Herster-Paul
66
Clarion Clar 7-9,3-8 PSAC
75
Winner Gannon Gannon 9-5,6-4 PSAC
Clarion Clar
7-9,3-8 PSAC
66
Final
75
Gannon Gannon
9-5,6-4 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Clarion Clar 24 42 66
Gannon Gannon 35 40 75

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

Herster Comes Alive As Gannon Enjoys Rare Home Contest with Win over Clarion

ERIE, Pa. – Hard work and the home court worked wonders to wake up a stagnant offense for the Gannon men's basketball team on Wednesday night. Playing at home for the first time since January 5, the Golden Knights snapped a two-game losing skid with a 75-66 win over Clarion. The victory boosted Gannon to 9-5 overall and 6-4 in the PSAC West. Clarion dropped to 7-9 with a 3-8 record in league play. Gannon has npow won 12 straight games against the Golden Eagles.

The hard work came in the form of players like Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic). The 6'6" redshirt sophomore had struggled after missing two games recently, making just 3 of 21 shots in the two games since returning. Herster finished with 16 points, making 6 of 16 field goals, and enjoyed a big second half to propel Gannon to the win.

Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) led a trio of players in double figures with 18 points on a variety of drives and fadeaways, and one monstrous second-half dunk over Clarion's seven-foot center. A 6'6" redshirt sophomore, Mims added 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, matching his season high. He made 8 of 15 shots and added a pair of blocked shots. Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) contributed 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals. Donovan Forte (Cleveland, Ohio/Garfield Heights) was a fourth Golden Knight in double digits with 10 points, adding six rebounds, in 16 minutes off the bench.
 

With the trio combing for 51 points, Gannon's 75 points were the most in 2022, snapping a strong four straight games with 63 points or fewer. The Golden Knights ended up shooting 46.8 percent for the game (29 of 62), making 6 of 17 3-pointers. They were also a near-perfect 11 of 12 from the line. Clarion, meanwhile, was held to 43.1 percent (25 of 58), making 7 of 22 3-pointers, and went 9 of 15 at the line.

Gannon forced 16 turnovers while committing 12, leading to an 18-10 advantage in points off turnovers. In addition, the Golden Knights won the rebound battle for the 11th time in 14 games, 38-33.

Clarion also had three players score in double figures, led by Gerald Jarmon with a game-high 21 points. Lawrence Lemon added 17 points and Connor Ferrell finished with 13.

The early stages of the game were tight, with a pair of lead changes and a tie. While Gannon led most of the contest, the Knights weren't able to extend the lead until late in the first half. Gannon scored the final six points of the half to forge a 35-24 lead at the half. Donovan Forte (Cleveland, Ohio/Garfield Heights) scored on a dunk, Herster hit a layup, and Mims capped the half with a jumper.

Herster took over in the second half, scoring 12 of his 16 points. He served notice he was back when he drained a 3-pointer early in the half, and he followed with a second trey and a layup moments later as Gannon's lead grew to 48-33 with just over 15 minutes left in the game.

Clarion refused to go away, however, as the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to single digits on several occasions. Mims would provide the impetus to pull away late. His dunk, followed by a Forte layup, gave Gannon its largest lead of the night at 71-55 with 3:11 remaining.

The Golden Knights are back on the road for the next two games, facing two of the top teams in the Western Division. They play at Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday, January 29, followed by a Monday, January 31 date at Indiana(Pa.).    
 
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