Ian Gardener
Joe Mattis
True freshman Ian Gardener provided a spark off the bench, scoring a season-high 11 points in 19 minutes.
75
Winner Ashland AUM 5-0
59
Gannon University GAN-M 2-3
Winner
Ashland AUM
5-0
75
Final
59
Gannon University GAN-M
2-3
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Ashland AUM 37 38 75
Gannon University GAN-M 26 33 59

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Indiana University of Pennsylvania

12/1/2015 | 7:30 PM

Jet Radio 1400

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Dec. 01 (Tue) / 7:30 PM
 Indiana University of Pennsylvania

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

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Drops Gary Miller Classic Title to Former GLIAC Rival Ashland (Video/Photos)



THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: Ashland 75, at Gannon 59
  • Records: Gannon (2-3), Ashland (5-0)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. - Hammermill Center
  • The Short Story: Gary Miller Classic Most Outstanding Player Wendell Davis totaled 22 points, five rebounds and three assists as the undefeated Ashland Eagles flew away with the tournament title Saturday evening after a 75-59 victory against Gannon.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The first 10 minutes and five seconds of the game saw two ties and four lead changes before Ashland gained control.
  • Gannon held the lead only twice at 5-4 following an old-fashion three-point play by freshman Ian Gardener (Norwalk, Conn./St. Thomas More) and 11-10 after back-to-back lay-ups from juniors Emmanuel Matey (Lanham, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) and Kevin Kuteyi (Lanham, Md./Duval).
  • Ashland later ripped off a 13-2 run to take the lead for good. The Eagles made five consecutive shots, including a pair of lay-ups while being fouled. Boo Osborne's lay-in at the 7:51 mark gave the visitors a 23-13 advantage.
  • A jumper by Kuteyi and consecutive baskets from Gardener cut the deficit to 23-19.
  • Leading 26-21, Ashland countered with an 11-2 blitz to assume a 37-23 lead at the 1:02 mark.
  • Another old-fashion three-point play by junior Matthew Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) with 56 seconds left completed the first-half scoring, giving Ashland a 37-26 edge at the break.
  • Gannon mustered one strong rally in the second half, slowly chipping away until a three-pointer by redshirt sophomore Marcus Jones (Brantford, Ontario/Athlete Institute) cut the deficit to 46-43 with 14:17 to play.
  • Ashland generated a 13-3 run shortly thereafter. Marsalis Hamilton ignited the blitz with six consecutive points, before Nick Bapst hit a pair of three-pointers and converted a lay-up. Hamilton added a free throw for a 63-48 advantage with 8:21 remaining.
  • The visitors grabbed their largest lead at 74-53 with 3:33 to play and later secured a 75-59 victory.

GAME NOTES
  • Gannon and Ashland were competing for the 32nd Annual Gary Miller Classic championship after victories Friday night in the semifinals.
  • Kuteyi led the Gannon scoring attack with a career-high 19 points, hitting 8-of-14 overall shots and 3-of-6 triple tries.
  • Gardener and senior Jean Yves Toupane (Dakar, Senegal/Lee (Maine) Academy) added 11 points each. Gardener scored six points during the opening four games, before netting a season-high 11 against Le Moyne.
  • Gannon shot a season-best 52.3 percent (23-44) from the field, 33.3 percent (4-12) from three-point range and 69.2 percent (9-13) from the free throw line.
  • The Golden Knights' overall shooting percentage was 59 points higher than the season's next highest total.
  • Gannon shot 65 percent (13-20) during the second half, but was still out-scored 38-33.
  • Davis topped all scorers on both sides with 22 points and five rebounds, hitting 8-of-11 attempts.
  • Bapst erupted for 18 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Hamilton completed Ashland's trio of double-digit scorers with 13 markers, including a 9-of-11 chart from the free throw line. 
  • Ashland shot 47.9 percent (23-48) from the floor, 35.3 percent (6-17) from behind the arc and 74.2 percent (23-31) from the charity stripe.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Davis was named the Gary Miller Classic Most Outstanding Player after recording 53 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists in two games.
  • The rest of the All-Tournament Team included Bapst, Kuteyi, Le Moyne's Tyquan Rolon and Alderson Broaddus' Malcolm Tatum.
  • The last two Gary Miller Classics with a championship format have been won by a visiting team. Gannon is 2-4 during the last three Gary Miller Classics.
  • Ashland won at the Hammermill Center for the first time since a 73-62 verdict on February 12, 2005. The Eagles were victorious in Erie for only the fourth time in 23 attempts.
  • Gannon lost a game for the first time while shooting at least 52 percent since shooting 55.6 percent during a 73-72 setback at West Chester on January 4, 2014.
  • Toupane reached double digits in points for the fourth consecutive game.
  • Kuteyi entered the weekend with 17 points in three games, before piling up 30 points during the Gary Miller Classic.
  • Gannon was out-rebounded (30-23) for the second time in the last three games.
  • Ashland took 18 more free throws than Gannon. It was the Golden Knights' largest deficit at the line since having 19 fewer during a 98-97 victory at Millersville on December 3, 2011.
  • In the opener, Alderson Broaddus put four players in double digits and posted a 76-64 victory against Le Moyne in the consolation game.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon only has two days to regroup for an important Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division showdown against Indiana (Pa.) at the Hammermill Center on Tuesday, December 1.
  • 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 for the Golden Knights.
  • Gannon and Indiana (Pa.) have been traditional powers in the PSAC Western Division, but both squads enter the important December game with 1-2 league records.
  • Tuesday's contest can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG online stream at www.wergfm.com.
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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
Marcus Jones

#21 Marcus Jones

G
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
Psychology
Jean Yves Toupane

#24 Jean Yves Toupane

G/F
6' 7"
Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
Ian Gardener

#0 Ian Gardener

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Undecided
Emmanuel Matey

#1 Emmanuel Matey

G
5' 10"
Junior
Accounting
Kevin Kuteyi

#5 Kevin Kuteyi

G
6' 1"
Junior
Sports Management

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
Marcus Jones

#21 Marcus Jones

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
Psychology
G
Jean Yves Toupane

#24 Jean Yves Toupane

6' 7"
Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
G/F
Ian Gardener

#0 Ian Gardener

6' 4"
Freshman
Undecided
G
Emmanuel Matey

#1 Emmanuel Matey

5' 10"
Junior
Accounting
G
Kevin Kuteyi

#5 Kevin Kuteyi

6' 1"
Junior
Sports Management
G