FINDLAY, Ohio – As usual, Sam Pirosko was an all-around standout, but a scoring outburst by Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) and a 3-point flurry by Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) provided a needed spark for the Gannon women's basketball team on Wednesday.
 
Pirosko, an All-America post player, had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Claxon showed her scoring prowess with 19 points in No. 7/8-ranked Gannon's 66-45 win over Findlay at Croy Physical Education Center.
 
However, it was Dunham who gave Gannon a needed surge in the third quarter. The sophomore guard was scoreless in the first half before she hit back-to-back 3-pointers in less than a minute to extend the Golden Knights' lead from 33-26 to 39-26 with 2:33 left in the quarter.
 
The Oilers (4-4) never got within 10 points again as Gannon expanded its lead. Dunham later added a third 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, as Pirosko and Claxon continued to score.
 
Gannon improved to 10-1 with its seventh victory in a row and will now move into a 12-day break. Coach Cleve Wright's Golden Knights will not play again until they host Kutztown on Dec. 18 as part of a PSAC doubleheader with the Gannon men's team.
 
Both GU teams will then host West Chester on Dec. 19 in the final games at the Highmark Events Center before renovations begin in the New Year. After that, Gannon's remaining home basketball games during the 2023-24 season will be played at Cathedral Prep's Hagerty Family Events Center.
 
The Gannon and Findlay women's basketball teams both played tough defense on Wednesday, and both struggled from the 3-point stripe.
 
Gannon took a 16-12 lead through one quarter after Claxon scored eight points with a pair of 3-pointers, and Pirosko added six points. Trinitee Harris (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) hit a jumper in the final seconds to give GU the four-point lead.
 

 
Gannon led 28-19 at the half as both Pirosko and Claxon checked in at 10 points in the half.
 
Then Gannon made its third-quarter move. Dunham's 3-pointers helped the Knights close the quarter with a 10-3 run as they took a 43-29 into the final period.
GU only pulled away from there, outscoring Findlay 23-16 in the fourth quarter.

Pirosko shot 10-of-15 from the field and added four assists and two steals to her strong all-around effort.

Claxon was 6-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range. Dunham was also 3-of-7 from 3-point territory as she finished with nine points, all in the second half.

Gannon shot 44.8 percent  (26-of-58) from the field while limiting Findlay to 25 percent (13-of-52). GU struggled from 3-point range at 22.6 percent (7-of-31), but that was significantly better than FU's 8 percent (2-of-25). Findlay missed its first 15 3-point attempts.

The Golden Knights also outrebounded the Oilers 41-30.