Video Highlights & Interviews

THE BASICS
Score: No. 5 Indiana (Pa.) 74, at Gannon 53
Records: Indiana (Pa.) (19-2, 15-2 PSAC), Gannon (15-6, 14-4 PSAC)
Location: Erie, Pa.  |  Hammermill Center
The Short Story: The Gannon women's basketball team fell to No. 5 Indiana (Pa.), 74-53, at the Hammermill Center Saturday evening. It marked consecutive losses in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division action for the Lady Knights. The loss was the Maroon and Gold's first at home this season after winning nine straight. Junior Morgan Neighbors (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville South) led the Lady Knights' scoring in back-to-back games with 10 points followed by freshman McKenna Shives (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) with nine points.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Holding a 4-3 early lead over No. 5 Indiana (Pa.), Gannon watched its advantage disappear on a 6-0 Crimson Hawk run. A three from Marita Mathe, the second of her five long-range conversions in the game, capped the Crimson Hawks' run for a 10-4 lead with 14:16 left in the first half.
- On an 8-1 run by the Lady Knights, the host squad captured a 14-11 lead with 11:44 on the clock. A layup by senior Nettie Blake (Jersey City, N.J./Marist) followed by a three from freshman McKenna Shives (Struthers, Ohio/Struthers) moved the Lady Knights to within two, 11-9. A successful visit to the foul line by Blake tied the game at 11 before Neighbors put the Lady Knights ahead 14-11 with a three.
- The Crimson Hawks answered back with a three following a Lady Knights' miss from outside the arc. A visit to the charity stripe by IUP's Lindsay Stamp put the Crimson Hawks in the lead, which would be the last score change in the game.
- Junior Amanda Berchtold (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) pulled the Lady Knights within one of the Crimson Hawks, 17-16, with under eight minutes left before the break. The Crimson Hawks took control of the contest by holding the Lady Knights scoreless in the next two and a half minutes with a 10-0 run by pushing their lead to 27-16.
- Despite a three from Shives, IUP extended its lead to 35-22 capped by consecutive threes from Mathe and Stamp with 2:47 left in the half.
- Gannon faced its largest first-half deficit of 15 points in the closing minute, 39-24, before a layup by junior Jennie Thies (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern) closed the opening-half scoring. IUP would take a 39-26 lead into the break.
- To open the second half, the Crimson Hawks extended their lead to 52-32 in the first five minutes. Stamp capped the Crimson Hawks' offensive attack with a three, while accounting for nine of her team's 13 points.
- The Crimson Hawks utilized their late-run in the first half and continued to build on it. IUP kept their lead above 21 over the remaining 15:51 of the contest. IUP earned its widest lead of 27 points twice in the final three minutes. The Lady Knights scored the final six points in the game before the Crimson Hawks secured the 74-53 win.  
 
GAME NOTES
- Off the bench, Neighbors scored a team-best 10 points to go along with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 21 minutes.
- Shives connected on three of her four long-range attempts to finish the evening with nine points, coming within one of matching a career-high. She tied a career-best of three 3-point field goals made in a game and matched a career-high three assists.
- Senior Candice Hendricks (Randallstown, Md./McDonogh) scored eight points and added four rebounds, shooting 4-for-6. Blake scored seven points and pulled down seven boards.  
- The Lady Knights were out-rebounded in back-to-back games. Indiana (Pa.) registered a 41-37 edge on the glass.  
- IUP's Stamp recorded a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. She shot 9-for-18 from the field and 3-for-6 from behind the arc. Mathe followed with 15 points and seven rebounds.
- Gannon converted 35.7-percent (20-57) from the floor and 22.2-percent (4-18) from behind the arc. The Crimson Hawks connected on 42.9-percent (27-63) from the field and 45.5-percent (10-22) from the long range.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Indiana (Pa.) leads the all-time series with a 17-15 mark against Gannon. Prior to back-to-back losses to the Crimson Hawks, the Lady Knights had won five straight against IUP. The Lady Knights moved to 9-7 at the Hammermill Center against IUP.
- Earlier in the season, then-No. 25 Gannon dropped a 74-51 loss to host Indiana (Pa.) in PSAC action at the Kovalchick Complex Dec. 6. The loss marked the first for the Lady Knights in conference action this season.
- Blake's point streak in double figures finished at nine straight games. She previously led the Lady Knights' scoring in eight of the last nine contests.
- The Lady Knights moved to 2-1 against nationally-ranked opponents this season.
- GU had won nine straight at home this season. The streak extended 11 games including last season's regular-season finale and a PSAC Tournament quarterfinal game.
- For the first time since the 2011-12 season, the Lady Knights lost in back-to-back conference games.
- In the latest Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Division II National Media Poll released Feb. 3, the Lady Knights were among others receiving votes. IUP is the top-ranked team in the regional poll.
- Indiana (Pa.) is ranked fifth in the latest USA TODAY Sports Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll. The last time these two teams squared off, IUP was receiving votes.
 
UP NEXT
Gannon travels to Clarion to conclude the regular-season series with the Golden Eagles. The game is set to tipoff at 5:30 p.m. as part of a PSAC doubleheader.