A'Darius Porter
Joe Mattis
Senior A'Darius Porter recorded his ninth double-double in two seasons with 10 points and 10 rebounds at rival Edinboro.
66
Winner Gannon GAN-M 15-7, 14-3 PSAC
61
Edinboro EDIN-M 11-10, 8-9 PSAC
Winner
Gannon GAN-M
15-7, 14-3 PSAC
66
Final
61
Edinboro EDIN-M
11-10, 8-9 PSAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Gannon GAN-M 35 31 66
Edinboro EDIN-M 34 27 61

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2/7/2015 | 7:30 PM

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Feb. 07 (Sat) / 7:30 PM
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Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Comes Through in the Clutch at Rival Edinboro; Clinches Third Straight PSAC Tournament Berth (Video)



THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: Gannon 66, at Edinboro 61
  • Records: Gannon (15-7, 14-3 PSAC), Edinboro (11-10, 8-9 PSAC)
  • Location: Edinboro, Pa. - McComb Fieldhouse
  • The Short Story: Senior Girbran Smith (Nassau, Bahamas/Seton (Ill.) Academy) hit a game-ahead jumper with 1:25 remaining to ignite a game-ending 6-0 run that gave the Gannon men's basketball team a season sweep of rival Edinboro with a 66-61 victory Wednesday night at the McComb Fieldhouse. As a result, the Golden Knights clinched their third consecutive PSAC Tournament appearance and fifth overall since joining the league in 2008-09.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Gannon took control early, scoring 16 of the game's first 20 points. After an Edinboro opening basket, senior Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Smith followed with back-to-back three-pointers.
  • Leading 8-4, Gannon rattled off eight consecutive points to assume a 16-4 lead 5:42 into the affair. Four different Golden Knights scored during the blitz, cumulating with a jumper from senior A'Darius Porter (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland).
  • Gannon still held a 12-point lead at 26-14, before Edinboro climbed within 28-23 after a 9-2 run.
  • A Blazek three-pointer gave Gannon a 35-27 advantage with 1:40 left in the first half, but the Fighting Scots ended the half with seven unanswered points. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's leading scorer Henri Wade-Chatman started the late run with a three-pointer and two free throws.
  • A dunk by Quinn Lee Yaw with 12 ticks remaining cut the deficit to 35-34 at the intermission.
  • Much like the first half, Gannon appeared to be pulling away during the first portion of the second half. After Edinboro took the lead in the opening minutes of the second half, the Golden Knights responded with 11 consecutive points over the span of four minutes and 18 seconds.
  • Gannon regained the lead on a Porter lay-up. Four different scorers accounted for the 11-0 run, capped by a jumper from senior Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Leicester, England/The Gateway School) that gave the visitors a 48-38 advantage at the 13:43 mark.
  • Similar to the first half, Edinboro made a late charge. Trailing 60-51, the Fighting Scots ripped off 10 consecutive points to assume a 61-60 lead on Wade-Chatman's jumper with 2:14 remaining.
  • Held without a field goal for eight minutes and 19 seconds, Gannon came up with the shot of the night. Smith crossed over his defender to the right and pulled up for a jumper that found nothing but net with 1:25 to play, giving the Golden Knights a 62-61 lead.
  • Edinboro was unable to answer with a missed field goal followed by two missed free throws after an offensive rebound during its next possession.
  • Blazek drained a pair of free throws to give Gannon a 64-61 edge with 16 ticks remaining.
  • The Golden Knights then clinched the victory by sandwiching two more Blazek free throws with a pair of forced turnovers during the final 10 seconds.

GAME NOTES
  • Wednesday's contest featured seven lead changes, including six during the final 20 minutes. 
  • Blazek led Gannon with 20 points, four rebounds and three assists. He was Gannon's leading scorer for the fourth consecutive game and ninth time this season.
  • Blazek reached the 20-point plateau for the fifth time this season, but first time since scoring 30 points at Cheyney on December 20, 2014.
  • Porter recorded his third double-double of the season and ninth during the last two years with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Gannon shot 44.9 percent (22-49) from the field, 50 percent (5-10) from three-point range and 56.7 percent (17-30) from the free throw line.
  • The PSAC's leading scorer Henri Wade-Chatman led all scorers with 26 points, but converted only 8-of-24 shots. Jaymon Mason was the only other Fighting Scot in double digits with 14 points, five rebounds and three assists.
  • Edinboro shot 35.2 percent (19-54) from the floor, 41.2 percent (7-17) from behind the arc and 84.2 percent (16-19) from the charity stripe.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon clinched its third consecutive PSAC Tournament appearance and fifth overall since joining the league in 2008-09 with Wednesday's victory.
  • The Golden Knights remained a half-game up on No. 18 Indiana (Pa.) for first place in the PSAC Western Division. Gannon holds a 14-3 PSAC record while the Crimson Hawks own a 13-3 league slate. Both teams have a two-game lead over Mercyhurst in the loss column following the Lakers' 56-51 loss Wednesday night at Slippery Rock. 
  • Gannon won its fourth consecutive game against Edinboro while sweeping the season series for the second straight season. It marks the first time the Golden Knights have swept multiple games from the Fighting Scots in consecutive seasons during the all-time series.
  • Head coach John T. Reilly's club won the McComb Fieldhouse for the fourth consecutive time.
  • Blazek moved into a tie with Bronze Simpson (1992-96) for 12th place on Gannon's all-time scoring chart with 1,417 career points.
  • Gannon improved to 9-1 this season and 137-25 all-time under Reilly when leading at halftime.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon continues an important three-game road swing Saturday, February 7  with a showdown at Indiana (Pa.) that has huge implications on determining the PSAC Western Division winner.
  • Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
  • It will be a single game at IUP's Kovalchick Complex as the women's teams will tip off at Gannon's Hammermill Center at 5 p.m.
  • Saturday's Gannon-IUP 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 four consecutive games against Indiana (Pa.) to grab a 20-19 lead in the all-time series.
  • The all-time series has consisted of runs. IUP had won the previous eight encounters. Gannon won six straight prior to that after the Crimson Hawks had won the previous five contests.
  • Gannon will attempt to complete its second consecutive season sweep of IUP. The Golden Knights have never accomplished that feat during the eight previous years the two teams had played multiple times.
  • IUP has dropped its last two meetings with Gannon at the Kovalchick Complex, but is still 12-7 all-time against the Golden Knights at home.
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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
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

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