Tony Boykins
Joe Mattis
Gannon can clinch the PSAC Western Division's top seed with a victory Saturday at California (Pa.) or losses by Indiana (Pa.) and Mercyhurst.

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

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Concludes Road Portion of Schedule Saturday at California (Game Notes)

GAME DAY CENTRAL
When: Saturday, February 21, 2015
Where: California, Pa.
Arena: Convocation Center (6,500)
Tip-off: 5 p.m.
Live Radio: Jet Radio 1400
Live Audio via 90.5 WERG Stream: Click Here
Live America One (PPV) Video: Click Here
Live Stats: Click Here

GAME INFORMATION
GAME COVERAGE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE (PSAC) INFORMATION
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN
  • All-Time Series: Gannon leads 13-12
  • First Meeting: January 6, 1950 - at Gannon 54, California (Pa.) 47
  • Last Meeting: January 22, 2015 - California (Pa.) 63, at Gannon 58 (ot)
  • Series Notes: California (Pa.) has won consecutive games against Gannon, cutting its deficit in the all-time series to 13-12. The Vulcans have won six of the last seven games played on their home floor. Cal is 8-2 all-time against Gannon at home. The Vulcans will attempt to complete their first season sweep of the Golden Knights since the 2011-12 campaign.

OTHER LINKS
LAST TIME OUT
  • Gannon raced out to a 15-point halftime lead and was never threatened Wednesday night in a 70-49 victory at Le Moyne. The verdict gave head coach John T. Reilly his 179th victory at Gannon, tying him with current Youngstown State head coach Jerry Slocum for the most in program history.

GANNON STORYLINES
  • Head coach John T. Reilly recorded his 179th victory at Gannon Wednesday night with a 70-49 win at Le Moyne, tying current Youngstown State head coach Jerry Slocum for most in program history. Reilly will become the program's all-time winningest coach with his next victory.
  • 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 third place and have clinched at least a PSAC Tournament first-round home game at the minimum.
  • Gannon's magic number for clinching its second consecutive PSAC Western Division's top seed is one. The Golden Knights can clinch the top seed with a victory at California (Pa.) or losses by both Indiana (Pa.) and Mercyhurst.
  • Senior Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) ranks eighth all-time at Gannon with 1,465 career points, needing 78 to jump past Al Chrisman (1967-71) and into seventh place. He can move past Josh Morgan (1999-03) and into sixth place with 113 points.
  • Gannon is nearing the end of a final 10-game stretch that includes seven road affairs.
  • The Golden Knights' first 25 opponents have recorded 232 combined victories, representing the 15th-most NCAA Division II opponent wins in the country.
  • Reilly's club has played the toughest schedule in the PSAC, the third-toughest schedule in the Atlantic Region and 30th-toughest schedule in NCAA Division II this season according to the NCAA's latest statistical report released February 16. Gannon's first 25 opponents have produced a combined winning percentage of .551 (232-189). Fairmont State (6th, .581, 222-160) and UVa.-Wise (21st, .559, 184-145) are the only Atlantic Region programs with a tougher schedule to date. Only NCAA Division II opponents count in the report.
  • Gannon owns the best conference record in the PSAC with a 16-4 mark. Mercyhurst sits one-half game behind the Golden Knights at 16-5. Indiana (Pa.) is one full game back at 15-5.
  • Indiana (Pa.) and Gannon have two league games remaining. Mercyhurst has one PSAC contest left. The Golden Knights currently win the tiebreaker with both IUP and Mercyhurst. The PSAC Final Four will be hosted by the top remaining seed in the Western Division following the conference quarterfinals.
  • Blazek ranks seventh all-time at Gannon with 348 career assists. He can move past James Jamison (1986-88) and into sixth place with 27 more assists.
  • Gannon is the country's second-best defensive team, allowing 57.2 points per game. The Golden Knights have held 16 opponents below 60 points this season. Cal Poly Pomona is the best NCAA Division II defensive team, holding a one-point lead over the Golden Knights.
  • Senior Rich Austin (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) enters Saturday's game with a .626 (72-115) shooting percentage. It currently represents the fifth-best single-season shooting percentage in school history.
  • 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 fourth all-time at Gannon with 182 career three-pointers. He needs 17 three-pointers to move past Mike Crawford (1988-92) and into third 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 223 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.

CALIFORNIA (Pa.) STORYLINES
  • California (Pa.) has dropped six of eight games since posting an overtime victory at Gannon on January 22.
  • The Vulcans are tied with Pitt-Johnstown for the final PSAC Tournament spot.
  • Cal ranks 15th among all NCAA Division II teams in three-point field goal percentage defense (31.3).

UP NEXT
  • Gannon concludes the regular season Wednesday, February 25 against Seton Hill at the Hammermill Center.
  • Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The women's teams open the conference twinbill at 5:30 p.m.
  • The Gannon-Seton Hill men's game can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG stream at www.wergfm.com.
  • Senior Night festivities are scheduled to take place with seven minutes left in the men's pregame. Gannon will honor four women's seniors (Brittany Batts, Nettie Blake, Candice Hendricks, Mollie Sebald) and five men's seniors (Rich Austin, Adam Blazek, A'Darius Porter, Girbran Smith, Raphell Thomas-Edwards).
  • Gannon has won its last two games against Seton Hill to assume a 4-3 edge in the all-time series.
  • The Golden Knights are 3-2 against the Griffins at the Hammermill Center, including a 66-53 victory 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

Rich Austin

#23 Rich Austin

F
6' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Sports Mgt. and Marketing
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

Players Mentioned

Rich Austin

#23 Rich Austin

6' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Sports Mgt. and Marketing
F
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