LAP
Jeff Helsel, Cal U Athletics
79
Gannon Gannon 9-6,6-5 PSAC
81
Winner Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt-J 15-4,11-2 PSAC
Gannon Gannon
9-6,6-5 PSAC
79
Final
81
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt-J
15-4,11-2 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Gannon Gannon 45 34 79
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt-J 45 36 81

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

Golden Knights Battle to the Wire at UPJ

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – One second. That's all that the Gannon men's basketball team needed to head to a five-minute overtime period against PSAC West-leading Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately, UPJ's John Paul Kromka scored the last of his 22 points with 0.9 seconds remaining to hand the Golden Knights an 81-79 setback. Gannon is now 9-6 overall and 6-5 in PSAC action, while U{PJ improved to 15-4 and 11-2, respectively.

Gannon battled back all afternoon against a hot-shooting UPJ team that was particularly effective playing at the UPJ Sports Center. The Golden Knights found themselves trailing by 13 points at 70-57 with 7:29 remaining.

The Golden Knights climbed back into the contest with some great shooting themselves, along with some solid defense. A 14-3 run over the next four minutes, holding the Mountain Cats without a field goal, pulled Gannon to within a bucket at 73-71 with 3:30 remaining. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) scored eight points in the run on a pair of free throws, a traditional 3-point play, and a 3-point bomb.

UPJ answered with back-to-back layups by leading scorer Fred Mulbah and appeared to have a safe 77-71 advantage with two minutes remaining.

Paul and Herster had other things in mind, however. Both scored scored on layups to cut the deficit to two points, but Mulbah's amazing baseline fadeaway with the shot clock winding down built the lead back to 79-75 with just 39 seconds showing. Paul made a pair of free throws at the 19-second mark, and Gannon's pressing defense produced a steal by Donovan Forte (Cleveland, Ohio/Garfield Heights), who fed Paul for the tying layup with 15 seconds to play. That set the stage for Kromka's game-winner just before the buzzer.

Paul continued his outstanding play, leading a trio of Golden Knights in double figures. The 6'0" redshirt sophomore guard had his fifth game with 20-or-more points and third double-double, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds, adding four assists. He made 10 of 17 field goals, including 1 of 2 3-pointers, and was a perfect 5-for-5 at the line. Paul played all 40 minutes for the second straight game and fourth time this season.

Herster added 21 points for his third 20-point effort, making 7 of 18 shots, including 3 of 9 3-pointers, and going 4 of 5 at the line. Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) was also in double digits with 13 points after accounting for Gannon's first five baskets of the game.

After both team shot over 50 percent in the first half, Gannon finished the afternoon at 47.6 percent, making 30 of 63 shots, along with 5 of 17 3-pointers and going 14 of 19 at the line. UPJ "cooled off" in the second half to end the day at 51.9 percent (28 of 54). The Mountain Cats came in shooting 51.1 percent on the season. They made 10 of 22 3-pointers and went 15 of 23 at the line. Gannon once again won the rebound battle, 35-31, and committed just 10 turnovers to UPJ's 13.

Kromka once again stuffed the stat sheet, totaling 22 points, going 8 of 13 at the line, plus eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three assists. Mulbah contributed 17 points and eight assists, while Jared Jakubick (16 points) and Ryan Smith (14) also reached double figures.

The going doesn't get any easier for the Golden Knights. They play for the fifth time in the last six days on the road, traveling to face an Indiana(Pa.) team that is tied with UPJ for first place in the Western Division. The Crimson Hawks defeated Mercyhurst on Saturday to move to 17-2 and 11-2 in conference play.
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