UPDATE (2/28/19 - 9:42 AM): Upon reexamination of tiebreaker scenarios, the conference announced that Gannon clinched a spot in the PSAC Women's Basketball Tournament. It was originally reported that Saturday's game was a win or go home scenario for the Lady Knights against Slippery Rock, but Gannon will enter the Saturday afternoon matchup with the potential to be the five or six seed depending on Saturday's result.
THE RUNDOWN
- Final Score: Gannon 50, Clarion 48
- Records: Gannon (13-15, 9-11 PSAC) | Clarion (9-18, 3-17 PSAC)
- Location: Student Recreation Center – Clarion, Pa.
GAMEDAY MEDIA CENTER
KEY SEQUENCE
- Despite trailing the entire second half, Gannon chipped away at the Clarion lead, meticulously slicing it to a one-possession game on several occasions. The Lady Knights eventually moved in front with 1:48 remaining in the game on a slick layup from Nicole LaCava (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory), and foul shots from Chelsea Rourke (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland) combined with a tenacious defensive effort in the waning moments was just enough for Gannon to escape Clarion with a crucial road victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Gannon opened a tightly contested first half on a 6-2 run, with baskets from Chelsea Rourke (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) and Nicole LaCava (Hermitage, Pa./Hickory) over the first 5:33 in the opening frame.
- LaCava grabbed a missed jumper and converted the stick-back at 3:18, drawing a foul on Yasmin Lewis. Kadijah Dickson did her best to will the hosts in front, taking a go-ahead pass from Jordan Bekelja and converting the layin at 2:06 as Clarion trailed 9-8. After a Gannon miss, Clarion took the lead on the next trip up the floor, leading 10-9 at the 1:39 mark.
- Rourke and Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) found the hoop for the final two buckets of the quarter for Gannon, but two Clarion free throws cut the Lady Knights lead to 14-13 at the end of one.
- Lauren Tewes (Waterford, Mich./Waterford Kettering) knifed the ball away and found Obenrader for a layup at 8:09 in the second quarter to put the Lady Knights ahead 16-14. Dickson canned a jumper with 6:22 left in the half to put Clarion up by two, a lead the Golden Eagles would not relinquish until late in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles eventually stretched their lead to seven as Dickson converted a jumper to hand Clarion a 29-22 edge heading into the intermission.
- Clarion worked its lead to nine points on several occasions to open the third quarter, but Gannon was able to stay within striking distance. Rourke broke a full-court press masterfully by whistling a crisp pass to a streaking LaCava down the middle, halting a brief Clarion run as Gannon trailed 37-30.
- Dickson answered once again for Clarion, converting a jumper at the 5:40 mark in the third to push Clarion ahead by seven (40-33). It would be the last points in the frame until under the three minute mark as both teams came out running out of the third quarter media timeout, notching several steals in the up and down flurry.
- L. Tewes connected on a pair of foul shots with 2:30 left in the third and Elise Torrence (Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) brought Gannon to within five with a layup at 1:29 in the quarter. Gannon trimmed it to a one possession game in the fourth quarter as Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) ripped a pass underneath to an open Obenrader on the right block at 8:47 in the fourth.
- Clarion once again extended its lead, staying just ahead of the Lady Knights. Rourke cut the deficit to one point (44-43) with a layup at 5:54 and Gannon began to apply the defensive pressure down the stretch.
- Rourke again brought Gannon to within one point with two made foul shots at 2:20 in the fourth. Ivana Twumasi (Jane and Finch, Ontario/Central Tech) forced a key Clarion turnover and the ball eventually made its way to LaCava, who stuck the go-ahead layup at 1:48 as Gannon led 47-46.
- Clarion would lead once more in the game, with Yasmin Lewis pushing the hosts ahead 48-47. Clutch foul shooting from Rourke gave the edge back to Gannon, which held Clarion off the scoreboard despite several good looks at the basket down the stretch.
GAME NOTES
- Powered by a smothering Gannon defense, Clarion scored just four points in the final 7:09 of the game.
- The Golden Eagles missed four shots in and around the paint area over the final 19 seconds, including a last second attempt by Dickson following a timeout.
- Rourke tied for a team-high 15 points, but it was her 5-of-6 mark at the foul line that made a big difference in the fourth quarter for Gannon. The outing was the third straight in double figures for Rourke.
- LaCava returned to form in a big way tonight against the Golden Eagles, posting her highest scoring output since January 30 against Slippery Rock. The senior finished with 15 points and added seven rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting from the field.
- Obenrader has been an inside force throughout the season, but especially after moving into the starting lineup. She just missed out on a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds.
- While Clarion attempted 13 more shots from the floor than Gannon (59-46), the Lady Knights shot an efficient 41.3% from the field and assisted on 73% of their baskets.
- Dickson scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the first half, as the Golden Eagles were limited to six points in the fourth quarter.
- The Lady Knights bid to potentially host a first round game in the PSAC Tournament came to an end tonight, as Seton Hill knocked off nationally-ranked California (Pa.) 73-60 at the McKenna Center.
- The victory over Clarion completed the season sweep following a 62-53 home triumph back on January 21. The win pushes Gannon to a 39-15 all-time edge in the series against the Golden Eagles.
- Clarion is playing its home games in its Student Recreation Center this season as its Tippin Gymnasium receives a $42.7 million renovation.
UP NEXT
- Gannon finishes up the 2018-19 regular season this Saturday, March 2 with a road matchup against Slippery Rock at 1:00 p.m.
- Live stats, live video and live audio will be available from the Morrow Field House.
- SRU knocked off Salem, 98-90, in nonconference action Wednesday night.
