32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic
Gannon hosts a great field that includes Ashland, Le Moyne and Alderson Broaddus at this weekend's 32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic at the Hammermill Center.

Men's Basketball Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Hosts 32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic This Weekend (Game Notes)

GAME DAY CENTRAL
Event: 32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic
Official Hotel: Bel-Aire Hotel and Conference Center (2800 West 8th Street, Erie, Pa. 16505)
When: Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28
Where: Erie, Pa.
Arena: Hammermill Center (2,800)
Tip-off: 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Live Radio: Jet Radio 1400 (Gannon Games Only)
CLASSIC LINE-UP
  • Friday, November 27, 2015
    • Semifinal #1 - Ashland vs. Alderson Broaddus (5:30 p.m.)
    • Semifinal #2 - Gannon vs. Le Moyne (7:30 p.m.)
  • Saturday, November 28, 2015
    • Consolation Game (5:30 p.m.)
    • Championship Game (7:30 p.m.)

CLASSIC INFORMATION
  • General Admission Ticket Prices: $5 adults / $3 Non-Gannon students / $3 Senior Citizens
  • All Gannon students, staff and faculty are admitted free of charge by showing their school ID
  • Ticket Windows: Open at 4:30 p.m. 
  • Parking: Free on-street parking | Paid parking garage located on Peach Street between 7th and 8th streets
  • Directions: To Hammermill Center I GPS Address: 620 Peach Street, Erie, Pa. 16501

GARY MILLER CLASSIC HISTORY
  • After a traditional classic format with predetermined match-ups last year, the Gary Miller Classic returns to a championship format for the 32nd edition in 2015.
  • Gannon has won six Gary Miller Classic titles during the last 10 years and 12 in the last 17 seasons.
  • The Golden Knights had won six consecutive titles prior to the 2005 edition, the longest streak in the last 26 years of the classic's championship/consolation format.
  • Gannon has won 17 Gary Miller Classic titles and is 44-12 in tourney play.
  • The Gary Miller Classic began in 1984 with a single-game format. Gannon defeated Franklin 101-64 in the season-opening event played at the Erie Civic Center. The Golden Knights proceeded to knock off Penn State Behrend 80-62 in the 1985 classic, before the event began to move towards its current format.
  • The Gary Miller Classic changed to a two-game affair in 1986 when Mercyhurst defeated Thiel 111-75 and Gannon defeated Penn State Behrend 72-54.
  • It became a two-day, four-team event beginning in 1987 and has remained in the same format ever since.

GAME COVERAGE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE INFORMATION
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN | Gannon vs. Le Moyne
  • All-Time Series: Gannon leads 30-17
  • First Meeting: February 24, 1952 - at Gannon 60, Le Moyne 58
  • Last Meeting: February 18, 2015 - Gannon 70, at Le Moyne 49
  • Series Notes: Gannon leads the all-time series 30-17, including a 19-6 record at the Hammermill Center. However, Le Moyne has defeated Gannon at the 'Mill during the last two Gary Miller Classics on opening night. The Dolphins have won nine of the last 17 games played against the Golden Knights.

OTHER LINKS
LAST TIME OUT
  • Gannon rallied from a six-point deficit with less than nine minutes left to remain perfect in nine all-time meetings against Shippensburg with a 70-67 victory last Sunday at the Hammermill Center. Matthew Dogan and Isaiah Eisendorf posted career-highs with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

GANNON STORYLINES
  • Gannon opened the 2015-16 schedule with three games last week, concluding with a 70-67 come-from-behind victory against Shippensburg Sunday afternoon at the Hammermill Center.
  • After playing in a contest Saturday against Millersville that featured 10 ties and 11 lead changes, Gannon went through another six ties and three lead changes against Shippensburg.
  • With the victory against Shippensburg, Gannon improved to 42-11 in home games following a home loss during the last 16 seasons. The program has dropped consecutive home games only 11 times since the 1998-99 campaign.
  • The Golden Knights will need to find new leaders this year following the graduation of their top five scorers. The squad returns only 18 percent (364-2,026) of its total scoring from a year ago.
  • Gannon was predicted to finish fourth in the PSAC Western Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll. The Golden Knights have won back-to-back PSAC Western Division regular-season championships and won their second PSAC Tournament title since joining the league in 2008-09 last year.
  • The Golden Knights entered the 2015-16 season 12th among all NCAA Division II programs in all-time winning percentage, beginning the season with a 1,207-670 (64.3 percent) record in 71 seasons. More recently, Gannon was 27th among Division II programs with a .693 winning percentage (203-90) during the 2000s.
  • Reilly entered the 2015-16 season 32nd among active NCAA Division II coaches in career victories (416) and 53rd in career winning percentage (.625). He became the 30th active NCAA Division II coach to record 400 career wins December 17, 2014 against West Chester. Reilly recorded his 180th victory at Gannon February 21 at California (Pa.), becoming the program's all-time winningest coach.
  • Gannon recorded its third consecutive 20-win season last season, finishing 23-9 overall. The victory total represented the program's most since the 2008-09 Elite Eight team went 30-4.
  • The Golden Knights won eight consecutive games and 12 of 13 during last season's stretch run. The squad was 6-1 in February, solidifying its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 24th in program history.
  • Gannon finished as the country's top-ranked defensive unit last season, allowing 56.6 points per game.
  • The Golden Knights have won 18 straight games when reaching the 80-point plateau. Gannon's last setback when scoring at least 80 points was a 103-100 overtime loss to Seton Hill in the 2011 Porreco Cup championship game. The program is 49-3 all-time under Reilly when scoring at least 80 points.

Le MOYNE STORYLINES
  • Le Moyne enters the Gary Miller Classic with a 2-2 overall record and 1-1 mark in the Northeast-10 Conference.
  • The Dolphins had a brief two-game win streak snapped with a 65-60 loss at Pace last Saturday.
  • Le Moyne started the season with exhibition losses at Syracuse (97-58) and Michigan (74-52).
  • Head coach Patrick Beilein is the son of Michigan head coach and former Le Moyne head coach John Beilein.

ASHLAND STORYLINES
  • Ashland arrives at the Gary Miller Classic with a perfect 3-0 overall record.
  • The Eagles have yet to play a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest.
  • Ashland began the season by hosting the Holiday Inn Exempt Tournament, defeating Missouri S&T (82-73) and Indianapolis (75-67).
  • The Eagles last played November 20 against Silver Lake, winning 89-47 at home.
  • Ashland is averaging 82 points per game.

ALDERSON BROADDUS STORYLINES
  • Alderson Broaddus brings a 2-1 overall record into the Gary Miller Classic.
  • The Battlers have yet to play a Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) contest.
  • After an opening 88-84 loss to Tiffin on a neutral floor, AB has posted an 82-75 road victory at Wayne State and 76-63 home win against Bowie State.
  • Alderson Broaddus is averaging 80.7 points per game.

UP NEXT
  • The 32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic concludes Saturday, November 28 with the consolation game scheduled for 5:30 p.m., followed by the championship game at 7:30 p.m.
  • Gannon returns immediately to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action three days after the Gary Miller Classic, hosting Indiana (Pa.) on Tuesday, December 1 at the Hammermill Center.
  • Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
  • The Gannon-IUP contest is a rematch of last year's PSAC Championship when Girbran Smith hit a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds left to win the title.
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Players Mentioned

Girbran Smith

#25 Girbran Smith

G/F
6' 3"
Senior
Comm. Arts
Matthew Dogan

#15 Matthew Dogan

G
6' 7"
Junior
Physician Assistant
Isaiah Eisendorf

#2 Isaiah Eisendorf

F
6' 6"
Sophomore
Psychology

Players Mentioned

Girbran Smith

#25 Girbran Smith

6' 3"
Senior
Comm. Arts
G/F
Matthew Dogan

#15 Matthew Dogan

6' 7"
Junior
Physician Assistant
G
Isaiah Eisendorf

#2 Isaiah Eisendorf

6' 6"
Sophomore
Psychology
F