Jordan Fee 3
Jeff Kirik
108
Glenville St. Glen 0-1,0-0 MEC
140
Winner Gannon Gannon 1-0,0-0 PSAC
Glenville St. Glen
0-1,0-0 MEC
108
Final
140
Gannon Gannon
1-0,0-0 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Glenville St. Glen 51 57 108
Gannon Gannon 67 73 140

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Fee Era Begins with Record-Setting 140-108 Win over Glenville State

#newGUera

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – To call it a successful debut would be an understatement. The Jordan Fee Era began at Gannon with the Golden Knights facing Glenville State on the opening night of the Atlantic Region Tip-Off Challenge hosted by the University of Charleston. Final score: Gannon 140, Glenville State 108.

Fee, who last year served as the associate head coach at national champion Nova Southeastern, promised a high-scoring, pressing team that had not been seen in this area before. But even the most ardent Gannon fan could not have expected the team to set a school record for points in Fee's first game.

The 140 points eclipsed the previous record of 130 points set vs. Hilbert on Dec. 21, 1996. The two teams combined for 248 points, shattering the previous record of 220 set in the 1970-71 season (Gannon 111, Alliance 109). The Golden Knights made 18-of-39 3-pointers to fall one 3-pointer shy of the school record. They also tied the record the record for field goal attempts with 93. The record was previously set against St. Francis (NY) on Dec. 30, 1975.

Gannon never trailed in the game and had 67 points at the half. Eight different players scored in double figures, believed to be another school record. Fee's system features plenty of substituting, and that was clearly evident on Friday as no one played more than 23 minutes and only two players reached 20 minutes.

For the record, Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) scored the first points of the Fee Era, of course on a made 3-pointer. The contest was close through the midway point of the first half with Gannon holding a narrow 28-27 lead. The Golden Knights eventually built the lead to double figures at 49-38 four minutes later, and it never got below double digits after that.

Gannon closed the half on a 24-13 run to lead 67-51 at the half. Any comeback hopes the Pioneers may have had were quickly dashed at the start of the second half were dashed as the Golden Knights opened the half with a 20-9 outburst. The Pioneers never got closer than 24 points the rest of the night, with Gannon's lead ballooning to 39 points late in the contest.

Freshman Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) led Gannon with 24 points, all on 3-pointers. The 6-foot-4 guard made 8-of-12 shots from beyond the arc while playing 19 minutes. Omojafo added a career-high 21 points in 20 minutes, going 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Derrick Anderson (Youngstown, Ohio/Boardman) added 15 points, while Derrick James (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) scored 14. Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) and and freshman Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) contributed 11 points apiece, with Montano pulling down a game-high nine rebounds. Michael Lucarotti (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) and Cenker Evran (Adana, Turkey/Turk Telekom) chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Twelve players scored and eight players made at least one 3-pointer. Both teams sizzled from the floor, with Gannon shooting 52.7 percent (49-of-93) and Glenville State 56.5 percent (39-of-69). The Golden Knights held a huge advantage from beyond the arc, making 18-of-39 3-pointers while the Pioneers were 7-of-21. Gannon was near-perfect at the line, going 24-of-26. Glenville State was 23-of-33 at the charity stripe.

A physically small Golden Knight team posted a huge rebounding edge, 52-29, including 25 offensive boards. That accounted for 37 second-chance points. Gannon also had 39 fast break points.

Gannon will look to make it 2-0 on the young season when the Golden Knights play host Charleston (WV) on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The Golden Eagles opened the season with a 78-63 win over Salem in Friday's second game.       
 
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