gary miller classic logo 2022

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

Gannon Set to Host 38th Annual Gary Miller Classic

Golden Knights to face Lake Erie in opening round

LAKE ERIE STORM (1-2) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (0-2)
 
38TH ANNUAL GARY MILLER CLASSIC
DATE/TIME: Friday, November 25, 2021 | 7:30 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Highmark Events Center l Erie, Pa.
 
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 38TH ANNUAL GARY MILLER CLASSIC
Friday, November 25
Game 1 – Le Moyne Dolphins (2-3) vs. Winston-Salem State Rams (4-1) – 5:30 p.m. LIVE VIDEO  LIVE STATS
Game 2 – GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (0-2) vs. Lake Erie Storm (1-2) – 7:30 p.m.  LIVE VIDEO  LIVE STATS
Saturday, November 26
Consolation Game – Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 -- 5:30 p.m.  LIVE VIDEO  LIVE STATS
Championship Game – Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 7:30 p.m.  LIVE VIDEO  LIVE STATS
 
THE GANNON-LAKE ERIE ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 6-2
Last Meeting:  Nov. 25, 2016 – at Gannon 83, Lake Erie 77 I RECAP
The last meeting between Gannon and Lake Erie also occurred in the Gary Miller Classic, with the two squaring off in the opening round in 2016. The Golden Knights rallied from a seven-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining. Gannon ran off 11 consecutive points with Gerrell Williams scoring nine of those points, including the tying free throws at the 4:34 mark and go-ahead three-pointer with 3:42 showing on the clock. The game would feature 10 lead changes and seven ties. Williams led a trio of Golden Knights in double figures with 20 points. Zay Jackson added 18 points and Evan Phoenix finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. The series first began in 1992-93.
 
38TH ANNUAL GARY MILLER CLASSIC
Gannon is set to host the 38th annual Gary Miller Classic at the Highmark Events Center on Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26. The Golden Knights have won 19 Gary Miller Classic titles and are 52-16 in tournament play. Gannon won its seventh Gary Miller Classic title in the last 16 years and 13th in the last 22 a year ago as the Golden Knights defeated Saint Michael's 86-76 in the finals. The Golden Knights have reached the finals each of the last six years but won their first tournament crown since 2017. Gannon is looking to make it back-to-back titles for the first time since winning four straight Gary Miller Classics from 2006-09. The Gary Miller Classic began in 1984 with a single-game format. Gannon defeated Franklin 101-64 in the season-opening event played at the Erie Civic Center. The Golden Knights proceeded to knock off Penn State Behrend 80-62 in the 1985 classic, before the event began to move towards its current format. The Gary Miller Classic changed to a two-game affair in 1986 when Mercyhurst defeated Thiel, 111-75, and Gannon defeated Penn State Behrend, 72-54. It became a two-day, four-team event beginning in 1987 and has remained in the same format ever since. While Winston-Salem State is making its first appearance in the Gary Miller Classic, Lake Erie and Le Moyne are no strangers to the tournament. Both have played in three previous Gary Miller Classics.

GARY MILLER CLASSIC RECORDS AND ALL-TIME RESULTS
 
A LOOK AT THE 2022 GARY MILLER CLASSIC FIELD

Gannon Golden Knights (0-2, 0-0 PSAC West)
Head Coach: Kelvin Jefferson (38-32, 4th year)
Leading Players: Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) (F, 6'6", R-Jr. – 18.0 ppg.-9.5 rpg.), Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) (G, 6'6", R-So. -- 7.5 ppg., 1.5 rpg.), Michael Lucarotti (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) (G, 6'5", R-So. – 7.5 ppg., 2.5 rpg., 3 3's), Ali Ragab (Cairo, Egypt/Rocktop Academy) (C, 7'0", So. – 6.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg.), Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) (G, 6'3", R-So. – 4.5 ppg., 2.5 rpg.).
Gannon is off to an 0-2 start while facing a pair of strong opponents on the road in Ashland (18-10 in 2021-22) and Saginaw Valley State (19-11). Both are former GLIAC foes. The Golden Knights never led while suffering an 80-54 loss at Ashland but battled Saginaw Valley State but were done in at the free throw line while losing 78-65. The Cardinals were 31-of-41 from the charity stripe while Gannon was 15-of-23. Gannon is led by Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute). The 6'6" redshirt junior has led Gannon in both scoring and rebounding the first two games and comes in at 18.0 ppg. and 9.5 ppg. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) is off to a slow start after missing the final 11 games a year ago. The 6'6" redshirt sophomore comes in at 7.5 ppg. but ended last season at 16.2 ppg. Seven-foot center Ali Ragab (Cairo, Egypt/Rocktop Academy) comes off a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) at Saginaw Valley State.    
  
Lake Erie Storm (1-2, 0-0 GMAC)
Head Coach: Kyle Conley (69-95, 7th year)
Leading Players: Jonny Manning (F/C, 6'7", So. -- 16.3 ppg-6.7 rpg.), Jacob Plantz (G, 6'4", Jr. – 10.0 ppg.-3.3 rpg.-3-of-10 3's), PJ Jones (G, 6'1", Gr. – 8.7 ppg.-2.3 rpg.-2.7 apg.-52.4 FG%), Leon Hughes (F, 6'6", R-So. – 14.0 ppg.-2.5 rpg.-6-of-7 3's-71.4 FG%), Kevin Peterson (F, 6'7", Gr. – 4.0 ppg.-6.0 rpg.)  
Lake Erie opened the season with a 78-65 loss at Indianapolis before splitting a pair of nail-biters. The Storm dropped a 74-73 decision to Wayne State (Mich.) as they missed a shot in the final seconds and then turned the ball over. Lake Erie picked up its initial win of the season last Saturday with a 75-74 win at Salem. The victory came courtesy of a late 3-pointer by Jordan Burton. Head coach Kyle Conley's team was picked to finish sixth in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason poll after finishing at 13-13 a year ago. Burton, a 5'10" junior guard, averaged a team-leading 13.7 ppg. with 118 assists and 33 steals while making 50-of-145 3-pointers. Lake Erie previously played in the Gary Miller Classic in 2008, 2009, and 2016.
 
Le Moyne Dolphins (2-3, 2-0 NE10)
Head Coach: Nate Champion (33-27, 4th year)
Leading Players: Luke Sutherland (F, 6'7", Jr. – 12.6 ppg.-5.4 rpg.-5 of 20 3's), Nate McClure (G, 6'4", Gr. – 11.5 ppg.-5.3 rpg.-13 of 32 3's), Zy'Ever Wingfield (G, 6'4", So. -- 10.0 ppg.-4.6 rpg.-51.4 FG%), Isaiah Salter (G, 6'0", Gr. – 11.0 ppg.-3.2 apg.-10 of 23 3's)
The Dolphins are making their fourth appearance in the Gary Miller Classic, previously appearing in 2013, 2014, and 2019. Gannon and Le Moyne were former rivals when competing in the Mideast Collegiate Conference. Now members of the Northeast-10, the Dolphins opened conference play on Saturday with a 63-59 win over Pace, another former Mideast Collegiate Conference member. On Tuesday they handed Adelphi – also a former MCC member – a 76-65 defeat behind 18 points and six assists from Isaiah Salter. Le Moyne was picked eighth in the 13-team NE-10 preseason poll. The Dolphins have suffered a pair of tough losses, dropping a two-point game in the season opener vs. Dominican (68-66) and falling in their home opener to No. 25 St. Thomas Aquinas 88-87.

Winston-Salem State Rams (4-1, 0-1 CIAA)
Head Coach: Cleo Hill Jr. (54-33, 5th year)
Leading Players: Jaylen Alston (G, 6'4", Jr. – 15.2 ppg.-9.8 rpg.-53.7 FG%), Isaac Parson (G, 6'2", Jr. – 13.0 ppg.-3.2 rpg.-51.1 FG%-11 of 18 3's), Samage Teel (G, 6'2", Jr. – 9.6 ppg.-2.6 rpg.-2.8 apg.-1.8 spg.), Jaylon Gibson (F/C, 6'10", Jr. – 10.2 ppg.-7.0 rpg.-62.9 FG%)
Head coach Cleo Hill Jr. is no stranger to Gannon basketball, having served as the head coach at Cheyney for five years. He also was the head coach at Shaw for seven years and has an overall record of 225-167 in 17 years as a head coach. A year ago he guided Winston-Salem State to a 19-7 finish, losing to Virginia Union in the CIAA semifinals. The Rams were picked to finish second in the Southern Division and third overall in the CIAA preseason poll. Jonathan Hicklin and Isaac Parson were chosen to the All-CIAA preseason team backcourt and Nathan Springs to the frontcourt. WSSU comes in with a 4-1 record following a 78-48 thumping of Carolina University on Tuesday. The lone loss came to third-ranked Indiana (Pa.), 67-50, in the Clarion Classic. They handed Clarion a 65-49 defeat in their opening game in the tourney. Three Rams are averaging in double figures, led by Jaylen Alston at 15.2 ppg. The 6'4" junior is also the team's leading rebounder at 9.8 per game. Parson comes in at 13.0 ppg. and has made 11-of-18 3-pointers.

  
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team will look for its first win of the season while playing in the friendly confines of the Highmark Events Center for the first time in 2022-23. The Golden Knights host the 38th Annual Gary Miller Classic on Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26.

The tournament opens on Friday at 5:30 p.m. with Le Moyne facing Winston-Salem State. At 7:30 p.m., Gannon opposes Lake Erie. Friday's losers will meet in the consolation game at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the winners squaring off in the championship game at 7:30 p.m. to determine the 2022 Gary Miller Classic champion.

Gannon won its first Gary Miller Classic crown since 2017 last year thanks to an xx win over Saint Michael's in the championship game. Now the Golden Knights look to make it back-to-back titles for the first time since winning four straight times from 2006-09.
 
Head coach Kelvin Jefferson's team comes in with an 0-2 record after dropping a pair of games to tough road opponents. The Golden Knights opened the season with an 80-54 loss at Ashland and followed that up with a 78-65 setback at Saginaw Valley State on Saturday. Those two teams were a combined 37-21 a year ago. Gannon looks to avoid the first 0-3 start since 1946-47.

Lake Erie and Le Moyne are making their fourth appearances in the Gary Miller Classic, with the Storm last appearing in 2016 and the Dolphins in 2019. Winston-Salem State is playing in its first Gary Miller Classic and may draw the "favorites" label after finishing at 19-7 a year ago and returning ten players.
Following the Gary Miller Classic Gannon will embark on the PSAC season. In fact, Gannon's last 22 games will be against PSAC foes, beginning with a two-game eastern Pennsylvania swing on Friday, December 2 and Saturday, December 3. The Golden Knights play at Kutztown the first night and West Chester the second day. Both games tip off at 7:30 p.m.   

GARY MILLER CLASSIC FACES AND FACTS
Lake Erie and Le Moyne are no strangers to the Gary Miller Classic. Both are making their fourth appearance, with Lake Erie playing in 2008, 2009, and 2016 and the Dolphins in 2013, 2014, and 2019. The Storm defeated Gannon 59-45 on the first day of the 2009 Classic after the Golden Knights prevailed the year before by a 76-56 score. The Dolphins reached the finals in 2013 after handing Gannon a 65-62 defeat on the opening night. They fell to Wheeling Jesuit 98-85 in the championship game. Le Moyne won twice in 2014, including a 47-45 win over Gannon, but it was in a predetermined matchup format. Several familiar faces dot the rosters. Ben Swank is an assistant coach at Le Moyne. He was a former basketball and football standout at General McLane and Edinboro. His father is Stan Swank is the all-time winningest coach for Edinboro women's basketball. The Lake Erie roster includes Aiden Slocum, a 5'10" freshman guard. Slocum is the grandson of former Gannon coach Jerry Slocum. Slocum served as Gannon's head coach from 1996-05, posting a 179-78 record in nine seasons. He was inducted into the Gannon Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. Finally, Winston-Salem State head coach Cleo Hill Jr. served as the head coach at Cheyney for five seasons in the early 2000's. His 2003-04 team went 23-8.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS LOOKING TO AVOID FIRST 0-3 START SINCE 1946-47
The combination of a plethora of new players and a tough pair of opening games has resulted in a pair of losses to start the season. That last occurred in 2019-20. Only one time in Gannon's long history of winning basketball that dates to 1944-45 have the Golden Knights opened the season with three straight losses. Way back in 1946-47 Gannon opened the season with five straight defeats.
 
JEFFERSON LOOKING FOR RIGHT COMBINATION
Head coach Kelvin Jefferson was looking to pair down his playing rotation when the season began but the fourth-year coach has been unable to do that in the first two games. He used 13 players in the opening game at Ashland and 12 players saw action at Saginaw Valley State. Jefferson brought in nine newcomers to a returning group of 10 players. Two players are sitting out this season. Senior forward Kevin Dodds (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) is serving in a student coaching role while recovering from an injury, while transfer Jaedan Jefferson (Chesapeake, Va./McDowell (Pa.)), Kelvin Jefferson's son, is redshirting. That still leaves 17 players battling for playing time.
 
2021 GARY MILLER CLASSIC MVP MIMS OFF TO FAST START
A year ago Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) led Gannon to a 86-76 win over Saint Michael's in the 2021 Gary Miller Classic championship game. The 6'6" forward, who had transferred in from Towson, enjoyed his best game of the season with 29 points and nine rebounds. He would go on to average 12.7 ppg. and a team-leading 6.5 rpg. Mims was particularly effective down the stretch, averaging 17.0 points and 6.9 rebounds over the last eight games. He is now picking up where he left off. Mims has led the Golden Knights in both scoring and rebounds in the first two games. He had 18 at Ashland and followed that up with 20 points and a career-high 12 rebounds at Saginaw Valley State.
 
RAGAB PERFECT VS. SVSU
Seven-foot sophomore Ali Ragab (Cairo, Egypt/Rocktop Academy) made his first career start at Saginaw Valley State. The native of Egypt recorded his third career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and was perfect from the floor and at the line. He made all five of his field goal attempts and went 2-for-2 at the line.
 
GANNON PICKED SIXTH IN PSAC PRESEASON POLL
Gannon was recently picked to finish sixth in the PSAC West in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. The Golden Knights made the PSAC Tournament last year as the sixth seed out of the Western Division. Indiana (Pa.) received eight of a possible nine first-place votes and is the preseason favorite. Mercyhurst garnered the remaining first-place vote and is second with California (Pa.) third and Pitt-Johnstown fourth. Slippery Rock is fifth.
 
NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
After playing it home for the first time in 2022-23 while hosting the Gary Miller Classic Gannon heads back out on the road while beginning PSAC action. The Golden Knights play at Shepherd on Friday, December 2 with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff, then head to West Chester the next day for another 7:30 p.m. tip.
 
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Players Mentioned

Chris Clancy

#5 Chris Clancy

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Kevin Dodds

#14 Kevin Dodds

F
6' 7"
Redshirt Senior
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

G
6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

F
6' 6"
Redshirt Junior
Ali Ragab

#55 Ali Ragab

C
7' 0"
Sophomore
Michael Lucarotti

#2 Michael Lucarotti

G
6' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
Jaedan Jefferson

Jaedan Jefferson

G
6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman

Players Mentioned

Chris Clancy

#5 Chris Clancy

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Kevin Dodds

#14 Kevin Dodds

6' 7"
Redshirt Senior
F
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

6' 6"
Redshirt Junior
F
Ali Ragab

#55 Ali Ragab

7' 0"
Sophomore
C
Michael Lucarotti

#2 Michael Lucarotti

6' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
G
Jaedan Jefferson

Jaedan Jefferson

6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
G