Joe Fustine
Matt Mead Photography LLC
The Gannon men's basketball team will host games at the Hammermill Center during the next two weekends.

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

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Opens Home Schedule with PSAC Crossover Games This Weekend (Video/Game Notes)



GAME DAY CENTRAL
  • Event: PSAC Men's Basketball Crossover Games
  • Opponent #1: West Chester - Saturday, November 18
  • Opponent #2: Cheyney - Sunday, November 19
  • Where: Erie, Pa.
  • Arena: Hammermill Center (2,800)
  • Tip-off: 3 p.m.
  • Live Radio: Jet Radio 1400
  • Live Audio via 90.5 WERG Stream: Click Here
  • Live Webcast (FREE): Click Here
  • Live Stats: Click Here

GAME INFORMATION
  • General Admission Ticket Prices: $5 adults | $3 Non-Gannon students | $3 Senior Citizens
  • All Gannon students, staff and faculty are admitted free of charge by showing their school ID
  • Ticket Windows: Open at 12 noon. Both contests will be part of a PSAC doubleheader that begins with the women's teams at 1 p.m. 
  • Parking: Free on-street parking | Paid parking garage located on Peach Street between 7th and 8th streets
  • Directions: To Hammermill Center I GPS Address: 620 Peach Street, Erie, Pa. 16501

GAME COVERAGE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE INFORMATION
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN | Gannon vs. West Chester
  • All-Time Series: Series tied 5-5
  • First Meeting: January 19, 1987 - Gannon 68, at West Chester 63
  • Last Meeting: November 19, 2016 - at West Chester 73, Gannon 63
  • Series Notes: West Chester has won five of its last six meetings against Gannon to draw even at five in the all-time series. The Golden Knights own a perfect 4-0 mark against the Golden Rams at the Hammermill Center. The two programs played three consecutive games decided by one point in 2013-14 and 2014-15.

ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN | Gannon vs. Cheyney
  • All-Time Series: Gannon leads 19-11
  • First Meeting: February 6, 1967 - at Gannon 58, Cheyney 53
  • Last Meeting: November 20, 2016 - Gannon 81, at Cheyney 48
  • Series Notes: Gannon has won five consecutive match-ups against Cheyney, increasing its lead in the all-time series to 19-11. The Golden Knights have won 13 of the last 14 encounters. Gannon has won the last 10 contests in the series played at the Hammermill Center. The two squads have met in the postseason three times.

OTHER LINKS
LAST TIME OUT
  • Gannon used a 12-0 blitz early in the second half to break open a close game and cruised to a 79-69 victory against Shepherd last Saturday during the second night of the Clarion Hotel Conference Challenge hosted by the Rams. Senior Zay Jackson (Queens, N.Y./Westside) produced 21 points, five assists and four rebounds.

GANNON (1-1, 0-0 PSAC) STORYLINES
  • Gannon opened the 2017-18 campaign last weekend at the Clarion Hotel Conference Challenge hosted by Shepherd University.
  • The Golden Knights dropped an 81-74 overtime decision to No. 19 Wheeling Jesuit in the opener, before rebounding for a 73-63 win against the host Rams the next day.
  • Gannon opened the season on the road for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in the last seven years.
  • Jackson was named PSAC Western Division Player of the Week after averaging 22 points, 5.5 assists, three rebounds and three three-pointers during the tournament.
  • Junior Evan Phoenix (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) recorded his ninth double-double in 30 games as a Golden Knight with 16 points and 10 rebounds against Shepherd.
  • Jackson's 22-point performance at Shepherd extended his streak of consecutive games over the 20-point plateau to four dating back to last season. The effort gave him 12 totals of at least 20 points in two years at Gannon.
  • Senior Jair Green (Williamstown, N.J./Paul VI) has scored 35 points during the first two games after scoring 10 points during his first season at Gannon last year.
  • Gannon has been listed among others receiving votes in the first two Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Atlantic Region Media Polls of the season.
  • Gannon returns seven letterwinners and three starters from last year's 18-10 squad.
  • The Golden Knights advanced to the 2017 PSAC Final Four for the third time in four years, before falling to Kutztown (No. 5 in NCAA Division II at the time) 91-85 in overtime.
  • Head coach John T. Reilly's program has qualified for 10 NCAA Division II Tournaments since 2000, pushing its all-time total of NCAA Tournament appearances to 24.
  • The Golden Knights have qualified for the postseason (conference or national tournaments) 27 times during the last 33 seasons, advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight five times.
  • Gannon returns three of its top four scorers from a year ago and four of its top six. Overall, the Golden Knights return 64 percent (1,370-2,152) of their scoring from last year's 18-10 squad.
  • The Golden Knights have won 95 of their last 133 non-conference, regular-season games.
  • Gannon ranks second among PSAC teams in three-point field goal percentage (44.0), three-point field goal percentage defense (25.0) and offensive rebounds per game (14.5).
  • Phoenix sits second among all PSAC players in offensive rebounds per game (4.0).
  • The Golden Knights were predicted to finish second in the PSAC Western Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll. Gannon won back-to-back PSAC Western Division regular-season championships in 2014 and 2015. The Golden Knights won their second PSAC Tournament title since joining the league in 2008-09 three seasons ago.
  • Gannon enters the 2017-18 season 15th among all NCAA Division II programs in all-time winning percentage, beginning the season with a 1,232-699 (63.8 percent) record in 73 seasons. More recently, Gannon was 27th among Division II programs with a .693 winning percentage (203-90) during the 2000s.
  • Head coach John T. Reilly enters the 2017-18 season 24th among active NCAA Division II coaches in career victories (441) and 67th in career winning percentage (.613). He became the 30th active NCAA Division II coach to record 400 career wins December 17, 2014 against West Chester. Reilly recorded his 200th victory at Gannon January 11 at Edinboro, becoming the program's first-ever coach to reach 200 wins.

WEST CHESTER (2-0, 0-0 PSAC) STORYLINES
  • West Chester was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC Eastern Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll.
  • The Golden Rams have qualified for six consecutive PSAC Tournaments, advancing to the title game three times during that time span.

CHEYNEY (0-2, 0-0 PSAC) STORYLINES
  • Cheyney was picked to finish ninth in the PSAC Eastern Division according to the league's preseason coaches poll.
  • The Wolves have compiled an 8-99 record during the last five years.
  • Cheyney has lost 13 straight overall contests dating back to last year and 12 consecutive road games.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon has four days to prepare for the 34th Annual Gary Miller Classic scheduled for Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25 at the Hammermill Center.
  • Game times are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. both nights.
  • Friday's semifinals kick off with St. Rose (N.Y.) and Northern Michigan at 5:30 p.m.
  • Gannon will match up with Atlantic Region foe West Virginia Wesleyan in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m.
  • The Bobcats lead the all-time series against the Golden Knights 2-1, but the two clubs haven't met since the 2003-04 campaign.
  • West Virginia Wesleyan will make its first appearance at the Hammermill Center since 1995-96.
  • Saturday's consolation and championship contests are slated for 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
  • All Gannon contests can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG online stream at www.wergfm.com.
  • Outlets to follow all four games include a live video broadcast (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/gannon) and live gameday statistics (http://www.sidearmstats.com/gannon/mbball).
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Players Mentioned

Jair Green

#21 Jair Green

G
6' 4"
Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
Zay Jackson

#3 Zay Jackson

G
6' 0"
Senior
Criminal Justice
Damon Miraud

#23 Damon Miraud

G/F
6' 5"
Senior
Criminal Justice
Evan Phoenix

#2 Evan Phoenix

F
6' 9"
Junior
Marketing

Players Mentioned

Jair Green

#21 Jair Green

6' 4"
Senior
Interdisciplinary Studies
G
Zay Jackson

#3 Zay Jackson

6' 0"
Senior
Criminal Justice
G
Damon Miraud

#23 Damon Miraud

6' 5"
Senior
Criminal Justice
G/F
Evan Phoenix

#2 Evan Phoenix

6' 9"
Junior
Marketing
F