Men's Basketball Schedule Graphic

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

Fee Announces 2023-24 Men's Basketball Schedule

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team's initial season under first-year head coach Jordan Fee will feature 15 games at home. That being said not all 15 will take place in the friendly confines of the Highmark Events Center. Fee has released his 2023-24 schedule with the Golden Knights playing at a pair of home venues.
The Golden Knights will play a 28-game schedule, with 15 of those games at "home" in what will be an unconventional season. The first six games will occur at the Highmark Events Center, including the annual Gary Miller Classic. With renovations beginning at the venerable facility in late December, Gannon will host its final nine games in Joann Mullen Gymnasium at Cathedral Prep's Hagerty Family Events Center.

Most recently the Associate Head Coach at NCAA Division II champion Nova Southeastern University, Fee is a long-time Gannon basketball fan who grew up on Golden Knights hoops, so he knows that while the homecourt advantage the team enjoys at the Highmark Events Center will move about a mile away. He's more concerned with the quality of teams his first team will face.

"This year's schedule will be difficult, but our very new group will be excited for the challenge," Fee commented. "We'll be tested on the road early with regional opponents Charleston and Glenville State.  Although new, I'm well-familiar with the gauntlet of the PSAC.  In addition, we'll have a tall task with three talented programs heading our way for the annual Gary Miller Classic as well as a regional matchup against Salem.  Our student-athletes and our staff are looking forward to the season and can't wait to compete in front of the best fans in college basketball here in Erie, Pennsylvania."

Fee will make his debut as Gannon's 20th head coach on the road as Gannon opens the 2023-24 campaign in the Atlantic Region Tip-Off Challenge in Charleston, W.Va. against a pair of the best teams from the Mountain East Conference. The Golden Knights open against the host Golden Eagles on Friday, November 10. Charleston was 19-10 last year and reached the MEC Tournament quarterfinals. The next day, Saturday, November 11, they square off against a Glenville State squad that also advanced to the MEC quarterfinals while finishing at 17-13.

Gannon's home opener is set for Wednesday, November 15 against Penn State DuBois in a first-ever meeting with the Nittany Lions.

Then it's time for the 39th Annual Gary Miller Classic as teams from three different conferences will converge on the Highmark Events Center on Friday, November 24 and Saturday, November 25. Gannon will play in the first game of the Friday twinbill at 5:30 p.m., facing Georgian Court. The Lions were 12-16 a year ago and are members of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC).

Lincoln (Pa.) and Davenport meet in the 7:30 p.m. nightcap. Lincoln reached the CIAA Championship game a year ago, upsetting the second and third seeds before losing to Winston-Salem State, the 2022 Gary Miller Classic champion, in the finals. The Lions finished at 17-15. Davenport was 7-21 last year as a member of the GLIAC.

Friday's losers will play in the consolation game at 5:30 p.m. The 2023 Gary Miller Classic championship game tips off at 7:30 p.m.

December begins with a pair of PSAC crossover contests. The Golden Knights head east to play at Bloomsburg (1-25) on Friday, December 1, followed by a game on Saturday, December 2 at East Stroudsburg. The Warriors were 23-9 last year, one of eight games Gannon will play vs. 20-win teams in 2023-24. They reached the PSAC semifinals before earning a berth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional.

Following a break for final exams Gannon will play three straight games at home – the final three at the Highmark Events Center. Salem visits the Golden Knights on Wednesday, December 13. The Tigers finished at 19-12 last year, winning the USCAA Championship while playing as an independent. This year they will play as members of the Mountain East Conference.

Gannon hosts PSAC crossover games on Monday, December 18 and Tuesday, December 19 against Kutztown (11-17) and West Chester (21-8), respectively. The Golden Rams finished as the number two seed in the Eastern Division.

2023 ends with another PSAC crossover contest, this one at Millersville on Saturday, December 30. The Marauders were 18-11 last year.

The Golden Knights ring in the New Year at their home-away-from-home, moving to Hagerty Family Events Center for the first time on Wednesday, January 3 where they entertain Mansfield (6-20). The game against the Mountaineers is the last of six contests against Eastern Division teams, with the remaining 16 games against PSAC West opponents.

Western Division play gets underway with a trip to California (Pa.) on Saturday, January 6. The Vulcans were 16-14 last year. The road trip continues on Wednesday, January 10, but it's a short trip down I-79 to renew the local rivalry with Edinboro. The Fighting Scots were 7-20 last year and like Gannon will have a new head coach in 2023-24.

In fact, Gannon plays four of its first five division games on the road. The lone home game in the stretch finds Gannon returning to Mullen Gymnasium to host powerful Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, January 13. The Crimson Hawks are the defending PSAC champions and reached the Atlantic Regional championship game, finishing the year at 32-2.

Gannon plays at Slippery Rock (17-12) on Wednesday, January 17 followed by another road game at Clarion (3-24) on Saturday, January 20.

The Golden Knights then play back-to-back games against NCAA Tournament teams. The first is the renewal of the annual slugfest with archrival Mercyhurst. The first meeting with a Lakers' team that was 25-6 last year takes place at Mullen Gymnasium on Wednesday, January 24. The two teams will meet again at Mercyhurst on Wednesday, February 21.

Beginning with the Mercyhurst game, Gannon plays four of its next five games at home. The lone exception is a Saturday, January 27 trip to Johnstown to play the Mountain Cats of Pitt-Johnstown. UPJ was 20-10 last year and earned a berth in the Atlantic Regional.

Seton Hill (16-13) visits Mullen Gymnasium to begin a stretch of three straight home contests. The Griffins game on Wednesday, January 31 signals the end of the first half of divisional play. February begins with home games against California (Pa.) (Sat., Feb. 3) and Edinboro (Wed., Feb. 7).

Following a Saturday, February 10 game at Indiana (Pa.), the Golden Knights return home to host Slippery Rock (Wed., Feb. 14) and Clarion (Sat., Feb. 17). After the second meeting with Mercyhurst the regular season concludes with a home game vs. Pitt-Johnstown on Sunday, February 25 and the regular season finale at Seton Hill on Saturday, March 2.
 
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