michael lucarotti 1
Matt Durisko

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

Gannon Returns to Action for First Time in Two Weeks Hosting Shepherd, Shippensburg

SHEPHERD RAMS (4-4, 1-1 PSAC East) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (0-6, 0-2 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, December 18, 2022 | 3:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Highmark Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS

SHIPPENSBURG RAIDERS (4-4, 2-0 PSAC East) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (0-6, 0-2 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Monday, December 19, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Highmark Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
 
GAME NOTES

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 have the call of the games.
 
THE GANNON-SHEPHERD ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 4-3

Last Meeting:  Dec. 3, 2021 – Gannon 68, at Shepherd 60 I RECAP
Gannon never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 28-12 advantage, but had to survive a barrage of 3-pointers by Shepherd. Six different Rams made 3-pointers as they went 12-of-33 from beyond the arc. Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) led four Golden Knights in double figures with his second double-double of the season, scoring a game-high 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) contributed 14 points, while Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) had 13 points. Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Kyle Daggett led Shepherd with 19 points and 12 rebounds, while Carson Poffenberger added 11 points. Each made three three's. Dan McClain-Corley entered the game averaging 19.6 ppg. but was held to nine points, while Cam Stephens was limited to eight after averaging 13.8 ppg.

THE GANNON-SHIPPENSBURG ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 10-3

Last Meeting:  Dec. 4, 2021 – at Shippensburg 72, Gannon 66 I RECAP
Four players scored in double figures but Gannon saw its four-game winning streak snapped. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) paced the Golden Knights with 20 points, making 6-of-12 field goals and 7-of-9 free throws. Alonde LeGrand (Harlem, N.Y./Berkshire) had his second double-double by halftime and ended the game with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) added 13 points, and Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) came off the bench to total 10 points. Gannon led by ten points at 39-29 early in the second half but a 13-0 run by Shippensburg gave the Raiders the lead. The Raiders would make 15-of-25 shots in the second half. Rashon Johnson and Kiyon Hardy led Shippensburg with 16 points apiece, with Carlos Carter adding 14. Dom Sleva had a team-high 12 rebounds.


ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team returns to action following a long layoff hosting a pair of PSAC games. Shepherd visits Highmark Events Center on Sunday, December 18 for a 3:00 p.m. The following night Shippensburg will provide the opposition with tipoff set at 7:30 p.m.

The Golden Knights are in search of their first win and come in at 0-6 overall and 0-2 in PSAC play. They suffered a pair of tough losses their last two times out, falling 78-74 in overtime at Kutztown on December 2 after leading most of the game, and 82-74 at West Chester on December 3.

Shepherd comes in with a 4-4 record and 1-1 in the PSAC East after nearly upsetting No. 23 Virginia Union on Monday before falling 73-69. The Rams were picked to finish fifth in the PSAC East in the coaches preseason poll. Shippensburg will play at Mercyhurst on Sunday before heading to Gannon. The Raiders were picked second in the Eastern Division in the preseason poll and are also 4-4 overall and 2-0 in the PSAC. Shippensburg dropped a narrow 86-85 decision to Fairmont State on Tuesday.

Youth abounds for the Golden Knights, with head coach Kelvin Jefferson continuing to find the right combination. The fourth-year coach has regularly used 10-11 players with six freshmen seeing plenty of time. It has not helped that 6'10" Zach Kent (Magnolia, Del./Blair Academy (N.J.)), a transfer from Division I Delaware State, missed the first six games with an injury and leading returning scorer Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) has sat out the last three contests.

All told freshmen are accounting for 43 percent of Gannon's point production, with two first-year performers recently in the starting lineup. Freshman Ronny Raphael (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) has started the last three games at point guard while Thomas Whitley (Laurel, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt), a 6'7" redshirt freshman, has started four games at forward.

Gannon concludes the 2022 portion of its schedule on Friday, December 30 playing at Lock Haven.

MIMS STILL LEADS THE WAY
While the Golden Knights are experiencing growing pains with six freshmen playing key roles, the one constant has been Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute). A 6'6" redshirt junior who joined the Golden Knights a year ago after transferring from Division I Towson, Mims leads Gannon both in scoring (13.7 ppg.) and rebounding (8.7 rpg.). He has had a pair of double-doubles and scored in double figures in four games. Mims averaged 12.7 ppg. and 6.5 rpg. in his first season as a Golden Knight.

CLANCY HEATING UP
It was a year ago that Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) went down with an injury against xx and would not play again. The 6'3" guard would play in just five games and receive a medical redshirt year. Now a redshirt sophomore, he has returned and is shaking off the rust after a slow start. Clancy scored 15 points against Lake Erie, then had 11 points at Kutztown and 16 vs. West Chester to boost his scoring average to 9.8 ppg. More importantly for the Golden Knights, he has made 7-of-17 3-pointers in the last two games and is 17-of-47 from beyond the arc for the season. Clancy is one of the top 3-point threats in the PSAC.

JOSH JAMMING
Over the first three games of the season Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) played a total of 23 minutes and scored seven points. In the last three games those numbers have gone up dramatically. The 6'5" freshman from Hamilton, Ontario has averaged 22 minutes and 12.3 ppg. He had a season-high 15 points at West Chester while earning 28 minutes of playing time.

RAPHAEL TAKES OVER AT THE POINT
Freshman Ronny Raphael (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) played on a pair of PIAA championship teams at Imhotep Charter, playing for a team loaded with Division I talent. The 6'0" guard has quickly made his presence felt at Gannon and took over as the starting point guard vs. Le Moyne. He comes off a solid showing at West Chester, scoring 10 points while handing out a season-high seven assists and recording two steals. He had four steals at Kutztown. 

CONGRATULATIONS KELVIN
Congratulations go out to Kelvin Jefferson. The fourth-year head coach was part of the many individuals who received diplomas last Sunday as part of the fall graduation ceremonies. Jefferson completed work on his Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communications. He previously earned his bachelor's degree in Journalism from Southern Connecticut State in 1995.

KENT MAKES HIS DEBUT AT KUTZTOWN
Zach Kent (Magnolia, Del./Blair Academy (N.J.)), a 6'10" transfer from Division I Delaware State made his Gannon debut on the road trip to Kutztown and West Chester after missing the first four games with an injury. The redshirt senior had 10 points and four rebounds at Kutztown, and followed that up with nine points and five boards at West Chester while playing a total of 35 minutes.

SCOUTING SHEPHERD
Shepherd comes in with a 4-4 record after a narrow 73-69 loss at No. 23 Virginia Union last Monday. Close games are the norm for the Rams, as four of their games have been decided by five points-or-less. The Rams come in at 1-1 in PSAC play. They opened with a 79-74 loss to Slippery Rock but the next day handed Edinboro an 80-61 defeat. Shepherd was 12-17 a year ago and was picked to finish fifth in the PSAC East in the coaches preseason poll. The Rams receive 86 percent of their scoring from a starting five that features four players in double figures. Shepherd makes ample use of the 3-point line. The Rams rank third in the PSAC in 3-pointers made per game (9.4) and are also third in 3-point field goal percentage (.387). Daniel McClain-Corley is the team's leading scorer. A 6'5" junior guard, he averages 14.5 ppg., has made 15-of-45 3-pointers and is shooting 85.3 percent (29-of-34) from the line. Phillip Jordan adds 14.3 ppg. and Jon Preston is a do-everything performer. The 6'3" senior averages 12.0 ppg. and a team-high 8.1 rpg. He has made 17-of-35 3-pointers.  Aidan Hughley and Carson Poffenberger have also started all eight games. A 6'6" sophomore guard, Hughley averages 10.0 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. Poffenberger is a 6'7" sophomore forward who is shooting 53.8 percent from the floor and has made 12-of-27 3-pointers while averaging 9.8 ppg.

SCOUTING SHIPPENSBURG
Shippensburg visits Erie with a 4-4 record following Tuesday's 86-85 loss in overtime to Fairmont State. The Raiders trailed by seven points with 47 seconds remaining in overtime, only to take the lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Carlos Carter. Fairmont State would make a pair of free throws for the win. Carter (30 points) and Rashon Johnson (23) combined for 53 points. The Raiders were picked to finish second in the PSAC East in the coaches preseason poll. They are off to a 2-0 start in league play with wins over California (Pa.) (77-73) and Slippery Rock (75-59). They play at Mercyhurst on Sunday before heading to Gannon on Monday. Five of their nine games have been decided by five points-or-less, with the Raiders showing a 2-3 record in those contests. Head coach Chris Fite, in his tenth year at the helm, welcomed back four starters from last year's 21-9 squad. Rashon Johnson and Carlos Carter are both averaging over 17 ppg. at 17.4 and 17.1 ppg., respectively. A 6'5" swingman, Johnson was the leading scorer a year ago at 15.3 ppg. Carter, a 6'5" senior, has made 18-of-54 3-pointers while Johnson is 12-of-27 from beyond the arc. Six-foot-six forward Dom Sleva is averaging a double-double at 14.5 ppg. and a PSAC-leading 12.3 rpg. 

NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Gannon will take a break for the holiday season and then conclude the 2022 portion of its schedule on Friday, December 30 at Lock Haven. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. The Lock Haven game begins a stretch of three straight games on the road.
 
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Players Mentioned

Braden Olsen

#0 Braden Olsen

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
Alonde LeGrand

#15 Alonde LeGrand

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

#40 Lance-Amir Paul

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Chris Clancy

#5 Chris Clancy

G
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

G
6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

F
6' 6"
Redshirt Junior
Thomas Whitley

#22 Thomas Whitley

F
6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

G
6' 5"
Freshman
Ronny Raphael

#21 Ronny Raphael

G
6' 0"
Freshman
Zach Kent

#33 Zach Kent

F
6' 10"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Braden Olsen

#0 Braden Olsen

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
G
Alonde LeGrand

#15 Alonde LeGrand

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

#40 Lance-Amir Paul

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Chris Clancy

#5 Chris Clancy

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

6' 6"
Redshirt Junior
F
Thomas Whitley

#22 Thomas Whitley

6' 6"
Redshirt Freshman
F
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

6' 5"
Freshman
G
Ronny Raphael

#21 Ronny Raphael

6' 0"
Freshman
G
Zach Kent

#33 Zach Kent

6' 10"
Redshirt Senior
F