Gannon Golden Knights
Joe Mattis
The Gannon men's basketball team looks to stay in the hunt for the PSAC Western Division top seed Wednesday night with a road contest at Clarion.

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

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Concludes Three-Game Road Swing Wednesday Night at Clarion (Video/Game Notes)



GAME DAY CENTRAL
  • When: Wednesday, February 11, 2015
  • Where: Clarion, Pa.
  • Arena: Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium (3,500)
  • Tip-off: 7:30 p.m.
  • Live Radio: Jet Radio 1400
  • Live Audio via 90.5 WERG Stream: Click Here
  • Live Video: None
  • Live Stats: Click Here

GAME INFORMATION
  • General Admission Ticket Prices: $5 Adults
  • Ticket Windows: Open at 4:30 p.m. The contest will be part of a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) doubleheader that begins with the women's teams at 5:30 p.m.
  • Parking: Free | General parking for basketball games is available in lots 11, 12, 14,16, R, U and X
  • Directions: To Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium I GPS Address: 840 Wood Street, Clarion, PA 16214

GAME COVERAGE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE INFORMATION
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN
  • All-Time Series: Gannon leads 33-12
  • First Meeting: January 21, 1949 - Gannon 47, at Clarion 42
  • Last Meeting: December 3, 2014 - at Gannon 68, Clarion 54
  • Series Notes: Gannon has won 10 consecutive games against Clarion and leads the all-time series 33-12. The Golden Knights will attempt to complete their fifth consecutive season sweep of the Golden Eagles. Gannon has won four straight games at Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium where it owns an 11-9 record.

OTHER LINKS
LAST TIME OUT
  • No. 18 Indiana (Pa.) forced 25 Gannon turnovers and shot 52 percent (12-23) during the second half to post a 64-54 victory Saturday night at the Kovalchick Complex. The Crimson Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak in the series and assumed sole possession of first place in the PSAC West.

GANNON STORYLINES
  • Gannon has already clinched its third consecutive PSAC Tournament appearance and fifth overall since joining the league in 2008-09.
  • The Golden Knights can't finish lower than fourth place and have clinched at least a PSAC Tournament first-round home game at the minimum.
  • Gannon is in the midst of a final 10-game stretch that includes seven road affairs.
  • Four of the final five regular-season games will be against Western Division rivals with one non-conference contest at Le Moyne.
  • Senior Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) ranks 11th all-time at Gannon with 1,423 career points, needing three to jump past Al Lawson (1983-87) and into Gannon's all-time top 10. He can move past Dan Adamson (1976-80) and into ninth place with seven points.
  • Gannon's first 23 opponents have recorded 221 combined victories, representing the fifth-most NCAA Division II opponent wins in the country.
  • Head coach John T. Reilly's club has played the toughest schedule in the PSAC, the second-toughest schedule in the Atlantic Region and 15th-toughest schedule in NCAA Division II this season according to the NCAA's latest statistical report released February 9. Gannon's first 23 opponents have produced a combined winning percentage of .568 (221-168). Fairmont State (7th, .577, 202-148) is the only Atlantic Region program with a tougher schedule to date. Only NCAA Division II opponents count in the report.
  • Gannon sits one-half game behind Indiana (Pa.) (14-3) for first place in the PSAC Western Division with a 14-4 mark. The Golden Knights lead third-place Mercyhurst (13-5) by one full game.
  • Blazek ranks eighth all-time at Gannon with 333 career assists. He can move past Bill Callahan (1970-73) and into seventh place with nine more assists.
  • Gannon is the country's second-best defensive team, allowing 57.5 points per game. The Golden Knights have held 14 opponents below 60 points this season. Cal Poly Pomona is the best NCAA Division II defensive team, holding a 1.1 point lead over the Golden Knights.
  • The Golden Knights were predicted to defend their PSAC Western Division title in the league's preseason coaches poll.
  • Gannon has won 18 straight games when reaching the 80-point plateau. The Golden Knights' last setback when scoring at least 80 points was a 103-100 overtime loss to Seton Hill in the 2011 Porreco Cup championship game. Gannon is 49-3 all-time under Reilly when scoring at least 80 points.
  • Blazek ranks fifth all-time at Gannon with 178 career three-pointers. He needs five three-pointers to move past Cory Coleman (1998-02) and into fourth place.
  • Senior A'Darius Porter (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland), senior Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Leicester, England/The Gateway School) and Blazek were named to the six-man Preseason All-PSAC Western Division team.
  • Blazek became Gannon's all-time steals leader January 7 against Kutztown, surpassing Butch Warner (1981-85) 6:39 into the contest. The senior currently has 216 career steals.
  • Gannon was listed among others to watch in the Division II Bulletin preseason national rankings.
  • Blazek earned Preseason NCAA Division II All-America honorable-mention accolades from the Sporting News. The publication released a preseason top 10 and preseason All-Americans in its annual Sporting News College Basketball Yearbook.

CLARION STORYLINES
  • Clarion saw a brief two-game win streak snapped Saturday with a 90-70 loss at Calfornia (Pa.).
  • The Golden Eagles are 5-4 at home compared to 3-8 on the road.
  • Clarion ranks fifth among NCAA Division II programs in steals per game (11.3) and 23rd in offensive rebounds per game (13.7).

UP NEXT
  • Gannon returns home for the first time in two weeks Saturday, February 14 against Pitt-Johnstown at the Hammermill Center.
  • The Annual Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame Game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
  • The Class of 2015 will be honored during halftime and later inducted at the 2015 Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet that evening in the Yehl Ballroom of the Waldron Center. The 2015 inductees include former women's water polo standout Kat Bucceri; former men's water polo great Charles Doane '09; former wrestling standout Dave Kruszewski '90; former football great David Leven '97; former women's basketball and softball standout Kelly Moyer '92, '98M; former men's golf great Dave Patronik '06 and former men's basketball standout Mike Runski '89. Robert Hausmann '56 will be inducted as the 2015 Distinguished Service Award recipient. In addition to the eight individual inductees, the Athletics Hall of Fame will induct the 1989 Men's Soccer Team.
  • Saturday's Gannon-UPJ men's contest can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG stream at www.wergfm.com.
  • Gannon has won six of the last seven meetings against Pitt-Johnstown and leads the all-time series 17-3.
  • The Golden Knights have defeated the Mountain Cats five consecutive times at the Hammermill Center.
  • UPJ is 3-11 all-time on Gannon's home floor.
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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
Raphell Thomas-Edwards

#0 Raphell Thomas-Edwards

G/F
6' 6"
Senior
Communication Arts

Players Mentioned

Adam Blazek

#5 Adam Blazek

6' 1"
Senior
Journalism Communications
G
A

#32 A'Darius Porter

6' 7"
Senior
Biology
F
Raphell Thomas-Edwards

#0 Raphell Thomas-Edwards

6' 6"
Senior
Communication Arts
G/F