minutes of action. Alayna White recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, adding four assists
Both teams opened the game shooting at or above 50 percent from the field. The Lakers hit 64 percent (16-25), while the Lady Knights shot 50 percent (12-24). In the second half, the Lady Knights heated up, as the Lakers cooled off. The Lady Knights shot 66.7 from the field (14-21) in the second stanza, marking the team's best performance of any half this season. For the Lakers in the second half, they only hit 32 percent from the field (8-25), while struggling at the foul line by going 1-for-6.
Facing their largest halftime deficit of the season, the Lady Knights quickly erased the Lakers' eight-point lead with a 13-0 run in the opening 6:19 of the second half. Blake started the Lady Knights' run with a layup followed by a visit to the foul line close to a minute later, pulling her team within five. A Papich layup with an and-one inched the Lady Knights closer, 36-34. With 16:09 left, Batts gave the Lady Knights their first lead of the second half, 37-36, with a long-range three. Back-to-back jumpers from Papich closed the 13-0 run, giving the Lady Knights a 41-36 lead.
Held scoreless through the first 6:35 of the second half, the Lakers finally got on the board with a three from Alex Artise.
With Gannon holding a 52-48 lead, the Lakers went on a 6-0 run starting with a three from White followed by a successful free throw to tie the game at 52. The Lakers would eventually recapture the lead at 54-52 on a layup by Jessica Bell with 6:25 remaining.
In the remaining time, the Lady Knights rode an 18-2 run to close out the final 6:17 of the game. Trailing the Lakers by two, the Lady Knights extended their lead to 63-54 with 11 unanswered points including seven at the foul line. The Lakers committed four fouls and three turnovers during the span and were unable to score in the final 2:58 of the contest, as the Lady Knights sealed the 70-56 victory.
The first half witnessed the two teams combine for 23 turnovers. Trailing for most of the first four minutes of the contest, the Lakers captured the lead with 15:36 left. Their first lead led to an 8-2 run and a Merychurst 15-10 advantage. The Lakers pushed their lead to double digits, 24-14, off a 9-2 run with 7:41 left of the clock.
A pair of Lady Knights threes from freshman Brianna Brennan (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven) and Batts spelled the Lakers' lead, compressing it to 28-22 with 4:31 remaining.
Whittling down the Lakers lead to four with 47 seconds remaining in the opening half, the Lakers doubled their lead to 36-28 off back-to-back baskets including a coast-to-coast layup by Kloecker with one second left.
The boards did not provide a lot of opportunities for either team, as the Lady Knights edged the Lakers, 24-23.
Off the Lakers' 22 turnovers, the Lady Knights converted them into a 23-10 lead.
After outscoring their opponents' reserves in four straight games, the Lady Knights' bench was held to 10 points compared to the Lakers' 19.
Gannon hosts Edinboro on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 5:30 p.m. in a battle for the West Division top-seed in the PSAC Tournament.
GAME NOTES: The Lady Knights have captured nine of their last ten at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center… Winners of their last six meetings against the Lakers, the Lady Knights improved to 55-26 in the all-time series… Since joining the PSAC in 2008-09, the Lady Knights have swept the Lakers in five of six season series… The Lady Knights overcame their largest deficit in a victory this season, erasing the Lakers' 10-point lead with 7:41 left in the first half… The Lady Knights have won 16 games this season by double digits.
