Margo Loutzenshiser vs. UPJ
Bryce Dolak

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

Playoff-Bound Golden Knights Host Clarion Seeking to Extend Five-Game Winning Streak

CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (3-20, 3-15 PSAC West) at No. 17/13 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (23-3, 15-3 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 | 5:30 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 and Trevor Kubeja will have the call of the game.
 
THE GANNON-CLARION ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 47-15
Gannon has won the last 12 meetings with Clarion and 30 of the last 31 meetings. The Golden Knights swept the season series last year with an 81-50 decision over the Golden Eagles on January 26, followed by a 71-58 triumph at Clarion on February 16. The two teams met for the first time this season on January 23 with Gannon prevailing 71-46 at Clarion.

The Last Meeting
Jan. 23, 2023 – Gannon 71, at Clarion 46 I RECAP
The Golden Knights won their 12th game in a row overall with an emphatic 71-46 victory at Clarion. Gannon also won for the 12th straight time over Clarion and has now won 30 of the last 31 meetings. Graduate student Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) sank three 3-point field goals and finished with 17 points to lead another balanced scoring effort. Redshirt senior forward Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) added 12 points and moved up one spot on the school's career scoring list. Senior point guard Boston McKinney (Bolivar, Ohio/Tuscarawas Valley) and freshman guard Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) added nine points apiece for the Knights. Gannon held a 40-28 advantage on the boards as Madison Demski (Erie, Pa./Villa Maria) paced GU with eight rebounds while Delaney Dogan (West Middlesex, Pa./West Middlesex) had seven. Emily Poling (Defiance, Ohio/Defiance) led Gannon with six assists. Gannon had another strong start, racing to an 18-7 lead in the first quarter before taking a 39-28 advantage into halftime. The Golden Knights outscored the Golden Eagles 38-18 in the second half. Oddly, they shot just two free throws in the game as Pirosko sank both of her attempts late in the fourth quarter. Allyson Kirby was the lone Golden Eagle in double figures with 11 points.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. -- Gannon is on its third extended winning streak of the season and in the process has clinched a spot in the PSAC Tournament. In fact, the Golden Knights have already clinched a first-round bye and look to lock down the number one seed in the Western Division.
 
Gannon has run off five straight wins following last Wednesday's 76-65 win at California (Pa.). That comes after previous winning streaks of six and 12 games. Head coach Cleve Wright has guided his squad to a 23-3 overall record and 15-3 in the PSAC West. It's the eighth time Wright has guided Gannon to 20 wins in 15 seasons. On Tuesday Gannon moved up three spots to 17th in the latest WBCA Division II Top 25 while holding steady at 13th in the D2SIDA Div. II Top 25.
 
The Golden Knights host a Clarion team which has lost ten straight games and has lost the last 12 meetings with Gannon and 30 of the last 31. Tipoff on Wednesday, February 15 is 5:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles come in at 3-20 overall and 3-15 in the PSAC West. Oddly enough the Golden Eagles have played two of their closest games in their last two outings against two of the better teams in the PSAC West. They lost 69-65 to Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday after a 72-71 setback to Seton Hill in their previous game. Those are the first two games all season decided by five points or less.   
 
The PSAC West continues to be hotly contested. Gannon leads the way at 15-3, with Edinboro next at 12-6. Indiana (Pa.) is 12-7 while Pitt-Johnstown stands at 11-7. Right now California (Pa.) (11-8) and Seton Hill (10-9) hold down the last two spots in the playoff field. Mercyhurst (9-9) and Slippery Rock (9-10) are still in the hunt.

Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) leads a balanced Gannon attack. The 5'10" forward ranks third in the PSAC in scoring at 19.3 and has now scored in double figures in the last 25 games. She also leads the PSAC in field goal percentage (56.5 pct.) and ranks seventh in free throw percentage (83.1 pct.).

Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) is also in double digits at 14.2 ppg. and leads the team with 53 3-pointers in 137 attempts. The 5'11" guard is fourth in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage (38.7 pct.).

Pirosko and Wright combined for 55 points in Gannon's last outing, a 76-65 win at California (Pa.) last Wednesday. Pirosko dominated in the opening half, scoring 21 of her 27 points. With the Vulcans doubling her in the second half, Wright took over with 18 of her career-high 28 points. For Pirosko it was her fourth straight game with 20-or-more points and 13th of the season. She now has 1,349 career points, good for 11th all-time.    

Gannon plays at Seton Hill on Saturday, February 18 looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Griffins before concluding the regular season next week with a pair of games.
 

GOLDEN KNIGHTS CLIMBING IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
The updated national rankings were released on Tuesday with Gannon climbing three spots in the WBCA Division II Top 25 while remaining the same in the D2SIDA poll. Gannon was ranked 20th in the WBCA Division II Top 25 and was 13th in the D2SIDA Top 25 a week ago. The Golden Knights are now 17th in the WBCA and remain 13th according to D2SIDA. The Golden Knights had cracked the top ten of the D2SIDA Division II Top 25 twice this season before suffering losses, moving into eighth place both times. The D2SIDA regional polls were released on Monday, with Gannon remaining second behind Glenville State.

PIROSKO, WRIGHT TAKE TURNS WITH BIG GAME VS. VULCANS
Gannon last played a week ago, claiming a 76-65 win at California (Pa.). Emma Wright (Fairview, Pa./Talawanda) and Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) combined for 55 of GU's 76 points. Pirosko dominated play in the first half, as the Golden Knights jumped out to a 39-25 lead at intermission behind her 21 points, with Wright contributing 10. Pirosko made 9-of-10 field goals. Cal clamped down on the 5'01" redshirt senior in the second half, double teaming her and holding her to six points. That just left room for Wright to operate. The 5'11" guard scored 18 points, making 5-of-9 field goals, including a pair of 3-pointers, and going 6-for-6 at the line. When the night was over Wright had matched her career-high with 28 points while Pirosko had her fourth straight game with 20-or-more points, finishing with 27.

GANNON SWEEPS CAL, IUP IN REGULAR SEASON FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2013-14
Through the years California (Pa.) and Indiana (Pa.) have rated as two of the powerhouses in the PSAC. Season sweeps against one of them is are, let alone sweeping both of the them in one year. Gannon completed a regular season sweep of both teams last Wednesday, the first time that has occurred since the 2013-14 season and just the third time since joining the PSAC in 2008-09. The 2009-10 team also won all four games in the regular season.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS MAINTAIN HOT SHOOTING STRETCH
After shooting better than 50 percent in the previous four games Gannon fell just shy of that mark at California (Pa.). By one shot. One more made field goal or one less miss and the Golden Knights would have made it five straight games at 50 percent or better. As it was Gannon made 25-of-51 shots (49.0 pct.) to maintain its lead as the top shooting team in the PSAC at 45.9 percent. The Golden Knights made a sizzling 70 percent of their shots in the first half at IUP and cooled off just slightly in the second half, finishing the day at 60.0 percent (27-of-45). That included an 8-for-17 showing on 3-pointers. Over the last five games the Golden Knights are shooting 52.0 percent (144-of-277). They have shot 50 percent or better in six of the last ten games. 

PIROSKO CONTINUES ASSAULT ON RECORD BOOK 
Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) has continued her climb up the career scoring charts after becoming the 31st Golden Knight with 1,000 career points earlier in the year.  The redshirt senior has now had four straight 20-point games after scoring 27 points at California (Pa.) last Wednesday. She stands 11th in career scoring with 1,349 points with Carrie Nolan next at 1,371 points. In addition, the 5'10" redshirt senior has cracked the Top 20 in career rebounds. She enjoyed her seventh double-double of the season at Cal with 10 boards, giving her 545 for her career. That puts her in 19th place in career rebounds. Pirosko leads the team in both scoring (19.3 ppg.) and rebounding (7.4 rpg.), ranking third in the PSAC in scoring and 14th in rebounding. She leads the conference in field goal percentage (56.5 pct.) and is seventh in free throw percentage (83.1 pct.). Pirosko's 501 points this season rank 13th in a season.

SCOUTING CLARION
Clarion (3-20, 3-15 PSAC West) looks to put an end to a ten-game losing streak, but oddly enough the Golden Eagles have played two of their closest games in their last two outings against two of the better teams in the PSAC West. They lost 69-65 to Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday after a 72-71 setback to Seton Hill in their previous game. Those are the first two games all season decided by five points or less. Sophomore guard Sierra Bermudez is Clarion's lone player scoring in double figures. She also ranks as one of the top 3-point threats in the PSAC. Bermudez is averaging 13.0 ppg. while making 49-of-124 3-pointers. She stands third in the PSAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 39.6 percent, along with rankings seventh in the conference in 3-point field goals made per game (2.2). She was a second-team All-PSAC West honoree last year after averaging 14.2 ppg. while making 59-of-168 3-pointers. That included a school-record 12 in one game.

NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Gannon heads down the stretch with three more games remaining. On Saturday, February 18 the Golden Knights travel to Greensburg, Pa. to play a Seton Hill team that has been the one team they have not been able to figure out. They lost both meetings last year and dropped an 87-72 decision to the Griffins on January 25. Tipoff is 1:00 p.m.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Delaney Dogan

#54 Delaney Dogan

F
6' 0"
Graduate Student
Boston McKinney

#15 Boston McKinney

PG
5' 4"
Graduate Student
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

F
5' 10"
Fifth Year
Emily Poling

#20 Emily Poling

G
5' 9"
Fifth Year
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

G
5' 11"
Graduate Student
Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Madison Demski

#25 Madison Demski

F
6' 2"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Delaney Dogan

#54 Delaney Dogan

6' 0"
Graduate Student
F
Boston McKinney

#15 Boston McKinney

5' 4"
Graduate Student
PG
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

5' 10"
Fifth Year
F
Emily Poling

#20 Emily Poling

5' 9"
Fifth Year
G
Emma Wright

#13 Emma Wright

5' 11"
Graduate Student
G
Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Madison Demski

#25 Madison Demski

6' 2"
Graduate Student
F