THE RUNDOWN

• Event: 2015 NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional First Round
• Score: Slippery Rock 65, Gannon 57
• Records: Gannon (23-9), Slippery Rock (21-10)
• Location: West Liberty, W.Va. - Academic, Recreation and Sports Center
• The Short Story: Slippery Rock placed four players in double digits and Gannon went 10-of-21 from the free throw line as the Rock defeated the Golden Knights for the first time in four match-ups this season with a 65-57 victory Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional First Round hosted by West Liberty University.

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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Slippery Rock initially scored nine of the first 13 points to assume an early 9-4 lead 6:16 into the contest.
• Gannon responded with six consecutive points. Senior Raphell Thomas-Edwards (Leicester, England/The Gateway School) hit back-to-back jumpers, before senior A'Darius Porter (Stockbridge, Ga./Woodland) nailed a jumper to give the Golden Knights a 10-9 advantage with 11:48 left in the first half.
• Neither team was able to produce a lead larger than three points during the remainder of the first half.
• Slippery Rock went to halftime with a 27-26 lead after Desma Nicholson canned a three-pointer with two seconds left.
• Slippery Rock assumed control early in the second half. Leading 32-30, the Rock extended its lead with a brief 7-2 run. Jamal Gatali's three-pointer gave SRU a 39-32 edge at the 14:52 mark.
• The Slippery Rock lead grew as large as 58-47 after a mini 6-0 run, capped by a pair of free throws by Frank Holloway with 6:15 remaining.
• Gannon had one last run in it. Trailing 60-49, the Golden Knights scored seven consecutive points. Junior Jean Yves Toupane (Dakar, Senegal/Lee (Maine) Academy) ignited the rally with a free throw and a dunk off his own miss on the second free throw.
• A jumper by Thomas-Edwards and two free throws by freshman Daniel Kaigler (Syracuse, N.Y./Bishop Ludden) cut the deficit to 60-56 with 3:02 left in regulation.
• Moments later, Slippery Rock dealt Gannon the final blow. With the SRU lead still at 60-56, Holloway scored while being fouled. His ensuing free throw with 1:36 remaining pushed the Rock advantage to 63-56, before the final score settled at 65-57.

GAME NOTES

• Senior Adam Blazek (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) led Gannon with 13 points, hitting 6-of-13 shots in 40 minutes of action. He reached double digits in scoring for the eighth consecutive game and 25th time this season.
• Toupane was the only other Golden Knight in double digits with 10 points and five rebounds, breaking into double digits for the second time in three games and sixth time this season.
• Gannon shot 41.5 percent (22-53) from the field, 33.3 percent (3-9) from three-point range and 47.6 percent (10-21) from the free throw line.
• Holloway headlined four Slippery Rock players in double digits with 17 points and six rebounds.
• Gatali followed with 12 points. Nicholson and Butler added 10 points each.
• The Rock shot 40.7 percent (22-54) from the floor, 40 percent (8-20) from behind the arc and 54.2 percent (13-24) from the charity stripe.
• After 15 lead changes and three ties in the first 21 minutes and 13 seconds, Slippery Rock held the upper hand for the final 18 minutes and 47 seconds.
• Gannon was listed among others receiving votes in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 20 Poll.
• Slippery Rock defeated Gannon in round four after suffering three previous losses to the Golden Knights this season. It represented the second time Gannon faced a team four times in program history. Gannon defeated Findlay at home, before the Oilers responded with three consecutive victories during the 2007-08 season.
• Gannon was out-rebounded for the second consecutive game, marking the first time that has happened since February 5-8, 2014.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Gannon was making its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 24th in program history.
• Saturday's verdict was a 34-point turnaround from Gannon's 71-45 victory against Slippery Rock during the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Quarterfinals.
• Blazek jumped past Al Chrisman (1967-71) and into seventh place all-time at Gannon with 1,550 career points.
• Senior Rich Austin (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) concluded the season with a .603 (85-141) shooting percentage, representing the seventh-best single-season shooting percentage in school history.
• Gannon dropped to 4-23 all-time in NCAA Tournament games played away from the Hammermill Center, sitting at 0-5 on another opponent's floor and 4-18 on a neutral floor.
• The Golden Knights recorded their third consecutive 20-win season. It's the longest streak since stringing together five straight 20-win campaigns from 1999-00 to 2003-04.
• Gannon's 23 victories were the program's most since the 2008-09 NCAA Division II Elite Eight team went 30-4.

UP NEXT

• Gannon concluded its 2014-15 season with Saturday's verdict at the NCAA Division II Tournament.

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