Kevin Kuteyi
Joe Mattis
Junior Kevin Kuteyi hit the game-tying and go-ahead three-pointers during the final 90 seconds of overtime.
80
Winner Gannon University GAN-M 6-15, 5-13 PSAC
79
Pitt-Johnstown UPJM 14-8, 10-7 PSAC
Winner
Gannon University GAN-M
6-15, 5-13 PSAC
80
Final
79
Pitt-Johnstown UPJM
14-8, 10-7 PSAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Gannon University GAN-M 29 37 14 80
Pitt-Johnstown UPJM 30 36 13 79

Next Game:

at Seton Hill University (Pa.)

2/10/2016 | 7:30 PM

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Next Game

Full Schedule
Feb. 10 (Wed) / 7:30 PM
at Seton Hill University (Pa.)

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Dan Teliski, Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations

Clutch Overtime Shots Give Gannon Men's Basketball Team 80-79 Overtime Victory at Pitt-Johnstown

THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: Gannon 80, at Pitt-Johnstown 79 (ot)
  • Records: Gannon (6-15, 5-13 PSAC), Pitt-Johnstown (14-8, 9-7 PSAC)
  • Location: Johnstown, Pa. - Sports Center
  • The Short Story: Junior Kevin Kuteyi (Lanham, Md./Duval) and freshman C.J. Asuncion-Byrd (Greenwich, Conn./St. Thomas More) combined for three consecutive three-pointers to help the Gannon men's basketball team overcome a six-point deficit in overtime en route to an 80-79 victory Saturday afternoon at Pitt-Johnstown.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Pitt-Johnstown opened a slowly-developing 16-6 lead that took eight minutes and 34 seconds to create. A three-pointer by A.J. Leahey gave the home squad the 10-point lead.
  • With few runs by either team during the opening half, Pitt-Johnstown's lead sat at 30-22 after a pair of free throws from David Clancy with 2:09 showing on the clock.
  • Gannon then generated its first run of the afternoon, scoring the final seven points of the first half to claw within 30-29 at the break. Junior Matthew Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) netted the first five points of the run with a free throw sandwiched between two lay-ups. Freshman Ian Gardener (Norwalk, Conn./St. Thomas More) followed with a jumper at the buzzer, cutting the deficit to one.
  • Senior Tony Boykins (Kalamazoo, Mich./Loy Norrix) opened the second half with a jumper, giving Gannon a 31-30 lead and capping an 11-0 run that spanned two halves.
  • Pitt-Johnstown went 3:24 without a point and 5:21 without a field goal until Isaac Vescovi's lay-up stopped the bleeding while pushing the Mountain Cats back in front 32-31.
  • UPJ momentarily regained control with six straight points for a 36-31 advantage, but Gannon responded with six consecutive points to forge back ahead 37-36. The run consisted of three straight lay-ups by Boykins, Gardener and junior Emmanuel Matey (Lanham, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt).
  • Neither team was able to produce a lead larger than three points the rest of the way. The final 16:30 of regulation featured eight lead changes and 13 ties.
  • Pitt-Johnstown grabbed a 66-65 lead on Vescovi's free throw with 1:03 left and had the ball after a Gannon missed shot. But the Mountain Cats misfired on a shot and fouled Asuncion-Byrd after the rebound. Byrd hit one of two free throws to tie the game with 20 seconds remaining.
  • The home squad had one last chance to win the game in regulation, but Clancy air balled a three-pointer from the right wing to give the teams an extra session.
  • Pitt-Johnstown appeared to be pulling away in overtime after Leahy drained back-to-back triples for a 74-68 lead with 3:16 showing on the clock.
  • However, Gannon answered with five straight after Gardener converted a lay-up and Asuncion-Byrd drilled a three-pointer.
  • After a Vescovi lay-up bumped the UPJ advantage back to three points, Kuteyi came off the bench for the first time in the game and found nothing but net on consecutive triple tries to switch the three-point lead into Gannon's favor with 56 seconds left.
  • The Gannon lead was 80-79 after Nate Snodgrass hit a three-pointer with 19 seconds left. Pitt-Johnstown called time-out and then stole the inbound pass with the shot clock off, but another Snodgrass three-pointer was off the mark at the buzzer to give the Golden Knights a thrilling 80-79 overtime victory.

GAME NOTES
  • Gardener was Gannon's leading scorer for the first time this season with a career-high 17 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. He finished 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
  • Asuncion-Byrd followed with 14 points.
  • Senior Jean Yves Toupane (Dakar, Senegal/Lee (Maine) Academy) and Boykins added 10 points each.
  • Sophomore Isaiah Eisendorf (Los Angeles, Calif./Springbrook, Md.) nearly had his second double-double with eight points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
  • Matey dished out a career-high nine assists with zero turnovers in 33 minutes at point guard.
  • Gannon shot 45.0 percent (27-60) from the field, 40 percent (6-15) from three-point range and 74.1 percent (20-27) from the free throw line. 
  • Leahey topped all scorers on both sides with 32 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 45 minutes. He went 5-of-8 from long range and 11-of-13 at the foul line.
  • Clancy and Vescovi chipped in 16 and 11 points, respectively.
  • Pitt-Johnstown shot 39.6 percent (21-53) from the floor, 36 percent (9-25) from behind the arc and 75.7 percent (28-37) from the charity stripe.
  • Ten Gannon players saw action, nine reached double digits in minutes played and nine dented the scoring column.
  • Saturday's contest featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon won for the first time in nine road games this season.
  • The Golden Knights played their third overtime contest of the campaign, winning for the first time.
  • Gannon won for the third time this season when trailing at halftime.
  • The Golden Knights improved to 6-1 all-time at UPJ's Sports Center.
  • Gannon has won consecutive games for the first time since November 22 and 27.
  • Toupane reached double digits in scoring for the fifth straight game and 16th time this season.
  • Gannon recorded 10 steals, representing the most since having 10 during a 69-66 victory against Indiana (Pa.) in the 2015 PSAC Championship Game.
  • The Golden Knights improved to 66-5 under Reilly when scoring at least 80 points.
  • Gannon moved to 4-3 in games decided by five points or less this season.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon continues a three-game road swing Wednesday, February 10 at Seton Hill.
  • Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
  • The contest can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG online stream at www.wergfm.com.
  • Gannon has won three of its last four games against Seton Hill to assume a 5-4 lead in the all-time series.
  • Seton Hill will be looking for its first-ever season sweep of Gannon after a 69-62 victory at the Hammermill Center on January 16.
  • The Golden Knights have only played twice at the McKenna Center, falling 56-52 in 2013-14 and winning 53-51 on Girbran Smith's jumper with 16 seconds remaining last season.
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Players Mentioned

Girbran Smith

#25 Girbran Smith

G/F
6' 3"
Senior
Comm. Arts
Tony Boykins

#33 Tony Boykins

G
6' 3"
Senior
Communication Arts
Matthew Dogan

#15 Matthew Dogan

G
6' 7"
Junior
Physician Assistant
Isaiah Eisendorf

#2 Isaiah Eisendorf

F
6' 6"
Sophomore
Psychology
Jean Yves Toupane

#24 Jean Yves Toupane

G/F
6' 7"
Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
Ian Gardener

#0 Ian Gardener

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Undecided
Emmanuel Matey

#1 Emmanuel Matey

G
5' 10"
Junior
Accounting
C.J. Asuncion-Byrd

#3 C.J. Asuncion-Byrd

G
6' 3"
Freshman
Business
Kevin Kuteyi

#5 Kevin Kuteyi

G
6' 1"
Junior
Sports Management

Players Mentioned

Girbran Smith

#25 Girbran Smith

6' 3"
Senior
Comm. Arts
G/F
Tony Boykins

#33 Tony Boykins

6' 3"
Senior
Communication Arts
G
Matthew Dogan

#15 Matthew Dogan

6' 7"
Junior
Physician Assistant
G
Isaiah Eisendorf

#2 Isaiah Eisendorf

6' 6"
Sophomore
Psychology
F
Jean Yves Toupane

#24 Jean Yves Toupane

6' 7"
Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
G/F
Ian Gardener

#0 Ian Gardener

6' 4"
Freshman
Undecided
G
Emmanuel Matey

#1 Emmanuel Matey

5' 10"
Junior
Accounting
G
C.J. Asuncion-Byrd

#3 C.J. Asuncion-Byrd

6' 3"
Freshman
Business
G
Kevin Kuteyi

#5 Kevin Kuteyi

6' 1"
Junior
Sports Management
G