THE RUNDOWN
Final Score: Gannon 69, Wheeling 63
Records: GU (6-3, 2-1 PSAC) | WU (3-7, 2-4 MEC)
Location: Hammermill Center  | Erie, Pa.
The Short Story:  Chelsea Rourke (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) put on a show in Gannon's five-point win over the visiting Wheeling Cardinals. Rourke recorded career-highs with 25 points and six blocks, while grabbing a season-high six rebounds. Wheeling managed to tie the game 51-51 in the fourth quarter, but Rourke connected on a layup at the 6:51 mark leading Gannon to their fourth straight win at the Mill this season.
 
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams scored in their opening possessions, but the Cardinals jumped out to a 7-2 lead following a layup from Emily Holzopfel. Gannon responded with an 8-0 run sparked by a three pointer from Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley). Rourke tied the game 7-7 on a layup and another three from McKinney gave the Knights a three-point edge. The Knights led by as much as eight on two separate occasions late in the first, but a pair of free throws from Lilly Ritz to close the first kept the Cardinals within six.
• Sydney Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./Seton Keough) struck first in the second with a three-pointer at the 8:55 mark. Daira-Hanna Koul came off the bench for the Knights to give them an edge in the paint. She had four quick points midway through the second on back-to-back layups. Gannon led by 13 points on a free throw from Haley Tewes (Waterford, Mich./Waterford Kettering), but Jillian Hawks knocked down a shot from the arc to narrow Gannon's lead to 10 at the half.
• The Cardinals broke out the press in the third quarter helping frazzle the Knights. They used an 8-0 run to open the quarter to get within three of Gannon. A quick timeout helped the Knights gain composure as they went on a 9-0 run highlighted by three-pointers from Mitchell and McKinney. Keeping up with the pressure, the Cardinals were able to get within six by the end of the quarter. Gannon led 50-44.
• A slow start for the Knights in the fourth, led to the first tie of the second half. Jacqui Hinesmon hit a free throw at the 7:17 mark to knot the game 51-51. Gannon strung together another 8-0 run sparked by Rourke to distance themselves from Wheeling. The Knights led by nine on two occasions in the fourth, but the Cardinals hung with Gannon and made it a five points game with eight seconds left on the clock. Gannon escaped with the 69-63 win to remain perfect in the Mill.
   

GAME NOTES

• Rourke recorded her 1,000 career-point in Tuesday's game with Wheeling. At the 2:26 mark of the first quarter, Rourke knocked down a three-pointer to surpass the 1,000 career-point mark. She is the 29th player in program history to record 1,000 points in her career. She currently sits at 1,018 career-points, which ranks 27th all-time. One point separates the 26th and 25th slots in the record books, and she needs 1,047 points to claim 25th all-time.
• Rourke also notched career-highs with 25 points and six blocks in the action. Her previous career-highs were 22 points and four blocks. She finished 10-of-13 from the field. Her 10 field goals made surpasses her former career-high eight made on three separate occasions. In the action, Rourke grabbed six boards, which goes down as a season-high.
• Rourke now ranks sixth all-time with 110 career-blocks.
• Mitchell finished with 13 points, three boards, two assists, two blocks, and three steals for an all-around performance for the Knights. Her three steals is a new season-high. She shot 50 percent from the field and the arc.
• Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) almost had herself a double-double with 11 points and seven assists. She fell just shy of matching her season-high eight assists and career-high nine assists. This is her fifth game this season with at least five assists.
• Tori Obenrader's (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) double-figure scoring streak comes to an end as Wheeling's Ritz helped lock down defense in the post. Obenrader scored six points, but grabbed a game-high eight rebounds. She also tallied an assist and two blocks in the action.
• The Knights improve to 4-0 at the Mill this season and have won five straight on their home court. They closed the 2018-19 season with a win over Mercyhurst and have beat every visitor so far this season.
• Gannon shot 44.9 percent from the field, while holding the Cardinals to 35.1 percent. They also held Wheeling to under 30 percent from the arc, while hitting seven buckets from three-point range.
• The Knights capitalized on Wheeling's 13 turnovers scoring 22 points on the errors. Gannon also outscored the Cardinals in the paint, 30-26.

 
UP NEXT

• The Knights take a quick two-game road trip this weekend to Mansfield and Bloomsburg.
• Tipoff is set for 1 pm on Friday with Mansfield and 1 pm on Saturday with Bloomsburg.
• Live stats and video will be available for both contests.