Girbran Smith
Joe Mattis
Senior Girbran Smith led Gannon in scoring for the sixth consecutive game with 22 points, missing his career-high by one point.
63
Winner California (Pa.) CAL-M 12-6, 8-5 PSAC
58
Gannon University GAN-M 11-7, 10-3 PSAC
Winner
California (Pa.) CAL-M
12-6, 8-5 PSAC
63
Final
58
Gannon University GAN-M
11-7, 10-3 PSAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
California (Pa.) CAL-M 23 28 12 63
Gannon University GAN-M 33 18 7 58

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1/24/2015 | 3:00 PM

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Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Falls to California (Pa.) in Overtime (Video)



THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: California (Pa.) 63, at Gannon 58 (ot)
  • Records: Gannon (11-7, 10-3 PSAC), California (Pa.) (12-6, 8-5 PSAC)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. - Hammermill Center
  • The Short Story: The California (Pa.) men's basketball team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit by limiting Gannon to 18 second-half points, before overcoming the Golden Knights 63-58 in overtime Thursday night at the Hammermill Center. As a result, the Vulcans snapped Gannon's six-game home win streak. 

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Gannon controlled the first half, scoring the first six points, including the first five by junior Jean Yves Toupane (Dakar, Senegal/Lee (Maine) Academy) during his third career start.
  • The Golden Knights held California (Pa.) without a point for the first four minutes and 27 seconds.
  • A three-pointer by senior Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and lay-up by senior A'Darius Porter (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland) pushed the lead to 16-7 with 11:28 left in the first half.
  • Toupane's lay-up with 37 seconds left sent Gannon to the intermission with its biggest lead of the evening at 33-23.
  • As much as Gannon controlled the first half, California (Pa.) did the same during the second half. Trailing 37-27, the Vulcans scored during three consecutive possessions to pull within 37-33 at the 16:16 mark.
  • Gannon maintained its distance with a 41-35 lead, before Cal ripped off eight straight points to grab its first lead of the evening. The Vulcans split the difference in half with a Jake Jacubec three-pointer. The visitors then forged ahead with a lay-up, free throw and dunk.
  • The Golden Knights went scoreless for six minutes and 48 seconds during the Cal run, going 0-5 from the field and 0-2 from the free throw line.
  • The final eight minutes featured five ties and five lead changes.
  • Senior Girbran Smith's (Nassau, Bahamas/Seton (Ill.) Academy) lay-up while being fouled put Gannon in front 47-45 with 4:53 to play.
  • Cal responded with a dunk by Tony Richardson to knot the contest at 47 and moved ahead on Arman Marks' lay-up with 3:33 remaining.
  • Smith tied the game again with a pair of free throws 30 seconds later.
  • After Cal regained the lead on two free throws of its own at the 1:40 mark, Gannon answered again with the tying bucket on an offensive put-back by senior Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Leicester, England/The Gateway School) with 75 seconds remaining.
  • Both teams had a chance to win the contest in regulation. Cal missed a jumper with 46 seconds left and a three-pointer at the buzzer. Gannon misfired on a jumper with 17 ticks remaining.
  • Two segments of overtime swung the contest in Cal's favor. Initially, Gannon opened the extra session with a 5-1 run. Porter scored while being fouled 13 seconds into overtime. A Smith lay-up later gave the Golden Knights a 56-52 edge with 4:10 to play.
  • With a chance to extend the lead to seven, Gannon missed a three-pointer before turning the ball over after an offensive rebound. Cal converted the turnover into a fast-break lay-up while being fouled. The free throw cut the deficit to 56-55.
  • The play ignited a 7-0 blitz that gave Cal a 59-56 advantage following two free throws from Khalil Jabbie with 29 seconds left.
  • With the Vulcans still holding a three-point lead, Gannon was called for an offensive foul off the ball with 12 seconds left. Two Cal free throws then sealed the victory.

GAME NOTES
  • California (Pa.) received 70 percent of its scoring from the bench. The Vulcans won the battle of the benches 44-7.
  • Gannon held the lead for the first 33 minutes and 28 seconds, before the final 11:32 featured five ties and seven lead changes.
  • Smith was Gannon's leading scorer for the sixth consecutive game and 11th time this season with 22 points and seven rebounds, falling one point shy of his career-high. He sported a perfect 7-of-7 chart from the free throw line, tying his career-high for free throws made in a game.
  • Toupane was the only other Golden Knight in double digits, tying a season-high with 11 points while playing 40 minutes during his first start since November 22.
  • Gannon shot 34.5 percent (19-55) from the floor, 25 percent (4-16) from three-point range and 76.2 percent (16-21) from the free throw line.
  • Jabbie headlined California's scoring attack with 15 points, including an 11-of-12 chart from the free throw line.
  • Marks netted 14 points in 35 minutes off the bench. Jake Jacubec and Richard Smith added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
  • California (Pa.) shot 44.9 percent (22-49) from the floor, 16.7 percent (2-12) from behind the arc and 81 percent (17-21) from the charity stripe.
  • The Vulcans' three-point shooting equaled the fewest three-pointers made and lowest three-point field goal percentage by a Gannon opponent since Edinboro produced the same numbers during a 71-54 Golden Knight victory on February 12, 2014.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon fell out of first place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with Thursday's loss, dropping one-half game behind rival Mercyhurst. The Lakers (11-3), Golden Knights (10-3) and Indiana (Pa.) (10-3) all have three losses.
  • The Golden Knights suffered their first loss when leading at halftime this season. The squad was 5-0 when leading at halftime.
  • Gannon saw its six-game home win streak snapped, falling at the Hammermill Center for the first time since a 73-66 setback against Alderson Broaddus during the Gary Miller Classic consolation game on November 29.
  • Blazek moved past Rich Bush (1998-01) and into 14th place all-time at Gannon in scoring with 1,343 career points.
  • California (Pa.) won for only the fourth time in 15 all-time appearances at the Hammermill Center, but the Vulcans have won during three of their last five trips.
  • Thursday's decision snapped Gannon's four-game win streak in overtime games at home.
  • Gannon is now 10-7 all-time in overtime games under head coach John T. Reilly.
  • The Golden Knights dropped to 63-38 all-time in overtime games, including a 39-14 mark at the Hammermill Center.
  • Gannon has played in four overtime games this season, tying last year's total. 
  • Thursday's game was delayed one day from its original Wednesday date due to the tragic death of California (Pa.) women's basketball senior Shanice Clark. 

UP NEXT
  • Gannon will have one day of rest before returning to action Saturday, January 24 at Seton Hill.
  • Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m. The women's teams open the conference twinbill at 1 p.m.
  • Saturday's entire doubleheader can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG stream at www.wergfm.com.
  • Gannon and Seton Hill have engaged in a competitive series. Both teams have won three games each since the all-time series began in 2007-08.
  • The Golden Knights dropped a 56-52 decision during their first-ever trip to Seton Hill's McKenna Center last season.
  • Arguably the most memorable game between the two programs came during the 2011 Porreco Cup Championship Game when the Griffins drained a half-court shot at the buzzer to capture a 103-100 double-overtime victory at the Hammermill Center.
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Players Mentioned

Adam Blazek

#5 Adam Blazek

G
6' 1"
Senior
Journalism Communications
A

#32 A'Darius Porter

F
6' 7"
Senior
Biology
Girbran Smith

#25 Girbran Smith

G/F
6' 3"
Senior
Comm. Arts
Raphell Thomas-Edwards

#0 Raphell Thomas-Edwards

G/F
6' 6"
Senior
Communication Arts
Jean Yves Toupane

#24 Jean Yves Toupane

G/F
6' 7"
Junior
Interdisciplinary Studies

Players Mentioned

Adam Blazek

#5 Adam Blazek

6' 1"
Senior
Journalism Communications
G
A

#32 A'Darius Porter

6' 7"
Senior
Biology
F
Girbran Smith

#25 Girbran Smith

6' 3"
Senior
Comm. Arts
G/F
Raphell Thomas-Edwards

#0 Raphell Thomas-Edwards

6' 6"
Senior
Communication Arts
G/F
Jean Yves Toupane

#24 Jean Yves Toupane

6' 7"
Junior
Interdisciplinary Studies
G/F