Clancy

Men's Basketball Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Hosts Strong Ashland Squad to Tip Off 2021-22 Campaign

ASHLAND EAGLES (1-0) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (10-4 in 2020-21)
DATE/TIME: Monday, November 15, 2021 | 7:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Hammermill Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
 
RADIO:  Gannon basketball fans can catch all of the exciting action of Golden Knights' basketball on 90.5 WERG FM. Jack Quinn and Sean Amicucci will serve as announcers for the games.
 
THE GANNON-ASHLAND ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 28-16
Last Meeting:  Nov. 30, 2019 – Ashland 81, at Gannon 76 l RECAP
Gannon leads the all-time series with a record of 28-16. The two teams last met in the championship game of the 2019 Gary Miller Classic, with Ashland holding on for an 81-76 victory. Tournament MVP Drew Noble led the Eagles with 22 points. Frank Webb Jr. led Gannon with 24 points. Trailing by eight points with just over four minutes remaining, Gannon would close to 78-76 with 24 seconds to play on a 3-pointer by Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's). A steal led to three chances to tie, but Gannon could not convert. Nobel made three of four free throws in the final seconds. Webb and Ashland's Derek Koch were also named to the All-Tournament team.
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team faces a stern opponent when it opens the 2021-22 season on Monday, November 15 hosting Ashland. Tipoff at the Hammermill Center is set for 7:00 p.m. The Eagles are picked to finish second in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference and are "receiving votes" in the NABC Division II Preseason Top 25.
 
Both teams were able to navigate a 2020-21 campaign that was COVID-abbreviated. Gannon finished with a 10-4 record while Ashland was 15-9 while playing a near-normal league schedule. 
 
The two teams have not met since the championship game of the 2019 Gary Miller Classic, when Ashland pulled out an 81-76 victory. Gannon holds a 28-16 edge in the all-time series. At one time both were members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference before Gannon migrated to the PSAC and Ashland joined the G-MAC this year.
 
While Gannon is debuting on Monday, Ashland opened the season on Friday with a hard-fought 59-50 win over Wayne State (Mich.). This is the start of a four-game homestand for Gannon.  
 
WELCOME BACK FANS
While fans were not allowed in the Hammermill Center earlier in the year due to COVID restrictions, they can now return. However, fans are reminded that masks are required in all indoor facilities on the Gannon campus, including the Hammermill Center. During the winter, the Hammermill Center was adorned with cardboard cutouts, a far cry from the cheers of the Gannon faithful.
 
GANNON PICKED FIFTH IN PSAC PRESEASON POLL
Gannon was recently picked to finish fifth in the PSAC West in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. Indiana(Pa.) is the preseason favorite and received seven of the nine first place votes. Mercyhurst was second in the poll, with Pitt-Johnstown third. UPJ received the other two first place votes. Cal U was fourth.  Gannon played a COVID-shortened schedule during the spring of 2021 and went 10-4 overall. The Golden Knights made several appearances in the NABC Division II national rankings a season ago, climbing as high as No. 21 in the country.
 
JEFFERSON ENTERS THIRD SEASON AS GANNON'S HEAD COACH WITH HEAVY HEART
Kelvin Jefferson enters his third season as Gannon's head coach with a 24-17 record. His first edition in 2019-20 finished at 14-13, and a year ago the Golden Knights posted a 10-4 record. Unfortunately, Jefferson will be coaching with a heavy heart as his third season begins. The long-time Division I assistant's mother passed away on November 6. Ella Jefferson, affectionately known as Miss J, was 81 years old and lived in Rolesville, North Carolina. Her funeral was this past Friday. The entire Gannon community sends its condolences to coach Jefferson and his family.  
 
TOP FOUR SCORERS RETURN
Gannon returns the top four scorers from the 2020-21 team that posted a 10-4 record. The backcourt trio of Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's), Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) and Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) lead the way. Clancy is an outstanding deep threat. The 6'2" redshirt sophomore averaged 13.5 ppg. last winter, making 47-of-103 3-pointers. He enters his third season with the Golden Knights ranked fourth in career 3-point field goal percentage at Gannon at 43.4 percent. He also led the team with 19 steals. Olsen, a redshirt junior, is the consummate point guard. In his first year at Gannon, the transfer from Seattle Pacific averaged 13.4 ppg. in ten games, with a team-high 59 assists and just 23 turnovers. As a true freshman, the 6'6" Herster averaged 12.1 ppg., making 31-of-85 3-pointers. Kevin Dodds (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) provides the inside muscle. The 6'7", 250 lb. redshirt junior averaged 9.2 ppg. and a team-leading 6.9 rpg. while shooting 59.4 percent from the floor.  
 
JEFFERSON BOLSTERS ROSTER FOR PLAYOFF RUN
While the foundation of the 2021-22 Gannon edition was strong, head coach Kelvin Jefferson and his staff bolstered the roster with the addition of eight new players, including several transfers expected to make an immediate contribution. Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) is a 6'6" redshirt sophomore forward who played a year ago at Division I Towson and also played at Long Beach State. At 6'7", Alonde LeGrand (Harlem, N.Y./Berkshire) provides interior size after previously playing at North Florida. Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) is a 6'0" redshirt sophomore who was a former standout at Frank Phillips College.
 
KNIGHTS PLAY DIVISION I PITTSBURGH, OLD DOMINION IN EXHIBITION GAMES
Gannon played a pair of exhibition games against Division I opponents in the last two weeks. While losing both, the contests were much closer than the final score indicated. On Nov. 1, the Golden Knights dropped an 89-64 decision at Pittsburgh. They trailed 49-41 with just over 13 minutes remaining before the Panthers went on an 11-0 run. Another string of 11 consecutive points doomed the Golden Knights at Old Dominion on Nov. 6. Gannon trailed 41-33 at the half but ODU scored the first 11 points after intermission and won 96-56. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) paced the Golden Knights with 11 points, while Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) was also in double figures with 10 points. Three players scored in double digits at ODU, with Herster again leading the way with 18 markers. Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) chipped in with 16 points and Paul had 10.   
 
SCOUTING ASHLAND
Ashland was picked to finish second in the G-MAC Preseason Poll, just one point behind preseason favorite Hillsdale. In addition, the Eagles of head coach John Ellenwood were among others receiving votes in the NABC Division II Preseason Top 25. Ellenwood is in his 13th season at the helm of the Eagles, and stands second in career victories with a 204-131 record. He has led AU to seven straight winning seasons, with three NCAA Tournament appearances during that period. A year ago Ashland finished at 15-9 and won the GLIAC championship in its final year in the conference. The Eagles reached the NCAA Midwest Regional, defeating Wayne State (Mich.) in the first round before falling to Truman State in the semifinals. Ashland opened the 2021-22 campaign on Friday with a rematch against Wayne State. AU came away with a 59-50 win at home as four players scored in double figures. In addition, the Eagles surprised Division I Valparaiso in an exhibition game, 87-78. Ashland returns a pair of players who earned all-conference honors a year ago. Junior guard Brandon Haraway averaged 18.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Fifth-year senior Aaron Thompson comes into the season with 1,152 career points, and 866 career rebounds. The 6'4" forward needs 134 rebounds to become the second Eagle all-time to grab 1,000 career caroms. Last season, Thompson averaged 12.6 ppg. and 8.3 rpg. Thompson opened the year with a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Derek Koch led the Eagles vs. Wayne State with 16 points, while Haraway and Bo Furcron each had 10 points. Koch is a 6'8" senior who began his career at Bowling Green.
 
NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Gannon plays its first four games in the friendly confines of the Hammermill Center. The Golden Knights face another challenging contest when Saginaw Valley State visits the 'Mill on Sunday, Nov. 21 for a 3:00 p.m. tipoff. The Cardinals are members of the GLIAC, as was Gannon before joining the PSAC. 
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Players Mentioned

Chris Clancy

#5 Chris Clancy

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Kevin Dodds

#10 Kevin Dodds

F
6' 7"
Redshirt Junior
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

G
6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
Braden Olsen

#0 Braden Olsen

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

F
6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
Alonde LeGrand

#15 Alonde LeGrand

G/F
6' 7"
Graduate Student
Lance-Amir Paul

#40 Lance-Amir Paul

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Chris Clancy

#5 Chris Clancy

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Kevin Dodds

#10 Kevin Dodds

6' 7"
Redshirt Junior
F
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
G
Braden Olsen

#0 Braden Olsen

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
G
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
F
Alonde LeGrand

#15 Alonde LeGrand

6' 7"
Graduate Student
G/F
Lance-Amir Paul

#40 Lance-Amir Paul

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
G