24
Sean Gallagher
71
Lock Haven LH 4-3,1-2 PSAC
77
Winner Gannon Gannon 5-2,2-1 PSAC
Lock Haven LH
4-3,1-2 PSAC
71
Final
77
Gannon Gannon
5-2,2-1 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Lock Haven LH 34 37 71
Gannon Gannon 43 34 77

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Gannon Begins Homestand with Hard-Fought 77-71 PSAC Win over Lock Haven

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team opened a four-game homestand with a hard-fought 77-71 win over Lock Haven on Tuesday night. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic), Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn), and Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) combined for 49 points as the Golden Knights improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in PSAC action. Lock Haven dropped to 4-3 and 2-1, respectively.

Gannon led for much of the game, holding a 43-34 advantage at halftime.  The lead would grow to the largest of the night at 55-42 with 14:36 remaining courtesy of a 12-5 run that featured six points from Herster and four by Olsen. But the Bald Eagles chipped away at the deficit and eventually closed to within two points at 70-68 with just under three minutes to play.

The Knights were up to the challenge. Robertas Jonaitis (Pakruojis, Lithuania/Greater Beckley Christian School) scored a pair of baskets to give the Golden Knights a 74-68 advantage. The first came on a rebound basket with 2:23 to play, and that was followed by layup off a beautiful feed by Herster with 1:17 remaining.

Lock Haven would not go away, however. Dymir Montague's drive and ensuing free throw cut the lead in half at 74-71. Paul took over from there. The redshirt sophomore guard was fouled with the shot clock winding down and hit one-of-two at the charity stripe. He then stepped in front of a LHU pass, stole the ball and drove to the basket for a layup with seven seconds remaining. He would even pull down the final rebound of the game after a Lock Haven miss as time ran out.
 

The game featured 49 fouls, 26 on Gannon and 23 on Lock Haven. The Golden Knights ventured to the charity stripe 25 times, making 19, while LHU was 15-of-26. Gannon shot 42.9 percent from the floor (27-of-63) while the Bald Eagles came in at 46.4 percent (26-of-56). GU was 4-of-20 from beyond the arc, with Lock Haven also making four in 19 attempts.

Gannon won the battle of the boards, 45-33, including 15 offensive rebounds. The Knights were guilty of 10 turnovers and Lock Haven 13, with Gannon holding a 17-10 edge in points off turnovers.

The numerous fouls forced head coach Kelvin Jefferson to go deep into his bench, although the Golden Knights welcomed back Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) after the redshirt sophomore guard had missed the previous four games. Clancy played 21 minutes and hit a pair of 3-pointers. Gannon had one player foul out, with two others recording four fouls and another pair with three.

Herster and Olsen scored 17 points apiece to lead nine players reached the scoring column. Herster made 6-of-12 field goals, including 4-of-5 free throws, along with 3 assists. Olsen came off the bench to make 4-of-8 field goals and all nine of his free throw attempts. The redshirt also had three assists.

Paul chipped in with 15 points along with six rebounds, four assists and the game-clinching steal. Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) contributed seven points, including an emphatic slam, and a season-high 11 rebounds. Alonde LeGrand (Harlem, N.Y./Berkshire) pulled down seven boards. Seven-foot freshman Ali Ragab (Cairo, Egypt/Rocktop Academy) saw extended action, and in nine minutes had four rebounds and three blocks. 

Lock Haven featured four players in double digits, with DaQuan Granberry coming off the bench for a team-high 16 points. Jesse McPherson had 14 points, with MarkAnthony Fidelis adding 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Montague finished with 11 points.     

Gannon returns to action this weekend with a pair of PSAC crossover contests at the Hammermill Center. The Golden Knights host Mansfield on Saturday, December 18 followed by a Sunday, December 19 contest vs. Bloomsburg. Tipoff for both games is 3:00 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version