THE RUNDOWN
Final Score: Gannon 80, West Chester 73
Records: GU (4-1, 1-0 PSAC) | WCU (2-4, 0-1 PSAC)
Location: Hammermill Center | Erie, Pa.
The Short Story: The Knights opened conference play Saturday afternoon with a close win over West Chester to win their third straight game. Five Gannon players scored in double-figures for the first time this season. Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) led the Knights with her fifth straight double-figure performance scoring 14 points.
 
GAME DAY MEDIA CENTER
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Haley Tewes (Waterford, Mich./Waterford Kettering) led the Knights in the first quarter scoring nine of her 12 points to open the game. The Golden Rams put the pressure on early in a full court defense helping lead them to a five point lead out of the gates. Tewes hit a three-pointer at the 4:48 mark to tie the game 13-13 and force a timeout. Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) hit another three out of the break, which Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) followed up with a layup to complete Gannon's 8-0 run. The Rams hit a layup to get within one of the Knights, but Faith Williams (Grafton, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) connected on a jumper to give them a three point edge into the second.
• The Knights extended their lead in the second quarter leading by as much as 10 points with a little more than two minutes left in the half. Chelsea Rourke (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) connected from three-point range and Sam Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) posted up for a quick layup on Gannon's next possession to make the score 40-30. The Rams made it an eight point game with a free throw to close the half.
• West Chester outscored Gannon 18-15 in the third quarter as they climbed their way back into the game. The Rams used a 6-0 run near the end of the quarter to get within three of the Knights, but Pirosko hit a tip-in buzzer beater to give Gannon a 56-51 lead heading into the fourth.
• The teams traded runs to start the fourth quarter. Gannon quickly extended their lead to eight points with back-to-back layups from Obenrader and McKinney and another three-pointer from Rourke. The Rams got back within three after Katherine Fisher knocked down a three. Gannon converted on nine free throws in the final two minutes to escape with their first conference win of the season.
   

GAME NOTES

• This is the first time this season Gannon had five players score in double-figures. Obenrader led the Knights with 14 points for her fifth straight game scoring over 10 points. Rourke added 13 points, while Tewes tied her career-high 12 points. McKinney and Poling each scored 10 points.
• McKinney dished out a game high eight assists, which is just one shy of tying her career-high. She also tallied three steals, which breaks her previous career-high of two steals.
• Poling recorded a game-high four steals. She set a career-high of three steals at Ursuline, which she broke tonight.
• Sydney Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./Seton Keough) had a quiet night on the scoring front, but added six assists to aid the Gannon offense.
• Daria-Hanna Koul (Minsk, Belarus/J. Addison) finished a perfect 4-of-4 from the field to notch a career-high eight points.
• The Knights shot a season-high 61.7 percent from the field falling just shy of breaking a single-game record of 64.2 percent set back in the '86 season.

UP NEXT

• The Knights tipoff at the Mill again tomorrow vs. Millersville to wrap up this week's action.
• Gannon leads the all-time series 8-4 as the teams face off for the 13th time.
• Live stats and video will be available.