54
Sean Gallagher

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

Gannon Renews Rivalry with IUP at Highmark Events Center on Hall of Fame Day

INDIANA(PA) CRIMSON HAWKS (16-6, 10-6 PSAC West) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (18-4, 13-4 PSAC West)
HALL OF FAME DAY
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 12, 2022 | 1:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Gary Miller Court at the Highmark Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
 
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 GANNON-IUP ALL-TIME SERIES
IUP leads 25-20
Gannon won its second straight game against the Crimson Hawks on January 16 by a 60-52 score. IUP came in ranked 12th in Division II. Gannon now seeks its first of the regular season series since 2013-14. The two teams met three times in 2019-20, with the third time proving to be the charm. The Crimson Hawks won the first two meetings by scores of 62-48 at Gannon and 59-54 at the Kovalchick Complex before squaring off in the PSAC Championship game, again at the Kovalchick Complex. Gannon rallied for a 50-40 victory to earn the automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, less than a week later the pandemic brought a halt to the postseason. Gannon snapped a ten-game losing streak to the Crimson Hawks with the win, and also broke a string of seven straight losses on IUP's homecourt. The series first began in 1979-80.
 
The Last Meeting
January 16, 2022 – Gannon 60, at IUP 52 I RECAP
Gannon jumped out to a double-digit lead then held off a late charge by IUP. The Golden Knights led 33-21 at the half and 53-37 after three quarters. The Crimson Hawks would close to within five points at 57-52 with just over two minutes remaining, but Gannon held them scoreless the rest of the way. Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) scored 18 points to lead Gannon, with Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) and Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) adding 10 points apiece. Justina Muscaro led all scorers with 24 points, sinking four 3-pointers.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – For the second game in a row Gannon rallied to pick up a tight win. First it was a 66-61 triumph over Pitt-Johnstown on Monday, avenging one of Gannon's four losses this season. Then on Wednesday the Golden Knights swept the regular season series with Mercyhurst, coming from behind for a 66-56 victory.
 
The scenario has been similar for head coach Cleve Wright's squad, but the end result is all that matters to the veteran coach. The Golden Knights are now 18-4 overall and 13-4 in the PSAC West, tied for first with Seton Hill. For the third straight week they will play three games, this time hosting Indiana(Pa.) on Saturday. Gannon looks for their first regular season sweep of the Crimson Hawks since 2013-14 after winning at IUP on Jan. 16, 60-52. IUP comes in with a 16-6 record and 10-6 in the conference after suffering a 64-59 loss to Cal on Wednesday.
 
The Golden Knights started a new winning streak at the newly-named Highmark Events Center after seeing their 13-game home winning streak come to an on end last Saturday vs. Seton Hill. They have now won 23 of their last 25 games at the Highmark Events Center.
 
Head coach Cleve Wright's team relies on a balanced offense and strong defense. The Golden Knights allow just 58.7 ppg., which ranks seventh in the PSAC. The 70 points scored by Edinboro recently marked just the third time this season an opponent reached 70 points. Gannon stands second in the conference in scoring at 67.7 ppg. 
 
Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) had 23 points and seven rebounds against Seton Hill, her third game of 20-or-more points this year, then added 19 points at Mercyhurst. The 5'10" sophomore is the team's leading scorer at 15.1 ppg. and is second in rebounding at 5.6 rpg. while shooting 51.4 percent from the floor and 91.5 percent from the line. She leads the PSAC in free throw percentage and ranks fifth in Division II. Pirosko had missed three games earlier in the season due to injuries.
 
Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) is also in double figures at 10.7 ppg. while slashing to the basket or hitting 3-pointers. She continues to be a strong all-around performer on both ends of the court. A 5'11" graduate student, Wright pulls down 4.6 rpg., leads the team with 31 3-pointers in 90 attempts, and is second in assists (54) and blocked shots (17).
 
Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) adds 9.1 ppg. and is the team's top rebounder at 7.1 per game. The 6'0" senior has had 10-or-more rebounds in nine games this season. Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) provides the Golden Knights with another interior performer. The 5'11" junior comes off the bench to average 10.1 ppg. and 4.9 rpg. She recorded her first double double of the season with a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds at Mercyhurst. The former PSAC West Freshman of the Year missed nine games last year due to a knee injury. She went over 1,000 points recently and now has 1,046 career points.
 
Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) is one of three players to start all 21 games, along with Wright and Dogan, and has now moved to point guard. She averages 6.4 ppg. along with a team-high 67 assists and 42 steals. Poling handed out a career-high seven assists against Slippery Rock, then added six more vs. Edinboro and Seton Hill.
 
Senior Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) continues to be a steadying force. A 5'11" guard, she has now started 90 career games and is averaging 6.5 ppg. with 45 assists and 27 steals. She missed the first four games while recovering from a knee injury.
 
Following Saturday's game against Indiana(Pa.), Gannon will travel to southern Erie County to play at Edinboro on Monday, February 14. The Golden Knights captured an 82-70 win over Edinboro on February 2. The game brings to an end a string of seven straight games in Erie County. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. 
 
 
GANNON IN THE PSAC STATS
Scoring Offense – 67.7 (2nd)       
Scoring Defense – 58.7 (7th)       
Field Goal Pct. -- .427 (3rd)           
Field Goal Pct. Defense -- .391 (13th)     
3FGM per Game – 5.8 (6th)                                      
Rebound Margin -- +4.8 (4th)                      
Turnover Margin -- +1.6  (4th)  
 
GANNON NOW PLAYING AT HIGHMARK EVENTS CENTER
For years loyal Gannon fans knew the homecourt of the Golden Knights as The Audi, and later the Hammermill Center. On Friday, it was announced that Gary Miller Court now resides in the Highmark Events Center. Officials from Gannon University and Highmark joined today at the center to announce that Highmark has signed a 10-year agreement for naming rights to the center – formerly known as the Hammermill Center – further expanding the long-standing partnership between Gannon and Highmark. Highmark is one of America's leading health insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Highmark Health is the parent company of Allegheny Health Network and Erie's AHN Saint Vincent Hospital. The facility has been the home for Golden Knight teams since the basketball programs began playing there during the 1949-50 season. The facility was originally known as the Gannon Auditorium and affectionately referred to as "The Audi" by longtime Gannon faithful. The facility was rededicated and renamed the Hammermill Center – "The Mill" – in February of 1983 in honor of the wonderful generosity of the then Hammermill Paper Co. Now comes the Highmark Events Center, with a total makeover of the facility announced, as well. 
 
2009-10 TEAM, JEN (GWIN) THEISSEN TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME ON SATURDAY
Gannon University will hold its 2022 Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Saturday night. Among the inductees is the 2009-10 Gannon women's basketball team and former standout Jen (Gwin) Theissen. The 2009-10 edition under head coach Cleve Wright went 37-1 and had a perfect 14-0 record. The team went on to win the PSAC regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the NCAA Final Four before getting edged in overtime, 97-94, against the eventual national champions, Emporia State. The team broke NCAA Division II records for most wins (37) in a season as well as most-consecutive wins in a single season. The PSAC and NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships were the first in the women's basketball program's history. The team also ranked No. 1 in the country in the final three USA Today ESPN regular season Top 25 polls that season, joining the Gannon women's lacrosse pro-gram (2000 and 2001) as the only two programs in school history, at the time, to reach the apex of the national rankings. Members of the team included: Tiffany Crocker, Amanda Dacek, Kristina Freeman, Becky Innes, Julie Kleber, Caitlyn Lowe, Kelsey McCoy, Carrie Nolan, Brittany Powell, Heather Reynolds, Brittany Tabron, Shanna Thompson, Danielle Tucker, Kim Vargas, and assistant coaches Kate Glusko, Jennifer Lodge and Anneke Chewning.
 
Theissen played and started in 112 career games as a standout for the Gannon women's basketball team from 2001 to 2005. She finished her career with 1,045 points, 835 assists, 538 rebounds and 260 steals. She currently holds the Gannon records for career (835) and single-season (255) assists. Theissen was the 2002 GLIAC Freshman of the Year before adding second team all-conference honors as a sophomore and first team honors following her junior and senior seasons.
 
WELCOME BACK ALUMS
On Saturday morning the women's basketball team will host its annual alumni basketball game. Over 30 Golden Knight players, coaches and individuals associated with the program will return. They will be honored at halftime of the women's game with IUP.
 
OBENRADER, PIROSKO PACE GANNON TO SWEEP OF MERCYHURST
Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) and Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) combined for 39 points as Gannon rallied for a 66-56 win at Mercyhurst on Wednesday. Obenrader had her first double double of the season with a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Pirosko contributed 19 points. The pair combined for two of the biggest baskets of the night in the fourth. Pirosko twice dished to Obenrader at the top of the key for 3-pointers. The first came with 4:45 left for a 52-48 lead. The second came after a Pirosko layup and boosted the lead to 57-48 with 2:46 to play. Pirosko gave Gannon the lead for good at 49-46 on an old-fashioned 3-point play with 5:50 remaining. The two combined for 12 straight points during the fourth quarter.
 
KNIGHTS FINALLY HIT THREE VS. MERCYHURST
In the first meeting against Mercyhurst on January 5, Gannon went 0-for-9 on 3-pointers, snapping a long run of games with at least on made shot from beyond the arc. That string of misses extended to 14 in a row before Ali Benim (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) finally drained a three late in the second quarter. Gannon ended the night at 4 of 12 on three's, with Benim adding a second and Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) hitting two in the fourth quarter.
 
PIROSKO LEADS PSAC IN FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) is pacing the PSAC in free throw percentage at 91.5 percent (65 of 71), a figure which is good for fifth in Division II. She has made 25 straight free throws dating back to the Slippery Rock game. She is once again leading Gannon in scoring at 15.1 ppg. after averaging a team-leading 15.9 ppg. a year ago.
 
OBENRADER NINTH PLAYER WITH 1,000 POINTS, 600 REBOUNDS IN CAREER
When Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) hit a jumper from the left wing late in the second quarter against Edinboro, it put her at 1,000 points for her career. The 5'11" junior became the 30th Golden Knight to score 1,000 career points. Her career total now stands at 1,046 points after Obenrader scored a season-high 20 points at Mercyhurst. She also pulled down 11 rebounds to push her past 600 for her career. Her total of 605 rebounds ranks 14th as she became the ninth player with 1,000 points and 600 rebounds. She is now tied for 26th in scoring and 13th in rebounds. Gannon's leading scorer and rebounder in 2019-20, Obenrader was a first team All-PSAC West selection in 2019-20 and the MVP of the PSAC Tournament, in addition to being named the 2018-19 PSAC West Freshman of the Year.
 
GANNON CLAMPING DOWN ON DEFENSE
Count the recent 72-53 loss at Pitt-Johnstown as an anomaly when it comes to Gannon's defense. Much of Gannon's success in 2021-22 can be attributed to outstanding defense. The 72 points scored by UPJ was just the second time an opponent has reached the 70-point plateau. Florida Southern scored 74 points in Gannon's fourth game of the season, and Edinboro's 70 points became the third. But even with that, the Golden Knights held Edinboro without a point for over six minutes down the stretch. They are allowing just 58.7 ppg. and have held 13 opponents to under 60 points. Gannon is limiting opponents to 39.1 percent shooting from the floor, along with forcing 17.6 turnovers per game. In addition, the Golden Knights hold a +4.8 rebounding advantage.
 
GANNON BENEFITS FROM SYD'S THIEVERY
Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) came up with two of the biggest defensive plays of the season for Gannon on Monday against Pitt-Johnstown. For starters, the senior guard's 3-pointer gave Gannon the lead for good at 52-51 with 2:48 remaining. Her first bit of thievery occurred in the final 30 seconds. She snuck behind UPJ's Ashley Norling, who was holding the ball at the foul line extended, for the steal and drove the length of the court for a 60-56 lead. With 10 seconds left after UPJ called timeout to set up a play down by three, Mitchell tipped away the inbounds pass to Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance). Poling's two free throws clinched the win.  
 
POLING SEALS THE DEAL
Emily Poling's (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) role has changed this year, going from one of outside shooter from the off guard spot to main ballhandler while playing point guard. On Monday vs. UPJ it extended even further – to knocking down the key free throws late in the game. She stepped to the line twice in the final 12 seconds and calmly deposited four free throws to give Gannon a 64-59 advantage. For good measure, Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) added a pair of free throws in the final two seconds. In all, Gannon made 9 of 10 free throws in the final minute, with Poling and Obenrader making four apiece.  Poling leads Gannon with 65 assists and 40 steals while committing just 39 turnovers. That includes a career-best seven assists against Slippery Rock, and then six more vs. Edinboro and Seton Hill. 
 
SETON HILL SNAPS HOME WINNING STREAK
Gannon's 61-52 loss to Seton Hill was the first defeat at the Highmark Events Center this year after nine wins. It snapped a string of 13 straight wins at home dating back to last year, and was just the second defeat in the last 24 games at the Highmark Events Center. Gannon had not lost at home since a 70-68 score to Daemen on January 29, 2021. Gannon has now won 23 of its last 25 games at the Highmark Events Center.
 
SHOOTING UPS AND DOWNS
The Golden Knights enjoyed one of their best shooting games of the year against Edinboro, making 30 of 60 shots (50.0 percent), including a season-high 15 3-pointers in 28 attempts. The ball refused to fall through the net on Saturday against Seton Hill. Gannon shot 33.3 percent from the floor (19 of 57), including 4 of 21 on 3-pointers. Oddly enough, Gannon saw a 15-point lead whittled to four at 68-64 with 7:49 remaining against Edinboro before going on a 14-0 run while holding Edinboro without a score for well over six minutes. On Saturday, it was Seton Hill that had the late-game run. The Griffins scored the final nine points after Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) tied the game at 52-52 with a pair of free throws with 5:50 remaining. The Golden Knights did not score again, and missed their final six shots and had four turnovers over the last seven minutes.
 
KNIGHTS BOMB AWAY FROM THREE AS WRIGHT ENJOYS CAREER NIGHT VS. EDINBORO
Gannon entered last Wednesday's game with Edinboro averaging 5.4 3-pointers per game. The Golden Knights proceeded to make a season-high 15 3-pointers in 28 attempts, with six different players hitting from beyond the arc. Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) led the way with a 5-of-6 showing, part of a career scoring night for the graduate student. She scored 21 points, making 8 of 11 shots overall. Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) made 3 of 5 3-pointers, while Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion), Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) and Faith Williams (Grafton, Ohio/Elyria Catholic) added two 3-pointers each.
 
23 IN A ROW!
On January 26, Clarion scored the first points of the on a layup by Jada Smith. That came with 7:18 remaining in the first quarter. The Golden Eagles would not score again until 16 seconds remained in the quarter. By that time, Gannon had run off 23 straight points. The Golden Knights would hold a 23-4 lead after ten minutes. During that seven-minute scoreless period, the Gannon defense forced six missed shots and a pair of turnovers.
 
SYDNEY COMES OUT SHOOTING
Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) was a major player in Gannon's 23-0 run vs. Clarion. The 5'11" senior drained a 3-pointer from the left baseline early in the run, and moments later hit another trifecta from that spot. Mitchell would finish the game with 14 points, matching her season high. She made 5 of 7 field goals, including 4 of 6 3-pointers, after failing to make a basket in the previous three games and making just one of her previous 14 3-point attempts. Mitchell entered the season a starter in 78 games in her career, including a 76 in a row leading into 2021-22. She was forced to miss the first four games of the season while recovering from a knee injury.
 
GANNON SEES STREAK OF 78 GAMES WITH A 3-POINTER SNAPPED
After making 27 3-pointers in the previous three games, and at least three 3-pointers in every game to start the 2021-22 season, Gannon misfired on all nine of its shots from behind the 3-point arc against Mercyhurst. It snapped a string of 78 straight games with at least one 3-pointer. The last time Gannon failed to hit a 3-pointer was at Bloomsburg on December 1, 2018. The Golden Knights went 0-for-15 on 3-pointers that day.
 
WRIGHT, PIROSKO EARN BACK-TO-BACK PSAC WEST ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week for her performance in the Shepherd and Shippensburg games. Wright led Gannon with 17 points in the Ship win, matching her career high, adding seven rebounds and a pair of assists. Seven of her points came in the decisive fourth quarter. She scored 11 points at Shepherd, but more importantly, held Abby Beeman, the second-leading scorer in the PSAC, to just eight points, all in the fourth quarter. Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) was the PSAC West Athlete of the Week the previous week. The 5'10" sophomore led Gannon to wins over Lynn and host Florida Southern in the Terrace Hotel Thanksgiving Classic. She scored 27 points against Florida Southern, her fourth straight game in double digits and the second game with 20-or-more points. In 29 minutes, she made 9-of-12 field goals, including her lone 3-point attempt, while going a perfect 8-for-8 at the line. She added four rebounds, an assist and a steal. The day before, the native of Eastlake, Ohio had 13 points, five rebounds, and six steals.  
 
WRIGHT IN 14TH SEASON AS GANNON'S HEAD COACH
Cleve Wright is in his 14th season as Gannon's head coach, and 19th overall as a head coach. He is actually in his second stint at Gannon. He enjoyed tremendous success while guiding the Golden Knights from 2002-13, posting a 233-100 record with five NCAA Tournament appearances and a PSAC title. After four seasons as the head coach at Miami (Ohio) and another two years as the associate head coach at Eastern Illinois, Wright returned to Gannon in 2019-20. He guided GU to a 25-6 ledger in his return, with the Golden Knights defeating seventh-ranked IUP, 50-40, in the PSAC Championship game. On the eve of hosting half of the bracket of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional, the pandemic shut everything down. Wright owns an overall record of 324-198 and is 289-111 at Gannon.
 
SCOUTING INDIANA(PA)
IUP (16-6, 10-6 PSAC West) opened the season with nine straight wins before a 67-58 loss to Shepherd on December 18. The next day, the Crimson Hawks defeated a Shippensburg team picked to win the PSAC East, 79-46. But they hit a bump in the road when Courtney Alexander, a 5'10" redshirt senior who scored a career-high 31 points in the win over Shippensburg, went down with an injury and missed six games. She has since returned and is now averaging 11.4 ppg. She is IUP's top 3-point threat with 44 of 136. IUP saw a three-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with a 64-59 loss to Cal. Justina Muscaro, a 5'11" redshirt senior, has emerged as the leading scorer at 13.3 ppg. while shooting 53.9 percent from the floor. A former transfer from Delaware, she was a first team All-PSAC West selection in her first season at IUP in 2019-20, averaging 14.2 ppg.  Six-foot redshirt senior Maura D'Anna adds 6.7 ppg. and a team-leading 6.9 rpg., along with 27 blocks.
 
NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Gannon makes the short journey to Edinboro looking to capture the season sweep against a young and improving Fighting Scots squad. That contest is set for Monday, February 14 as the Golden Knights begin their fourth straight week playing three games in the week. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. The game wraps up a string of seven straight games in Erie County, with Gannon playing at Clarion on Wednesday, February 16.
 
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Players Mentioned

Ali Benim

#10 Ali Benim

G
5' 8"
Sophomore
Delaney Dogan

#54 Delaney Dogan

G/F
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Sydney Mitchell

#23 Sydney Mitchell

G
5' 11"
Senior
Tori Obenrader

#25 Tori Obenrader

G/F
5' 11"
Junior
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

C/F
5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
Emily Poling

#20 Emily Poling

G
5' 9"
Junior
Faith Williams

#3 Faith Williams

PG
5' 6"
Sophomore
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

G
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior

Players Mentioned

Ali Benim

#10 Ali Benim

5' 8"
Sophomore
G
Delaney Dogan

#54 Delaney Dogan

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
G/F
Sydney Mitchell

#23 Sydney Mitchell

5' 11"
Senior
G
Tori Obenrader

#25 Tori Obenrader

5' 11"
Junior
G/F
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

5' 10"
Redshirt Sophomore
C/F
Emily Poling

#20 Emily Poling

5' 9"
Junior
G
Faith Williams

#3 Faith Williams

5' 6"
Sophomore
PG
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
G