GAME DAY CENTRAL
Event:Â Clarion Hotel Conference Challenge
Opponent #1: No. 19 Wheeling Jesuit - Friday, November 10
Opponent #2: Shepherd - Saturday, November 11
Where:Â Shepherdstown, W.Va.
Arena: Butcher Athletic Center (3,000)
Tip-off:Â 5:30 p.m. (Friday) | 6 p.m. (Saturday)
Live Radio:Â Jet Radio 1400
Live Audio via 90.5 WERG Stream:Â Click Here
Live Webcast:Â Click Here
Live Stats:Â Click Here
GAME INFORMATION
- General Admission Ticket Prices: $8 - adults | $4 - students (kindergarten+) | Free - students (below kindergarten)
- Ticket Windows: Open one hour before the first game both days.Â
- Parking: Click Here
- Directions: To Butcher Athletic Center I GPS Address: 301 N. King Street, Shepherdstown, W.Va. 25443
GAME COVERAGE
PENNSYLVANIA STATE ATHLETIC CONFERENCE INFORMATION
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN | Gannon vs. Wheeling Jesuit
- All-Time Series:Â Gannon leads 4-2
- First Meeting: February 10, 1973 - at Gannon 66, Wheeling Jesuit 64
- Last Meeting: December 18, 2016 - at Wheeling Jesuit 65, Gannon 63
- Series Notes:Â Gannon leads the all-time series 4-2, but Wheeling Jesuit has won the last two encounters. The Cardinals posted a 65-63 home victory last year, aided by 29 more attempts at the free throw line. Friday's meeting will be the first between the two programs on a neutral floor.
ALL-TIME SERIES BREAKDOWN | Gannon vs. Shepherd
- All-Time Series: Series tied 2-2
- First Meeting: November 23, 1988 - at Gannon 64, Shepherd 48
- Last Meeting: December 13, 2014 - at Gannon 74, Shepherd 56
- Series Notes:Â The all-time series between Gannon and Shepherd is tied at two with three of those four encounters taking place since 2005-06. The Golden Knights posted a 74-56 home victory during the last match-up in 2014-15. Gannon dropped a 74-63 decision during its only trip to Shepherdstown in 2005-06.
OTHER LINKS
LAST TIME OUT
- Kutztown, ranked fifth in NCAA Division II at the time, overcame a nine-point deficit during the final two minutes of regulation and stunned Gannon 91-85 in overtime during last year's PSAC semifinals hosted by Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
GANNON (0-0, 0-0Â PSAC) STORYLINES
- Gannon opens the season on the road for the fourth consecutive year and sixth time in the last seven years.
- The Golden Knights are 4-0 in season openers on a neutral floor.
- Gannon is 55-18 all-time in season openers.
- The Golden Knights are listed among others receiving votes in the initial Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Atlantic Region Media Poll.
- Gannon returns seven letterwinners and three starters from last year's 18-10 squad.
- The Golden Knights advanced to the PSAC Final Four for the third time in four years, before falling to No. 5 Kutztown 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 94 of their last 132 non-conference, regular-season games.
- Gannon ranked second among PSAC teams last season in three-point field goal percentage (39.4), rebounding defense (30.6), offensive rebounds per game (14.0) and rebounding margin (8.4).
- Senior Zay Jackson (Queens, N.Y./Westside) finished second among PSAC players last year in three-point field goal percentage (43.9) and three-point field goals per game (3.4). He ended the 2016-17 campaign with a bang, drilling a career-high seven three-pointers during the PSAC semifinals.
- 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.
NO. 19 WHEELING JESUIT (0-0, 0-0 MEC) STORYLINES
- Wheeling Jesuit is ranked No. 19 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Preseason Top 25 Poll.
- The Cardinals advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen last year, before falling to national finalist Fairmont State 86-80.
- WJU has played in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments.
SHEPHERD (0-0, 0-0 MEC) STORYLINES
- Shepherd has won at least 15 games in five consecutive seasons.
- The Rams produced a 20-win season in 2013-14 and won 19 contests last year.
- Shepherd led the MEC last year in scoring defense (73.5) while ranking second in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45) and fewest turnovers per game (10.7).
UP NEXT
- Gannon opens the PSAC schedule next weekend with a pair of home games at the Hammermill Center.
- The Golden Knights host West Chester Saturday, November 18Â in the home opener.
- Gannon then welcomes Cheyney to the 'Mill on Sunday, November 19.
- Game time is scheduled for 3Â p.m. both days.
- Both contests can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG online stream at www.wergfm.com.
- Other outlets to follow the game include a live video broadcast on the Gannon Sports Network (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/gannon) and live gameday statistics (http://www.sidearmstats.com/gannon/mbball).
- The all-time series between Gannon and West Chester is tied at five. The Golden Rams have won five of the last six encounters after the Golden Knights won the first four match-ups.
- Gannon has won five consecutive games and 13 of the last 14 against Cheyney, increasing its lead in the all-time series to 19-11.
