Kelvin Jefferson
Matt Durisko

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

Gannon Renews Rivalry with Edinboro on Monday with PSAC Playoff Berth within Reach

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (12-9, 9-8 PSAC West) at EDINBORO FIGHTING SCOTS (7-14, 5-11 PSAC West)   
DATE/TIME: Monday, February 14, 2022 | 7:30 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: McComb Fieldhouse l Edinboro, 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-EDINBORO ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 73-40
Edinboro is one of Gannon's oldest rivals, with the series dating back to 1948-49. This marks the 114th meeting between the two, with Gannon winning the last three and six of the last seven meetings. The Golden Knights prevailed 90-79 in the first meeting this year on February 2, 2022.
 
Last Meeting
Feb. 2, 2022 – at Gannon 90, Edinboro 79 I RECAP
Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) scored a career-high 30 points and Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) added 26 points to lead Gannon to the victory at the Highmark Events Center. Olsen came off the bench and scored 19 points in the first half, with Paul taking over in the second half with 18 of his 26 points. Olsen added eight rebounds and four assists while going 13 of 18 at the line. Ali Ragab (Cairo, Egypt/Rocktop Academy) pulled down 10 rebounds. Four Edinboro players reached double digits, led by Deontae Robinson with 23 points. Cyrie Coates finished with 16 points, with Jaryn Simpson adding 12 and Jack Gallagher 10.
 
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon looks to snap a two-game losing streak after playing the top three teams in the PSAC West over the last five days. The stretch began with a win over Pitt-Johnstown last Monday, but losses to 20th-ranked Mercyhurst and number seven Indiana(Pa.) followed on Wednesday and Saturday. The Golden Knights come in at 12-9 overall and 9-8 in the PSAC West.

This week marks the fourth straight week playing three games in five days, as Gannon plays the two teams it is looking to hold off in the PSAC playoff chase. Edinboro is 7-14 and 5-11 in league play and sits in seventh place in the PSAC West. The Golden Knights play Slippery Rock twice this week, hosting SRU on Wednesday before going to Slippery Rock on Saturday. The Rock holds down the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Division with two weeks to play. Gannon can clinch a berth in the PSAC Tournament with a win on Monday.
 
Gannon seeks a series sweep of the Fighting Scots for the second straight season after posting a 90-79 win at the Highmark Events Center on February 2. 
 
Wednesday's loss at Mercyhurst snapped a three-game winning streak. Head coach Kelvin Jefferson has to wonder what type of team he might have if everyone was ever healthy. Second-leading scorer Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) has now missed four straight games and nine this season, while Alonde LeGrand (Harlem, N.Y./Berkshire), the team's second-leading rebounder, has missed three of the last four contests.
 
Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) continues to lead Gannon in scoring at 17.7 ppg., good for ninth in the PSAC. The 6'0" guard has reached double figures against every team he has played against this season not named IUP. The Crimson held him to six points in each of the meetings. All told, he has reached double digits in 18 of 20 games, with seven games of 20-or-more points, including 32 vs. Seton Hill. Though just six-feet tall, Paul leads the Knights in rebounding at 6.9 rpg., adding a team-high 71 assists.
 
Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) has picked up the scoring load with Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) unavailable. Herster, a 6'6" redshirt freshman, is averaging 16.2 ppg.  Olsen scored 28 points at Mercyhurst after hitting for 30 vs. Edinboro. Over the last six games he is averaging 19.0 ppg., boosting his season average to 12.1 ppg. Olsen adds 54 assists and has made 22 of 52 3-pointers.
 
Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute), a 6'6" redshirt sophomore, is also in double digits at 11.0 ppg. and adds 6.2 rpg. with a team-high 28 steals. He is the only Golden Knight to start all 21 games.
 
GANNON IN THE PSAC STATS 
Scoring Offense – 74.4 (11th)                                                                     
Scoring Defense – 71.3 (6th)                                     
Field Goal Pct. -- .453 (7th)                                                                                                                                                          
Field Goal Pct. Defense -- .411 (4th)                        
3 FGM per Game – 5.8 (16th)                                                                                     
Rebound Margin -- +4.9 (4th)                                                                                     
Turnover Margin -- -1.3 (12th)                  
 
THREE-POINT FIELD STREAK ALMOST COMES TO AN END
The last time Gannon failed to make a 3-pointer in a game was January 8, 2011 in an 85-66 loss at Cheyney. The Golden Knights went 0-for-4 that day. On Saturday, they were 1 of 13, missing the first 12 attempts before Zach Cavanaugh buried a three with 1:32 remaining. Gannon has now made at least one 3-pointer in 310 straight games. (Thanks for research assistance from Tom Reisenweber of Erie Times News).
 
OLSEN BOOSTING THE BACKCOURT
The first IUP game signaled the resurrection of Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn). The redshirt junior guard had seen his playing time reduced in recent games, but he would receive 21 minutes at IUP and finish with 12 points. Since then, he dropped in a career-high 30 points against Edinboro, followed by 11 points vs. Seton Hill, 23 against Pitt-Johnstown on Monday, and a 28-point effort at Mercyhurst on Wednesday. Olsen is averaging 19.0 points over the last six games after scoring 10 points vs. IUP on Saturday. He is 13 of 20 on 3-pointers over that span, along with handing out 23 assists and even pulling down 26 rebounds.
 
HALL OF FAME CEREMONIES ON SATURDAY FEATURED CAREY, BOHEN
On Saturday evening Gannon inducted its Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Included in the group was a pair of individuals with men's basketball connections. Bill Carey starred for the Golden Knights from 1957 to 1961, scoring 735 career points and setting the Gannon record for points in a single game with 54 against Stewart AFB on Feb. 3, 1961. Carey was also named the Gannon Athlete of the Year as a senior in 1960-61 and still ranks in the top 10 in Gannon history in single-season scoring average (23.1 in 1960-61). In addition, Steve Bohen served as the voice of the Golden Knights on radio from 1984-88 and was also the Sports Information Director in 1987 and 1988. He called the action as Gannon advanced to the 1987 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship Game. Bohen ran the campus radio station.
 
REBOUNDING KEY VS. IUP
The Gannon-IUP game was a matchup of two of the top four rebounding teams in the PSAC. The Golden Knights were fourth in rebound margin at +5.8, while IUP stood second at +7.7. The Crimson Hawks would win the rebound battle, 47-34. Gannon has now outrebounded 16 of 21 opponents.
 
GANNON, UPJ EXCHANGE RUNS, LAST-SECOND VICTORIES
Monday's 67-66 win over Pitt-Johnstown was the second time in ten days the two teams played a game decided in the final second. Gannon held a 43-29 lead at the half and extended the advantage to 20 points early in the second half. Thirteen minutes later, UPJ was ahead by six points at 63-47. The game featured runs of 15-0 by Gannon, 10-0 by UPJ, 12-0 by Gannon (part of a 19-2 burst), and 18-0 by UPJ! The final run was six straight points by the Golden Knights that ended with just under a minute to play on Lance-Amir Paul's (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) layup and a 67-64 lead. UPJ made one of two free throws to close to 67-65, and after a Gannon turnover, the Mountain Cats missed a shot but it was hauled in by John Paul Kromka who was fouled with 0.4 seconds remaining. He would miss the first free throw, and the second went in as he tried to miss it. Ten days earlier, Kromka hit the game-winning layup for an 81-79 win with 0.9 seconds left.
 
OLSEN, PAUL ACCOUNT FOR CONSECUTIVE 30-POINT GAMES
One game after Branden Olsen deposited a career-high 30 points for the Golden Knights, the first 30-point effort by a Gannon player since the 2016-17 season, Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) bettered that. The 6'0" redshirt sophomore scored a season-high 32 points against Seton Hill. He made 9 of 17 field goals, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, and was 10 of 11 at the line. Paul added a game-high eight rebounds and handed out six assists. He has now scored in double figures in 17 of 18 games he has played in, and has had seven games with 20-or-more points. Olsen's 30-point game came recently vs. Edinboro. The 6'0" redshirt junior made 7 of 12 field goals, including 3 of 5 3-pointers, along with 13 of 18 free throws. Olsen added eight rebounds and four assists. The 30-point effort was the first for a Gannon player since Matthew Dogan scored 30 points against Pitt-Johnstown during the 2016-17 season.  Paul's 32 points are the most by a Gannon player since Jean Toupane scored 32 against Edinboro in 2015-16.
               
OFFENSE COMES ALIVE WITH BACK-TO-BACK 90-POINT GAMES
Gannon scored 90-or-more points in back-to-back games against Edinboro and Seton Hill, the second time this year with back-to-back 90-point efforts. In all, the Golden Knights have reached the 90-point plateau five times. That's the most since the 2011-12 squad scored 90-or-more points seven times. In addition, Gannon shot 50.0 percent from the floor vs. Edinboro and followed that up with a 54.1 percent effort vs. Seton Hill. They made 20 of 39 3-pointers in the two games.
 
DRAWING 21's
Before missing the last four games with an injury, Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) had broken out of an abbreviated shooting slump in a big way. The redshirt freshman guard averaged 19.3 ppg. over the last three contests he played in to boost his scoring average to 16.2 ppg. He scored 21 points in the first meeting with UPJ, and came back with another 21-point effort at IUP. He made three 3-pointers in both games. A year ago Herster averaged 12.1 ppg, with 31 3-pointers while playing in all 14 games. It has been an up-and-down campaign for the 6'6" guard, the down coming in the form of maladies that have forced him to miss six games. After missing the Mercyhurst and Seton Hill games, he returned but struggled to find his shooting touch against East Stroudsburg and Cal.
 
GANNON HAS NOW USED EIGHT DIFFERENT STARTING LINEUPS
Injuries and a roster with plenty of depth have forced and allowed head coach Kelvin Jefferson to mix and match his starting lineup. The result has been eight different lineup combinations over the first 21 games. The most-used combination has been Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute), Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic), Alonde LeGrand (Harlem, N.Y./Berkshire), Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy), and Kevin Dodds (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan). That quintet has posted a 6-3 record. Mims is the only Golden Knight to start all 21 games. Ten different players have started at least one game. Jefferson has used the same starting five over the last five games, with injuries factoring in. The lineup of Mims, Dodds, Paul, Robertas Jonaitis (Pakruojis, Lithuania/Greater Beckley Christian School), and Alfonso Pickens Jr. (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) are 3-2 with that quintet.
 
Starting Five Combinations
Paul, Mims, Herster, LeGrand, Dodds – 6-3
Mims, Paul, Forte, Pickens, LeGrand – 1-1
Paul, Mims, Jonaitis, Pickens, Dodds -- 3-2            
Paul, Clancy, Mims, Pickens, Dodds – 1-0
Mims, Paul, LeGrand, Dodds, Pickens – 1-0
Mims, Clancy, Olsen, Dodds, Pickens – 0-1
Mims, Paul, Herster, Jonaitis, Forte – 0-1
Paul, Herster, Mims, Dodds, Pickens – 0-1

MIMS NAMED PSAC WEST DEFENSIVE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for his performance in the first meeting with Seton Hill, winning 63-53. He registered his first double-double at Seton Hill, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. In addition, he had three steals and blocked a shot. With Mims leading the way, Gannon held Seton Hill to just 53 points, matching a season low, and the Griffins shot just 35.8 percent from the floor. On offense, the 6'6" guard made 7-of-12 field goal attempts along with his lone free throw.
 
GANNON CLAIMS GARY MILLER CLASSIC CROWN FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2017
Thanks to an 86-76 win over Saint Michael's in the championship game, Gannon won its first tournament title since 2017 and the 19th overall. It was also the first under head coach Kelvin Jefferson. The Golden Knights have now reached the title game six straight years.
 
MIMS NAMED MVP, PAUL JOINS HIM ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) was named the MVP of the 37th Annual Gary Miller Classic after scoring a season-high 29 points in the 86-76 win over Saint Michael's in the championship game. The 6'6" transfer from Towson added nine rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot. He made 14-of-26 field goals on a variety of mid-range jumpers and drives to the basket, many times challenging 6'10" Patrick Gardner. He also had one rim-shattering dunk after driving through several Purple Knights while going three-quarters of the court. Mims was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy). The 6'0" guard, a transfer from Frank Phillips College, had 13 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists while playing all 40 minutes vs. Saint Michael's.
 
CHEATHAM LAST TO PRODUCE TRIPLE-DOUBLE
Gannon had two players challenge a triple-double in the opening four games. Both were by Gannon point guards. In the season opener, Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) nearly duplicated the fete vs. Saint Michael's with 13 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Javar Cheatham is the last Golden Knight to produce a triple-double. Another point guard, he had 20 points, 14 assists, and had 10 rebounds on January 18, 2001 in Gannon's 89-80 home win over Ferris State.
 
KNIGHTS PLAY DIVISION I PITTSBURGH, OLD DOMINION IN EXHIBITION GAMES
Gannon played a pair of exhibition games against Division I opponents in early November. While losing both, the contests were much closer than the final score indicated. On Nov. 1, the Golden Knights dropped an 89-64 decision at Pittsburgh. They trailed 49-41 with just over 13 minutes remaining before the Panthers went on an 11-0 run. Another string of 11 consecutive points doomed the Golden Knights at Old Dominion on Nov. 6. Gannon trailed 41-33 at the half but ODU scored the first 11 points after intermission and won 96-56. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) paced the Golden Knights with 11 points, while Lance-Amir Paul (Kingston, Jamaica/Putnam Science Academy) was also in double figures with 10 points. Three players scored in double digits at ODU, with Herster again leading the way with 18 markers. Braden Olsen (West Linn, Ore./West Linn) chipped in with 16 points and Paul had 10. 
 
SCOUTING EDINBORO  
Like Gannon, Edinboro has had numerous issues with injuries and illness. The Fighting Scots snapped a nine-game losing streak with a pair of wins over Clarion. Following Saturday's 88-62 loss at Cal, they are 7-14 overall and 5-11 in the PSAC West. Edinboro averages 76.3 ppg. while allowing 83.7 ppg. The latter figure ranks 16th in the PSAC. They have scored 100-or-more points three times, but have also allowed 80-or-more points in 14 contests. Five players are scoring in double figures, although 6'8" forward Kierell Green played in just the first five games, averaging 15.4 ppg. and 10.8 rpg. Deontae Robertson, a transfer from Slippery Rock, ranks fifth in the PSAC in scoring at 19.4 ppg. The 6'3" senior adds 7.5 rpg. and has made 35 of 121 3-pointers. Backcourt mate Jaryn Simpson is a former All-PSAC selection who adds 13.4 ppg. and has 1,155 career points. He also leads the team with 75 assists and has made 27 of 93 3-pointers. His father Bronze Simpson was a 1,000-point scorer while playing at Gannon in the 1990's. Cyrie Coates is a 6'6" junior guard who previously played at Texas A&M-Corpus Christie. He averages 13.0 ppg. and 5.3 rpg. Dominque Keyes provides more size inside at 6'7". He missed several games recently with an injury, but returned vs. Cal. He averages 11.5 ppg. and 9.5 rpg. while shooting 64.6 percent from the floor.  
 
NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Playing three games for the fourth straight week, Gannon follows up the Edinboro game with back-to-back games vs. Slippery Rock. The first is on Wednesday, February 16 game at home, marking the seventh straight contest in Erie County. Note the special tip time of 7:00 p.m. They make the journey down to Slippery Rock on Saturday, February 19.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Kevin Dodds

#10 Kevin Dodds

F
6' 7"
Junior
Braden Olsen

#1 Braden Olsen

PG
6' 0"
Junior
Robertas Jonaitis

#24 Robertas Jonaitis

G
6' 5"
Freshman
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

G
6' 6"
Freshman
Alfonso Pickens Jr.

#4 Alfonso Pickens Jr.

PG
6' 1"
Freshman
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

F
6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
Alonde LeGrand

#15 Alonde LeGrand

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

#40 Lance-Amir Paul

G
6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
Ali Ragab

#55 Ali Ragab

C
7' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Kevin Dodds

#10 Kevin Dodds

6' 7"
Junior
F
Braden Olsen

#1 Braden Olsen

6' 0"
Junior
PG
Robertas Jonaitis

#24 Robertas Jonaitis

6' 5"
Freshman
G
Ike Herster

#3 Ike Herster

6' 6"
Freshman
G
Alfonso Pickens Jr.

#4 Alfonso Pickens Jr.

6' 1"
Freshman
PG
Demetrius Mims

#1 Demetrius Mims

6' 6"
Redshirt Sophomore
F
Alonde LeGrand

#15 Alonde LeGrand

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

#40 Lance-Amir Paul

6' 0"
Redshirt Sophomore
G
Ali Ragab

#55 Ali Ragab

7' 0"
Freshman
C