Video Highlights & Interviews

THE BASICS
Score: at Gannon 69, Pitt-Johnstown 58
Records: Gannon (17-6, 16-4 PSAC), Pitt-Johnstown (9-14, 6-13 PSAC)
Location: Erie, Pa.  |  Hammermill Center
The Short Story: Trailing late with less than seven minutes left, the Gannon women's basketball team capitalized on a 17-4 run to rally for a 69-58 victory over visiting Pitt-Johnstown Saturday afternoon at the Hammermill Center in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division action. The Lady Knights handed the conference's top-offense, its ninth consecutive loss. Led by junior Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) with 15 points, three Lady Knights reached double figures in the win. Neighbors was followed closely by senior Mollie Sebald (Broadview Heights, Ohio/Holy Name) with 14 points and sophomore Brianna Brennan (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven) with 11. The game also marked the celebration of this year's GU Athletics Hall of Fame class.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Trailing 54-52 with 6:54 left in regulation, Gannon scored 11 unanswered points over a span of five minutes and 33 seconds to take a 63-54 lead over Pitt-Johnstown. Following a steal by Neighbors, Sebald nailed a three to open the scoring onslaught to put the Lady Knights in the lead, 55-54, with 5:36 left. A successful visit to the foul line by junior Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) followed by jumpers from Sebald and Neighbors kept the Lady Knights rolling.
- The dagger for the Lady Cats started with a block by senior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist). Taking the ball the other, the Lady Knights worked it around the perimeter before feeding it inside to Blake. Facing a double team heading to the basket, Blake kicked it out to Brennan at the top of arc. The sophomore knocked down a three to solidify the Lady Knights' 63-54 lead with 1:21 remaining.
- Despite holding the 54-52 lead, Pitt-Johnstown went 0-for-6 from the floor. Four of their six shots during the stretch came off long-range attempts. Four turnovers in the span stalled the Lady Cats' chance to build the lead.
- Prior to Gannon's run, Pitt-Johnstown erased a 10-point halftime deficit. Falling behind 34-24 at the break, the Lady Cats continually chipped away at the Lady Knights' lead in the first 10 minutes of the second half. With 8:34 left on the clock, the Lady Cats used an 8-0 run to tie the game at 45-45. Six of UPJ's points in the stretch came off threes from Jamie Tabon and Kelsey Sleighter. The Lady Knights fell silent during the Lady Cats' run, missing three attempts along with two turnovers. From there, the two teams went back and forth midway through the final half before the Lady Knights used the 17-4 run to seal the win.
- Gannon managed to hold a double-digit lead for most of the opening half. A layup by Thies with 11:09 left in the first stanza allowed the Lady Knights to double up on the Lady Cats, 20-10. In the first half alone, Shives scored eight points including two treys, to help stabilize the Lady Knights' double-figure lead heading into the break.  
 
GAME NOTES
- For the third time in four games, Neighbors led the Lady Knights' offense. The junior scored a team-high 15 points, which was also a season-best, in 18 minutes. She connected on 6-of-8 attempts from the floor and 2-of-3 at the foul line.
- Sebald recorded 14 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes. She also finished with three steals and tied a personal-best two blocks. Brennan also posted double figures, scoring 11 points and pulling down four boards. She tied season-highs with 21 minutes and two steals.
- Shives electrified the Lady Knights' first-half lead with eight points. Thies matched Shives' total, while recording a team-best 10 rebounds.
- Thies helped the Lady Knights dominate on the glass with a 51-43 advantage. Junior Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) and Blake each recorded eight rebounds. Berchtold came within one of tying a career-high.
- Pitt-Johnstown was led by Kayla DeCriscio with a game-high 18 points, connecting on 4-of-6 long-range attempts. Jamine Harper controlled the boards for the Lady Cats with a game-best 14.
- Gannon shot 34.8 percent (24-69) from the field and 42.1 percent (8-19) outside the arc. Pitt-Johnstown connected on 30.6 percent (19-62) of their chances from the floor and 25 percent (8-32) of their threes.
 
HALL OF FAME GAME
- The game celebrated the induction of this year's GU Athletics Hall of Fame class. During the men's contest, the class was announced which included 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.
- Among those honored was Moyer '92, '98M, who was a two-sport athlete at Gannon, graduating as a four-year letterwinner in basketball and softball. The Linesville, Pa., native drilled 67 career three-pointers. She ranks second all-time at Gannon in three-point field goal percentage (.459), 12th in field goals (499) and 15th in points (1,186). Her .578 three-point field goal percentage (26-45) during the 1990-91 season remains the best single-season mark all-time at Gannon.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- In the all-time series, Pitt-Johnstown remains in the lead at 22-5. However, the Lady Knights have won four consecutive games to sweep both conference regular-season series since UPJ joined the PSAC last season.
- Earlier in the season, Gannon managed to hold on for a 67-64 victory over Pitt-Johnstown Jan. 14, at the UPJ Sports Center. Taking a commanding lead in the contest after erasing a four-point halftime deficit, the Lady Knights withstood a late rally by the Lady Cats to seal the victory. Beginning with the loss to Gannon in mid-January, the Lady Cats have dropped nine consecutive games, all in conference action.
- UPJ entered the game as the PSAC's top-ranked offense (77.3). On the other hand, the Lady Cats have surrendered the most points (80.7). Despite being ranked the fourth-best shooting team from outside the arc in the conference, the team performed below its shooting percentage of .354.
- For the Lady Cats, both Jasmine Harper and Sleighter are ranked among the conference's top-five leading scorers. Harper averaged 16.8 points per game, but was held to five points in the loss. Registering 16 points per contest, Sleighter was limited to half her usual total with eight points.
- Shives scored her 100th career point. With 14 points this afternoon, Sebald is 72 points away from becoming the 27th Lady Knight to scorer 1,000 career points.
- GU moved to 15-0 this season when leading at the half.
- The last time the Lady Knights hosted a game on Valentine's Day at the Hammermill Center was in the 1993-94 season. In the contest, GU fell to rival Edinboro, 61-48. The Maroon and Gold hold a 3-9 all-time mark on Valentine's Day.
- The Maroon and Gold have won 38 of their last 40 games at the Hammermill Center. This season, the team has won 10 of 11 on home court.
 
UP NEXT
Remaining at home, Gannon takes a break from conference action this coming week. The Lady Knights invite Le Moyne to the Hammermill Center Feb. 17, for a non-conference meeting. The tip is set for 6 p.m. Admission to the single game is free.