WBB Team

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

Gannon Seeks Win Number 20 at Clarion

GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (19-5, 14-5 PSAC West) at CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (5-19, 4-15 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | 5:30 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION:  Tippin Gymnasium l Clarion, 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-CLARION ALL-TIME SERIES
Edinboro leads 45-15
Gannon has won the last ten meetings with Clarion and 28 of the last 29 meetings. The Golden Knights claimed an 81-50 decision over the Golden Eagles on January 26 as they shot a season-high 54 percent from the floor.
 
The Last Meeting
Jan. 26, 2022 – at Gannon 81, Clarion 50 I RECAP
Gannon jumped on the Golden Eagles with a 23-0 run after Clarion scored the first four points of the game. The Golden Knights would hold a 41-21 lead at the half and the lead grew to 66-34 after three quarters. Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) paced the Golden Knights in double figures as she scored a game-high 18 points, making 7 of 10 field goals. Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) added 14 points as the two combined to go 7 of 12 on 3-pointers. McKel Nation (Lebanon, Ohio/Springboro) contributed 13 points, Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) had 11, and Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) pulled down 10 rebounds.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon turned in one of its most complete efforts in several weeks on Monday, handing Edinboro a 66-54 defeat. The victory left the Golden Knights a victory short of 20 wins for the seventh time in head coach Cleve Wright's tenure. They are 19-5 overall and 14-5 in the PSAC West.
 
The Golden Knights have clinched one of the six spots in the PSAC Tournament and now seek one of the top two spots in the Western Division and a first round bye. They sit a half-game back of first place Seton Hill and two wins ahead of both Cal and Indiana(Pa.). Gannon has three games remaining including the Clarion game. They play at Slippery Rock on Saturday before hosting Cal U on Saturday, February 26 for Senior Day. Next week will mark the first time in the last five weeks that they will not play three times.
 
Wright's team relies on a balanced offense and strong defense. However, on Monday night Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) turned in a much-needed big night as the 5'10" sophomore poured in 25 points. She made 9 of 18 field goals, including a pair of 3-pointers, along with a 5-for-5 chart at the line. She has now had four games with 20-or-more points.
 
The Golden Knights average 67.3 ppg., which is good for fourth in the PSAC, while allowing 59.0 ppg. That ranks eighth in the conference. They have held 20 of 24 opponents under 70 points, and 14 to less than 60 points.
 
Pirosko remains the team's leading scorer at 15.0 ppg. and is second in rebounding at 5.4 rpg. while shooting 50.6 percent from the floor and 92.3 percent from the line. The 5'10" sophomore not only leads the PSAC in free throw percentage but ranks first in Division II, making 72 of 78 attempts. Pirosko had missed three games earlier in the season due to injuries.
 
Tori Obenrader (Fryburg, Pa./North Clarion) provides the Golden Knights with another double-digit operative off the bench. The 5'11" junior stands second at 10.5 ppg. and 5.1 rpg. She recorded her first double double of the season with a season-high 20 points and 11 rebounds at Mercyhurst, and had 19 points and eight boards vs. IUP. 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 1,075 career points.
 
Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) is a third Golden Knight in double figures at 10.2 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 4.5 rpg., leads the team with 33 3-pointers in 101 attempts, and is second in assists (58) and blocked shots (19).
 
Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) adds 9.0 ppg. and is the team's top rebounder at 6.8 per game. The 6'0" senior has had 10-or-more rebounds in nine games this season.
 
Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) is one of three players to start all 23 games, along with Wright and Dogan, and has assumed the point guard duties with Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) out. She averages 6.3 ppg. along with team-highs of 75 assists and 46 steals.
 
Senior Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) continues to be a steadying force, and has also picked up her offensive game in recent contests. A 5'11" guard, she has now started 94 career games and is averaging 7.1 ppg. with 51 assists and 33 steals. Mitchell enjoyed one of her top games on Saturday with 16 points, 13 of those coming in the fourth quarter to spur Gannon's comeback. On Monday, she stuffed the box score with nine points, six rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and five steals. She missed the first four games while recovering from a knee injury.
 
 
GANNON IN THE PSAC STATS
Scoring Offense – 67.3 (4th)         
Scoring Defense – 59.0 (8th)       
Field Goal Pct. -- .425 (3rd)           
Field Goal Pct. Defense -- .390 (11th)     
3FGM per Game – 5.8 (7th)                                      
Rebound Margin -- +4.3 (5th)                      
Turnover Margin -- +1.4  (5th)  
 
PLAYOFF PICTURE COMING INTO FOCUS
Numerous COVID postponements have left the PSAC schedule a work in progress, and whether every team completes its full schedule is still to be determined with less than two weeks left in the regular season. Four spots have been claimed in the Western Division -- Seton Hill (14-4), Gannon (14-5), Cal (12-4), and IUP (12-6). Edinboro (9-8) and Pitt-Johnstown (9-10) each hold a lead of four wins over Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst. The top two teams in each division will receive a first-round bye and host a quarterfinal game on Wednesday, March 2. The Golden Knights have three games remaining, two more this week before wrapping up the regular season on Saturday, February 26 hosting Cal. 
 
PIROSKO FINDS GROOVE AGAINST EDINBORO
Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) obliged when Gannon needed someone to step up and have a big game. The 5'10" sophomore scored 25 points on Monday at Edinboro. She used a variety of moves around the basket to finish with 14 points in the first half as the Golden Knights jumped out to a 31-23 lead. Then early in the fourth quarter she stepped outside to hit back-to-back 3-pointers, the second boosting Gannon's lead to 56-33. Pirosko made 9 of 18 field goals, including 2 of 4 3-pointers, and 5 of 5 from the charity stripe.
 
MITCHELL PUTS UP PLENTY OF CROOKED NUMBERS AT EDINBORO
Sydney Mitchell (Halethorpe, Md./Seton Keough) did a little bit of everything on Monday except for selling the big cookies that McComb Fieldhouse is famous for. The 5'11" senior scored nine points on 4 of 6 shooting, along with six rebounds, three assists, three blocks and five steals. Mitchell has had a resurgence of late  
 
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. 
 
GANNON, IUP EXCHANGE SIMILAR WINS
When Gannon played at IUP on January 16, the Golden Knights jumped out to a 16-point lead after three quarters before IUP pulled to within five points. Gannon held IUP scoreless the last two minutes to win at the Kovalchick Complex. On Saturday, IUP followed a similar path at the Highmark Events Center. The Crimson Hawks led by as much as 18 points in the second half and by 14 with just under seven minutes left. The Golden Knights came roaring back to pull within four points at 60-56 with 2:41 remaining. This time it was IUP who able to withstand the charge and split the season series. 
 
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 last 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 91.8 percent (67 of 73), a figure which is good for fifth in Division II. She has made 27 straight free throws dating back to the Slippery Rock game. She is once again leading Gannon in scoring at 14.5 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 1,065 points after Obenrader scored a season-high 20 points at Mercyhurst, followed by 19 points vs. IUP. She also pulled down 19 rebounds in the last two games to push her past 600 for her career. Her total of 613 rebounds ranks 12th as she became the ninth player with 1,000 points and 600 rebounds. She is now 23rd in career scoring. 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 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 last 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. Last Monday vs. Pitt-Johnstown 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.
 
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 CLARION  
With a 5-19 overall record and 4-15 in the PSAC West, Clarion is playing the role of spoiler. The Golden Eagles did just that on Monday, handing Mercyhurst a damaging 72-55 defeat. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and featured five players in double figures. The freshmen backcourt duo of Sierra Bermudez and Cory Santoro are both in double figures at 14.8 ppg. and 12.8 ppg., respectively. Bermudez, a 5'9" guard, has made 53 of 152 3-pointers, ranking fourth in the PSAC in free throw percentage (.349) and sixth in 3-pointers made per game (2.2). Santoro has added 37 3-pointers in 122 attempts. Jada Smith, a 5'9" junior, averages 9.1 ppg. and a team-leading 7.3 rpg. after scoring 17 points and pulling down 10 rebounds against Mercyhurst.
 
NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Gannon will play the second of back-to-back games on the road on Saturday, February 19 at Slippery Rock. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. The Golden Knights then finally get a much-needed break before hosting Cal on Saturday, February 26 to wrap up the regular season and celebrate Senior Day.
 
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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
Boston McKinney

#15 Boston McKinney

G
5' 4"
Junior
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
McKel Nation

#50 McKel Nation

F
6' 2"
Freshman
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
Boston McKinney

#15 Boston McKinney

5' 4"
Junior
G
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
McKel Nation

#50 McKel Nation

6' 2"
Freshman
F
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
G