W. Basketball Preseason Poll Graphic

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

Gannon Second in Western Division in PSAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference today announced its 2023-24 Women's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Poll, with the Gannon women's basketball team beginning its quest to regain the PSAC championship. For the straight year the Golden Knights are picked to finish second in the PSAC West in the poll. Voting was conducted among the league's coaches.
 
Gannon and California (Pa.) have finished one-two in the Western Division each of the last two years, with the Golden Knights winning the regular season crown last year after the Vulcans did so in 2021-22. It was the runner-up that would go on to win the PSAC Championship, however.

Maybe that is good news for head coach Cleve Wright as his Golden Knights follow California (Pa.) in this year's coaches preseason poll. The Vulcans received five first place votes and look to defend their 2023 crown after upsetting Gannon 75-63 in the PSAC Championship game. They finished with a 21-11 record.

Gannon received two first-place votes and is picked second in the Western Division, with Indiana (Pa.) and Pitt-Johnstown each receiving a first-place vote. IUP owns the third spot in the poll after going 18-10 last year, while UPJ (17-13). is fifth. In between is an Edinboro team that was 17-12 a year ago.

Seton Hill (18-14) was picked to finish sixth, with Mercyhurst (15-14) holding down the seventh spot. Slippery Rock (15-13) and Clarion (5-22) round out the division.

West Chester was a near unanimous favorite in Eastern Division. The Golden Rams received eight first place votes after making a late season run to earn the number one seed in the East and finish at 24-9. Kutztown (15-15) picked up the other first place vote and is second in the Eastern Division, with Shippensburg (25-7) third.

Gannon was looking to become the first team since Indiana (Pa.) to win three consecutive PSAC crowns a year ago. The Golden Knights came up just short, winning the Western Division regular season title at 19-3, and disposing of Pitt-Johnstown and Shippensburg in the PSAC Tournament before losing in the finals to Cal.

The Golden Knights would finish at 29-5 a year ago after earning a berth in the Atlantic Regional for the third time in four years.  They ended the year ranked 21st at the end of the year in the WBCA Div. II Top 25 and 22nd in the D2SIDA poll.

Wright enters his 16th season overall as head coach at Gannon. He is in his second stint with the Golden Knights. After coaching Gannon from 2002-03 to 2012-13, he returned in 2019. In the four years since then the Golden Knights have compiled a 91-18 record with three NCAA Div. II Tournament appearances and two PSAC championships. Overall Wright is the all-time winningest coach at Gannon and has a 324-119.

Wright will once again be able to call on Sam Pirosko, one of the top players in Division II and the reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year. The 5'10" post player is a two-time WBCA Division II honorable mention All-American and D2CCA second team All-American last year. She scored six points in the season opener then proceeded to reach double figures in the final 33 games.

Pirosko enjoyed one of the finest seasons ever by a Golden Knight, averaging 20.4 ppg. and 7.5 rpg. while scoring a school record 693 points. She enters her final year ranked sixth in career scoring with 1,541 points, along with ranking 14th in career rebounds (606). In addition, she is seventh in career scoring average (14.7 ppg.), plus eighth in career field goals made (579) and fourth in career field goal percentage (55.5 pct.). She also ranks sixth in free throws made (333), ninth in free throws attempted (401) and fourth in free throw percentage (83.0 pct.).

Guard Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) lived up to her advanced billing as a top recruit. She came off the bench to average 7.8 ppg. in just under 18 minutes per contest. Claxon was named the PSAC West Freshman of the Year after scoring the most points by a freshman at Gannon (2640 since Nettie Blake scored 290 points in 2011-12.

Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) is the only other returning starter along with Pirosko. A redshirt sophomore, Wheatley averaged 6.2 ppg. while making 42-of-126 3-pointers.

Gannon's faces a highly-demanding schedule while having to integrate eight new players. That list includes two transfers, point guard Trinitee Harris (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central), a junior college transfer from Wabash Valley, and sophomore guard Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria), who played at Mount St. Mary's in 2022-23.

The season begins early for the Golden Knights as they will compete in the D2CCA Tip Off Classic on November 3-5 in Billings, Mont. They will play Texas A&M-Kingsville (18-11), Angelo State (26-7), and Tampa (33-2) those first three games.

Gannon returns home to host the Atlantic Region Challenge on November 10-11. Day number two finds the Golden Knights facing national runner-up Glenville State, who was 33-3 a year ago. Four days later they host the team that ended their season in the Atlantic Region quarterfinals – Charleston (WV). The Golden Eagles were 24-9 last year. 

Gannon will undergo a change of venue midway through the season. The first six games will take place at the Highmark Events Center. The remaining nine home games will shift to Joann Mullen Gymnasium at Cathedral Preps' Hagerty Family Events Center as the Highmark Events Center undergoes renovations.

PSAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Eastern Division (# of 1st Place Votes)
1. West Chester (8)
2. Kutztown (1)
3. Shippensburg
4. Bloomsburg
5. East Stroudsburg
6. Lock Haven
7. Millersville
8. Mansfield
9. Shepherd
 
Western Division
1. California (Pa.) (5)
2. GANNON (2)
3. Indiana (Pa.) (1)
4. Edinboro
5. Pitt-Johnstown (1)
6. Seton Hill
7. Mercyhurst
8. Slippery Rock
9. Clarion

 
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Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Sophomore
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

P
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Maddy Wheatley

#4 Maddy Wheatley

G
5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Undeclared
Trinitee Harris

#11 Trinitee Harris

PG
5' 7"
Junior
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

G
5' 7"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

5' 7"
Sophomore
G
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
P
Maddy Wheatley

#4 Maddy Wheatley

5' 11"
Redshirt Sophomore
Undeclared
G
Trinitee Harris

#11 Trinitee Harris

5' 7"
Junior
PG
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

5' 7"
Sophomore
G