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Men's Basketball 1/19/2019 1:07:00 PM David Rung, Director of Athletics Media Relations

PREVIEW: Golden Knights Return Home To Host Clarion Monday In Pink Zone Game (Video/Game Notes)

GAMEDAY CENTRAL – Clarion at Gannon
Game Details	Monday, Jan. 21 \| 3 p.m. \| Hammermill Center \| Directions
Records	Gannon (6-10, 4-6 PSAC) \| Clarion (4-9, 2-7 PSAC)
Game Coverage	Live Video – PSAC Digital Network Live Stats – Click Here Live Audio – Click Here Radio – Fox Sports 1330 AM Twitter Updates - @GUKnights
Tickets	Pink Zone Doubleheader - See Game Promotion for more info -- Adults ($5) FREE Non-Gannon Students and Senior Citizens ($3) FREE Gannon Students, Faculty and Staff (FREE) Season Ticket Information – Click Here
Gannon Links	Game Notes (PDF) \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats
Clarion Links	MBB Homepage \| Roster \| Schedule \| Stats

GAME PROMOTIONS

Pink Zone Doubleheader: Gannon hosts its 12th annual Pink Zone doubleheader. All spectators will receive free admission, while the Knights honor and recognize breast cancer survivors and raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research. The front lobby of the Hammermill Center will be filled with raffles, gift baskets, sponsor tables and more. Fans are asked to wear pink and donate to the cause as well. The Gannon women's basketball team has raised a total of $141,427 over the last 11 years of Pink Zone games, including $9,080 last year.
Jimmy John's and Chick-fil-A: Free Jimmy John's samples and Chick-fil-A giveaways on the concourse, while supplies last.

AROUND THE LEAGUE

SERIES HISTORY

All-Time Series: Gannon leads 39-13
First Meeting: January 21, 1949: Gannon 47, Clarion 42
Last Meeting: February 21, 2018: Gannon 84, Clarion 68
How It Happened: The Golden Knights won their fifth game in a row in the penultimate game of the regular season, but not before a scare from the Golden Eagles, who led by as much as 10 in the first half and held a 35-32 edge at the break. Gannon used a 38-15 blitz over a span of just under seven minutes to open up an 80-58 advantage with 3:30 left to play. Zay Jackson (Queens, N.Y./Westside) turned in 22 of his game-high 29 points during that stretch.

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GANNON STORYLINES

Daryl Porter (Southfield, Mich./Walled Lake Western) continues his rise up the scoring chart. The senior became the first Knight this season to record double figures in five straight games, turning in 17 against Edinboro to bump his average to 11.1 ppg.
Victor Olawoye (Elmont, N.Y./Elmont Memorial) has also found a scoring touch, hitting on 9-of-15 from the field Wednesday to compile a career-high 23 points. It was the second time in three games the freshman guard went for at least 20 points, and he set or matched career bests with nine made field goals, six assists and three steals.
Gannon poured in 56 points in the second half Wednesday, the most since also netting 56 in the second half against Cheyney on Dec. 9, 2011. The Golden Knights shot 55.6 percent in the second half to charge back.
The 87 points against Edinboro was the highest since Gannon scored 90 on Wheeling Jesuit to open the season.
The Knights continue to find ways to win in different styles during their three-game winning streak, adding winning a fast-paced game to its profile. The 79 points scored by Edinboro is the most Gannon has allowed all season, and the Fighting Scots became just the third team to shoot better than 50 percent, but the Knights took their most field goal attempts of the season, hit their most 3-pointers of the season, and limited their turnovers to a season-best 11.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES

Clarion has had a tough stretch since entering the new year, with losses coming to two teams in the top portion of the West – Pitt-Johnstown and Mercyhurst - by a total of six points, before falling on the road at Slippery Rock Wednesday evening.
Nine different Golden Eagles have started at least one game this season, and seven have earned at least five starts in the team's 13 games. Only junior guard and leading scorer Elijah Cottrill has been on the floor for the opening tip each game.
Not only has Cottrill started every game, he also rarely comes off the floor, averaging 36.5 minutes per game, including all 45 in an overtime win against Seton Hill. He's also averaging 18.0 ppg over the last five games.
Clarion features four players averaging at least 11.5 points per game, and are one of just six PSAC teams to have three players in the top 38 in the league in scoring. In addition to Cottrill's 14.5 ppg, Khari Williams averages 13.9, Stevan Rodriguez 12.6 and Lawrence Lemon 11.5.
Khari Williams is one of the more accurate shooters from outside in the conference. Despite cooling off with a 1-for-6 night against Slippery Rock, the sophomore is hitting at a 46.0-percent clip (23-of-50) from 3-point range.
SRU was also able to calm down what was a productive offense. Clarion comes into Monday's game ninth in the conference with a 44.7 shooting percentage, but shot just 37.3 against the Rock.

UP NEXT

Gannon hops back on the road for its shortest trip of the year, the first Porreco Pride of Erie contest of the season at Mercyhurst Wednesday evening, with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff.

Players Mentioned