Evan Phoenix
Matt Mead Photography LLC
Evan Phoenix completed pin-point passing from Jimmy Berger and Damon Miraud for the game-winner with nine seconds left.
70
Pitt-Johnstown UPJM 13-9, 8-8 PSAC
71
Winner Gannon University GAN-M 14-6, 12-4 PSAC
Pitt-Johnstown UPJM
13-9, 8-8 PSAC
70
Final
71
Gannon University GAN-M
14-6, 12-4 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pitt-Johnstown UPJM 33 37 70
Gannon University GAN-M 31 40 71

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at Seton Hill University (Pa.)

2/4/2017 | 3:00 PM

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Feb. 04 (Sat) / 3:00 PM
at Seton Hill University (Pa.)

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

Gannon Men's Basketball Team Stuns Pitt-Johnstown For Second Time; Clinches PSAC Tournament Spot (Video)



THE RUNDOWN
  • Score: at Gannon 71, Pitt-Johnstown 70
  • Records: Gannon (14-6, 12-4 PSAC), Pitt-Johnstown (13-9, 8-8 PSAC)
  • Location: Erie, Pa. - Hammermill Center (Gary Miller Court)
  • The Short Story: The Gannon men's basketball team rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit to stun Pitt-Johnstown 71-70 on pin-point passing from freshman Jimmy Berger (Medina, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) to junior Damon Miraud (Elizabeth, N.J./Elizabeth) to sophomore Evan Phoenix (Stevensville, Md./Calvert Hall) whose lay-in with nine seconds remaining finished the game-winning play Wednesday night at the Hammermill Center. As a result, the Golden Knights clinched their sixth Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament spot in the last nine years.

GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Pitt-Johnstown produced eight of the first nine points to assume an early control.
  • Gannon went without a field goal for the first five minutes and 20 seconds, before sophomore Joe Fustine (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) drilled a three-pointer.
  • The Golden Knights were able to pull even twice during the first half, but were unable to grab a lead either time.
  • After tying the contest at 18 when junior Zay Jackson (Queens, N.Y./Westside) hit an off-balance jumper from the right side while being fouled, Pitt-Johnstown nailed back-to-back three-pointers to regain control.
  • The Pitt-Johnstown advantage ballooned to 33-23 after A.J. Leahey hit a three-pointer and Jake Laravie canned a pair of free throws with 2:24 showing on the clock.
  • Gannon responded with the final eight points of the half. Four different Golden Knights scored during the run, capped by a Phoenix lay-up that brought the home squad within 33-31 at the break.
  • Jackson's jumper to open the second half created the game's third tie, but Pitt-Johnstown then proceeded to rip off 11 consecutive points to grab its biggest lead of the evening at 44-33 with 16:49 remaining.
  • Trailing 46-37, Gannon pulled within striking range after Berger capped a 9-2 run by burying consecutive long-range bombs.
  • A jumper by Fustine later gave Gannon a 53-52 lead with 9:44 to play. It was the Golden Knights' first lead of the evening. Another Fustine basket extended the difference to three points.
  • Pitt-Johnstown answered with a 10-2 blitz and regained control again. Josh Wise put an exclamation point on the run with a dunk, pushing the UPJ lead to 62-57 with 6:15 left in regulation.
  • Trailing 65-60, senior Matthew Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) hit a big three-pointer from the right wing before a Phoenix tip-in tied the contest at 65 with 2:27 showing on the clock.
  • The final 45 seconds featured four lead changes. UPJ produced the first when Laravie scored on a lay-up while being fouled. His ensuing free throw gave the visitors a 68-67 lead.
  • A pair of Berger free throws gave Gannon the lead back, 69-68, with 29 ticks left.
  • Dale Clancy countered with a jumper to push the Mountain Cats back ahead 70-69 with 18 seconds remaining.
  • Gannon immediately pushed the ball after the made basket. Berger drove to the top of the key where he made a pass to Miraud on the right side of the paint, who in turn redirected the pass to Phoenix for a go-ahead lay-in on the left side with nine seconds left.
  • Pitt-Johnstown had one last chance after a time-out, but saw the ball stripped after an in-bound pass. Leahey was able to gain control, but was forced to throw up a long three-pointer at the buzzer that was off the mark to give Gannon a 71-70 victory.

GAME NOTES
  • Five Golden Knights reached double digits in scoring with all five netting between 10 and 13 points.
  • Miraud led the way with his third double-double, turning in 13 points and 14 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes.
  • Fustine and Phoenix posted 12 points each. Fustine's scoring output was a career-high off 5-of-7 shooting.
  • Dogan and Jackson completed the double-digit scoring group with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
  • Berger finished 40 minutes at point guard with eight points, eight assists and only two turnovers.
  • Gannon shot 46.8 percent (29-62) from the field, including a 53.3-percent (16-30) clip during the second half. The Golden Knights shot 41.7 percent (5-12) from three-point range and 61.5 percent (8-13) from the free throw line.
  • Laravie headlined the Pitt-Johnstown scoring attack with 19 points, six rebounds and six assists.
  • Leahy followed with 17 points. Isaac Vescovi and Clancy chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively.
  • Pitt-Johnstown shot 48.3 percent (28-58) from the floor, 41.7 percent (10-24) from behind the arc and 100 percent (4-4) from the charity stripe.
  • Gannon out-rebounded Pitt-Johnstown 38-26, including a 14-5 edge on the offensive glass that led to an 18-6 difference in second-chance points.
  • The Golden Knights generated a 27-4 edge in bench points.
  • Wednesday's contest featured eight lead changes and seven ties.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
  • Gannon clinched its sixth PSAC Tournament spot in the last nine years with its victory against Pitt-Johnstown combined with California's loss at Slippery Rock.
  • The Golden Knights have a four-game lead over Pitt-Johnstown and Slippery Rock for a PSAC Tournament first-round bye and conference quarterfinal home game with six contests remaining.
  • Wednesday was the Gannon Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's Fifth Annual Make-A-Wish Game. Four Make-A-Wish children were introduced as part of Gannon's starting line-up and watched the game from the John V. Schultz Gameday Sofa on the baseline.
  • Jackson has reached double digits in scoring during 19 straight games while Dogan has done so in 17 consecutive contests.
  • Gannon completed a season sweep of Pitt-Johnstown with a big-time shot during the final seconds for the second time this season. Dogan banked in a 30-footer to force overtime during a 105-97 victory at UPJ on January 9.
  • A pair of Golden Knights provided sparks off the bench. Fustine had reached double-digits in playing minutes only twice this season, before logging 25 minutes against UPJ. It was seven more minutes than his previous career-high.
  • Sophomore Ian Gardener (Norwalk, Conn./St. Thomas More) had five points in nine minutes off the bench after seeing only five minutes during the first 19 games.
  • Berger dished out at least eight assists for the eighth time this season.
  • Gannon's 27 bench points were its most since having 34 during a 93-88 overtime victory against California (Pa.) at the Hammermill Center on January 3.
  • The Golden Knights produced more bench points against UPJ than during their last six games combined.
  • Gannon improved to 48-14 in home games following a home loss during the last 17 seasons.
  • The Golden Knights dished out at least 20 assists for the 10th time.
  • Gannon won for the fifth time in seven games this season when trailing at halftime.
  • Both teams were whistled for 20 fouls, representing the fewest combined fouls in a game involving Gannon since 19 were called during a contest at Michigan Tech on February 1, 2007.
  • The 2016-17 Howard "Bud" Elwell Memorial Endowed Athletic "Power" Scholarship recipients were recognized before starting line-ups. Bud's wife Nancy Eisenman-Elwell and Gannon Director of Athletics Lisa Goddard McGuirk presented women's softball student-athlete Olivia Gumbita and men's swimming student-athlete Drew Wolter with the prestigious scholarship established in 2013 in loving memory of the former Gannon Director of Athletics, coach and student-athlete. It is awarded each year to a pair of leading student-athletes – one female and one male - who are members of the senior class, who have achieved academic success in the classroom and demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities.

UP NEXT
  • Gannon begins a three-game road swing Saturday, February 4 at Seton Hill.
  • Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.
  • The contest can be heard live on Jet Radio 1400 and via the 90.5 WERG online stream at www.wergfm.com.
  • The Gannon-Seton Hill all-time series has been a tightly-contested one with the Golden Knights holding a slim 6-5 advantage.
  • Gannon took a 4-3 lead in the series since Seton Hill joined the PSAC prior to the 2013-14 academic year with an 83-73 double-overtime victory at the Hammermill Center on January 6.
  • Seton Hill swept the season series last year after Gannon won both games played during the 2014-15 campaign.
  • The Golden Knights have played only three times at Seton Hill's McKenna Center, posting their only victory there during the 2014-15 season.
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Players Mentioned

Matthew Dogan

#15 Matthew Dogan

G
6' 7"
Senior
Physician Assistant
Joe Fustine

#24 Joe Fustine

G/F
6' 3"
Sophomore
Business
Ian Gardener

#0 Ian Gardener

G
6' 4"
Sophomore
Undecided
Jimmy Berger

#21 Jimmy Berger

G
6' 2"
Freshman
Mechanical Engineering
Zay Jackson

#3 Zay Jackson

G
6' 0"
Junior
Criminal Justice
Damon Miraud

#23 Damon Miraud

F
6' 5"
Junior
Criminal Justice
Evan Phoenix

#2 Evan Phoenix

F
6' 9"
Sophomore
Marketing

Players Mentioned

Matthew Dogan

#15 Matthew Dogan

6' 7"
Senior
Physician Assistant
G
Joe Fustine

#24 Joe Fustine

6' 3"
Sophomore
Business
G/F
Ian Gardener

#0 Ian Gardener

6' 4"
Sophomore
Undecided
G
Jimmy Berger

#21 Jimmy Berger

6' 2"
Freshman
Mechanical Engineering
G
Zay Jackson

#3 Zay Jackson

6' 0"
Junior
Criminal Justice
G
Damon Miraud

#23 Damon Miraud

6' 5"
Junior
Criminal Justice
F
Evan Phoenix

#2 Evan Phoenix

6' 9"
Sophomore
Marketing
F