THE RUNDOWN
Final Score: Gannon 75, Pitt-Johnstown 73
Records: GU (10-3, 6-1 PSAC West) | UPJ (7-6, 2-5 PSAC West)
Location: UPJ Sports Center| Johnstown, Pa.
The Short Story: Monday's match up came down to the final seconds as the Mountain Cats clawed their way back into the game with the Knights. With a 55-55 tied game to end the third quarter, Gannon had to regain its advantage in the fourth. Leading by four with less than a minute on the clock, the Knights fouled giving up two points allowing Alli McGrath to knot the game 73-73 with two seconds left in regulation. Two seconds is all Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) needed as she hit a buzzer beater to extend Gannon's win streak to five straight games.
 
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HOW IT HAPPENED

• Haley Tewes (Waterford, Mich./Waterford Kettering) wasted no time for Gannon scoring five seconds into the game. Gabrielle Smith tied the game quickly on a pair of free throws, but four straight points from Sydney Mitchell (Baltimore, Md./Seton Keough) and Obenrader secured a first quarter lead for the Knights. Gannon was feeling it from three-point range making 4-of-6 attempts in the first quarter. Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) connected first at the 6:44 mark, while Sam Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North), Chelsea Rourke (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), and Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) scored on three straight possessions for the Knights. Gannon held a 24-13 at the end of one.
•  The Knights fell flat in the second quarter shooting only 30 percent from the field after a 47 percent first quarter. Mitchell and Obenrader scored early for Gannon on back-to-back layups, but from the 6:10 mark to the end of the half, the Mountain Cats used a 17-7 run to only trail by three points at the break. Gabrielle Smith led UPJ with eight points in the run. The Knights led 35-32 heading into the second half.
• Tewes stepped up to start the third quarter for Gannon scoring on layups for the Knights at the 9:32 and 8:26 marks. She knocked down a three less than a minute later to give Gannon a 42-34 edge. Her scoring streak continued with a pair of free throws at the 6:41 mark. Obenrader managed to get on the board for the Knights in the second half with a layup to force a UPJ timeout. The Mountain Cats used a 12-2 run sparked by Smith to get within one point of the Knights. They would foul Margo Loutzenhiser (Russell, Pa./Warren Area) on a three-point attempt. Loutzenhiser knocked down all three, but six straight UPJ points to end the quarter knotted the game 55-55 with 10 minutes left to play.
• The fourth quarter came down to the final seconds, but the Knights escaped with a 75-73 win. In the final two minutes Gannon led by four points following a pair of free throws from McKinney. A late foul on the Mountain Cats allowed them to get within two points opening the door for McGrath to tie the game 73-73 with two seconds left on the clock. Obenrader stepped up connecting on a buzzer beater to lead Gannon to the win.
   

GAME NOTES

• Gannon snapped UPJ's 5-0 home streak with their 75-73 win over the Mountain Cats. UPJ is now on a five game losing streak as Gannon improves to five straight wins.
• Four players scored double-figures for the second straight game and for the third of the last four. The Knights are now 9-0 when at least three players score double-figures and 8-0 when four players score 10 or more.
• Obenrader reached double-figures for the fourth straight game and 12th game this season.  She led the game with 20 points on 9-of-16 from the field. She filled the stat sheet with four rebounds, four steals, and four assists.
• Tewes recorded a new career-high with 16 points. She shot 60 percent from the field and knocked down two threes. She tallied a game-high six boards and a game-high two blocks.
• Pirosko also notched a new career-high with 13 points off the bench. Her previous high was 11 points set last month at Mansfield. Pirosko also grabbed four boards.
• McKinney was the final Gannon player to score double-figures. She finished the game with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and one steal.

 
UP NEXT

• Gannon returns home to close the week with a couple games.
• The Knights will host Seton Hill Wednesday night at 5:30 pm.
• Tipoff is set for 5:30 pm in the Mill. Live stats and video will be available.