ronny raphael calls out the play
Matt Durisko

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

Golden Knights Host Millersville in Final PSAC Crossover Game

MILLERSVILLE MARAUDERS (7-8, 4-5 PSAC East) at GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (0-13, 0-9 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, January 18, 2023 | 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. Sean Amicucci will have the call of the game.

TICKETS: Gannon is now accepting credit and debit cards for admission into basketball games. Tickets are priced at $15 for plush seats, $5 for adults and $3 for senior citizens and students. Gannon students with a valid ID receive free admission.

 
THE GANNON-MILLERSVILLE ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 12-6
Gannon and Millersville last met during the 2019-20 campaign with the Golden Knights claiming a 71-62 decision at the Highmark Events Center. Gannon has an 8-2 record on their homecourt against the Marauders.
Last Meeting:  Nov. 24, 2019 – at Gannon 71, Millersville 62 I RECAP
Kelvin Jefferson picked up his first win as Gannon's head coach as Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) led three Golden Knights in double figures with 18 points. The then freshman guard made 4-of-6 3-pointers and went 6-for-6 at the line. Victor Olawoye and DeAnte Cisero came off the bench to contribute 13 and 11 points, respectively. Olawoye added seven rebounds and three assists, with Cisero also pulling down seven boards. Caden Najdawi led four Marauders in double digits with 13 points. Gannon limited Millersville to 37.9 percent shooting from the floor and outrebounded the Marauders 42-36.
 

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team will play the last of its six PSAC crossover games hosting Millersville on Wednesday, January 18. Tipoff against the Marauders is at 7:30 p.m. at the Highmark Events Center. The contest concludes a three-game homestand for the Golden Knights.

A youthful Golden Knights (0-13, 0-9 PSAC West) squad comes in still searching for win number one in 2022-23 after dropping an 83-66 decision to California (Pa.) on Saturday. It might be appropriate that the initial victory come against Millersville, the team that head coach Kelvin Jefferson won his first game as Gannon's head coach in 2019-20, the last time they two teams met.

The opening game of the three-game homestand began with a 79-67 loss to top-ranked Indiana (Pa.), with the Golden Knights going toe-to-toe against the best team in Division II. On Saturday they held a four-point lead in the second half before Cal went on a 14-0 run to take control of the game.

Jefferson continues to nurture a young squad that is missing key ingredients due to numerous injuries. On Saturday he started a lineup that featured three first-year performers for the seventh straight game. Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) is the lone Golden Knight to start all 13 games as Jefferson has been forced to employ nine different starting lineups.    

The injuries have sapped the Golden Knights of much of their outside shooting. Ike Herster (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) has now missed ten straight games and Michael Lucarotti (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) the last five games. Chris Clancy (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Peter's) was able to return against Cal after missing two of the previous three games. Clancy leads Gannon with 25 3-pointers.

Millersville and Gannon meet for the first time since 2019-20, with the Marauders coming in with a 7-8 record and 4-5 in PSAC action. They were picked to finish fourth in the PSAC East after going 25-7 a year ago. The Marauders are the reigning PSAC East Champs and 2022 PSAC Tournament runner-up.

Gannon wraps up an incredibly tough stretch of games with a "road" game on Saturday, January 21 as they renew acquaintances with crosstown rival Mercyhurst. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
 
MIMS HAS NOW STARTED 40 GAMES IN A ROW
Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) continues to be the one constant for the Golden Knights. The 6'6" redshirt junior has been the only player to start all 13 games this season, and dating back to last year when he was the only player to start all 27 games, he has now started all 40 games as a Golden Knight. Mims leads the team in scoring (14.3 ppg.) and rebounding (7.0 rpg.), along with ranking second in assists (29), steals (17), and blocked shots (10). The former Towson transfer has scored in double figures in 10 games this season, including the last six games.

FRESHMEN PLAYING KEY ROLE
Freshmen have been forced to play a key role this season. All told, freshmen and redshirt freshmen have started a total of 32 games. Thomas Whitley (Laurel, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) leads the way with starts in 11 of the team's 13 games at forward, with Ronny Raphael (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) starting eight games at point guard. Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) has started the last five games at guard, and he has been joined in the backcourt by Berkay Yilmaz (Istanbul, Turkey/Fenerbahce Beko) the last two games. The first-year performers are accounting for 40 percent of the team's scoring.

KENT MAKING IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Gannon fans are finding that Zach Kent (Magnolia, Del./Blair Academy (N.J.)) is well worth the wait. The 6'10" redshirt senior transferred from Division I Delaware State and was expected to start in the post. He was forced to miss the first four games with an injury, then returned for the two-game road trip to Kutztown and West Chester, only to sit out another three contests with an injury. Kent came off the bench at SRU to finish with a game-high 20 points, making 6-of-12 field goals, including a 3-pointer, and going a perfect 7-for-7 at the free throw line. In addition he led the team with seven rebounds. The Gannon faithful did not have an opportunity to view Kent until game number 12 when Gannon hosted Indiana (Pa.). In six games, three of those coming off the bench, Kent is averaging 13.2 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. He is shooting 50.9 percent (28-of-65) from the floor and 81.0 percent (17-of-21) at the line. Kent's game also includes the range to shoot from beyond the arc, where he is 6-of-13.

RAPHAEL PROVIDES SPARK OFF THE BENCH VS. CAL
After starting eight straight games at point guard Ronny Raphael (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter) has come off the bench the last two contests. The 6'0" freshman from Philadelphia provided a huge spark against California (Pa.), scoring 11 points in just 13 minutes. He made 4-of-8 field goals and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the line, adding an assist and a pair of steals. Raphael is third on the team in scoring with 85 points for an average of 6.5 ppg. He leads the Golden Knights with 18 steals while ranking third in assists with 27.

YOUTHFUL SQUAD UNDERGOING ON THE JOB TRAINING
Facing a stretch that includes games against the likes of Indiana (Pa.), California (Pa.), Mercyhurst, Slippery Rock and Pitt-Johnstown isn't the formula for a young team to learn how to win. But Gannon is taking those steps. The Golden Knights battled the top-ranked team in the country last week before finally succumbing to Indiana (Pa.) by 12 points. Saturday's Cal game featured five first-half lead changes and a tie with the Vulcans heading to intermission with a narrow 29-27 lead on a short jumper with a second left on the clock. The second half started out well for the Golden Knights. Trailing 37-34, they went on a 7-0 run to grab a 41-37 lead with 15:53 remaining.  Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) started the run with a rebound basket, and the freshman followed with a 3-pointer following a Cal turnover. Another Cal turnover led to a Demetrius Mims (Baltimore, Md./Baltimore Polytechnic Institute) jumper and the four-point lead. Following a media timeout, Gannon and Cal exchanged baskets before the Vulcans went on a 14-0 run to take control of the contest. Gannon was unable to seriously challenge the Vulcans the rest of the way.  Cal ended up outscoring Gannon 54-39 over the final twenty minutes. 

SCOUTING MILLERSVILLE
Millersville is the reigning PSAC Eastern Division champion and PSAC Tournament runner-up. Head coach Casey Stitzel guided the Marauders to a 25-7 record a year ago and was named the 2022 PSAC East Coach of the Year. They come in with a 7-8 record this year, including 4-5 in PSAC action, and look to snap a three-game losing streak after suffering an 86-75 loss to No. 19 East Stroudsburg on Saturday. That made it five losses in their last six contests. Millersville averages 69.2 ppg. while allowing 66.8 ppg. The Marauders' leading scorer actually comes off the bench. Drew Stover, a 6'8", 245 lb. sophomore forward, is averaging 11.3 ppg. while shooting 55.9 percent (76-of-136) from the floor. West Chester transfer Matt Dade, a 6'6" junior forward, is also scoring in double figures at 10.7 ppg.    Stover and Dade average a team-high 4.9 rpg. Justin Nwosu adds 9.7 ppg. and is the team's top -point threat with 21 in 63 attempts. He is a 6'6" redshirt senior. Redshirt sophomore guard Jahme Ested has a team-high 43 assists while scoring 8.3 ppg. and standing third in rebounding (4.7 rpg.).

NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
While Gannon has wrapped up its three-game homestand the Golden Knights don't leave the city limits for their next contest. Gannon renews its rivalry with crosstown rival Mercyhurst on Saturday, January 21. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

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
Berkay Yilmaz

#0 Berkay Yilmaz

G
6' 0"
Freshman
Michael Lucarotti

#2 Michael Lucarotti

G
6' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
Zach Kent

#33 Zach Kent

F
6' 10"
Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

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
Berkay Yilmaz

#0 Berkay Yilmaz

6' 0"
Freshman
G
Michael Lucarotti

#2 Michael Lucarotti

6' 5"
Redshirt Freshman
G
Zach Kent

#33 Zach Kent

6' 10"
Redshirt Senior
F