Pace Prosser
Mike Gallagher

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

Men's Basketball Game Preview: Gannon Debuts at Home Hosting Davis & Elkins

DAVIS & ELKINS SENATORS (1-1, 0-0 MEC) at No. 7 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (2-2, 0-0 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 5:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
 
THE GANNON-DAVIS & ELKINS SERIES
Gannon leads 1-0  
Last Meeting: Nov. 19, 1983 – at Gannon 75, Davis & Elkins 58 
In a contest played at the Erie Civic Center, Gannon defeated Davis & Elkins in the only meeting between the two teams.


ERIE, Pa. – The last time Gannon men's basketball fans had a chance to watch the Golden Knights they were celebrating a pulsating, last-second 67-65 win over Charleston (WV) in the Atlantic Regional championship game.

The victory sent a Gannon team that had finished with three wins the year before to the Elite Eight. A standing-room-only crowd witnessed Nigel Haughton's (Bel Air, Md./South Kent) rebound basket at the buzzer complete an incredible turnaround. The 2023-24 Golden Knights ended the year at 32-3.

Now they take the court at Cathedral Prep's Hagerty Family Events Center for the first time since that win after playing in a pair of tournaments on the road to open the season. Gannon hosts Davis & Elkins on Wednesday, November 13 at 5 p.m. It marks the first meeting between the two teams since 1983-84.

It's a new-look Gannon team in 2024-25. Just three players return from last year's squad, with 11 newcomers. But the biggest change comes at the helm, where Easton Bazzoli takes over for Jordan Fee as head coach. Bazzoli served as Fee's assistant last year.

After losing to second ranked Nova Southeastern, the Division II runner-up last year, and Lake Superior State, a Sweet 16 team a year ago, in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, Gannon won twice this past weekend. The Golden Knights handed Bazzoli his first win as a head coach with a 89-65 win over Virginia State. On Saturday they evened their record at 2-2 with a 101-74 victory against Winston-Salem State.

While ranked seventh in the NABC Division II Preseason Top 25, the Golden Knights have not been at full strength yet, either. Transfers Isiah Warfield (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) and Victor Desmond (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska) have yet to play. Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison), the leading returning scorer and rebounder from last year's team, did not play in this past weekend's PSAC-CIAA Challenge, and Bruce Carpenter (Fayetteville, Ga./McIntosh) was unavailable the second day.

Following Wednesday's game the Golden Knights head back out on the road playing at Salem (WV) on Saturday, November 16 before returning home for four straight games.

Leading Golden Knights:
Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) (G, 6-5, So.) – Shelton amazed the Gannon faithful with his shooting range last year while coming off the bench. He is now a starter and leading the Golden Knights in scoring at 18.0 ppg., making 14-of-41 3-pointers.

Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) (F, 6-9, So.) – a transfer from Division I Cal Baptist Goodrick is averaging a double double at 15.0 ppg. and 11.3 rpg. He comes off a huge effort vs. Winston-Salem State with 18 points and 16 rebounds. The native of Australia is shooting 56.1 percent from the floor (23-of-41).

Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) (G, 6-1, Gr.) – DeBuck is one of two players to join the team from Union (Tenn.), where he was coached by Bazzoli until last year. A smooth grad transfer, he is averaging 15.0 ppg. and has made 8-of-20 3-pointers.

Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) (G, 6-2, Fr.) / Lucas Sekasi (Washington, DC/Jackson-Reed) (G, 6-5, Fr.) -- the pair of true freshmen are playing major minutes. Prosser was an all-state performer in both football and basketball at Berlin Brothersvalley High School. He has started all four games, averaging 12.0 ppg. and making 10-of-24 3-pointers. He also leads the Golden Knights with 20 assists compared to eight turnovers. Sekasi is averaging just under 19 minutes a game off the bench and has 14 assists to seven turnovers.
 
Scouting Davis & Elkins
Record:  1-1, 0-0 MEC
Head Coach: Daniel Harris (1st year)
Top Players: Sam Rolle IV (G, 5-11, 5th Yr., 19.5 ppg., 7 asts.); Nicolas Silva (F, 6-7, Sr., 10.5 ppg., 7.5 rpg.)
Like Easton Bazzoli, Daniel Harris is in his first year as head coach at D&E after serving as an assistant. He will rely greatly on the talents of Sam Rolle IV. A first team All-MEC selection a year ago and the 2020-21 MEC Freshman of the Year, Rolle is averaging 19.5 ppg. off the bench. He averaged 18.0 ppg. a year ago with 154 assists. The Senators opened the season in the Earl Lloyd Classic last weekend. They defeated Johnson C. Smith 69-61 before suffering a 63-60 defeat to Livingstone.
 
Next for the Golden Knights: Gannon will play on the road for the fifth time in six games with a Saturday, November 16 game at Salem (WV). Tipoff is 4:00 p.m.
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Nigel Haughton

#10 Nigel Haughton

G
6' 1"
Graduate Student
Mike Montano

#1 Mike Montano

G/F
6' 7"
Sophomore
Ernest Shelton

#4 Ernest Shelton

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Lucas Sekasi

#2 Lucas Sekasi

G
6' 5"
Freshman
Isiah Warfield

#3 Isiah Warfield

G
6' 5"
Graduate Student
Justin DeBuck

#5 Justin DeBuck

G
6' 1"
Graduate Student
Bruce Carpenter

#24 Bruce Carpenter

G
6' 2"
Junior
Victor Desmond

#15 Victor Desmond

G/F
6' 7"
Junior
Pace Prosser

#22 Pace Prosser

G
6' 2"
Freshman
Tasman Goodrick

#23 Tasman Goodrick

F
6' 9"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Nigel Haughton

#10 Nigel Haughton

6' 1"
Graduate Student
G
Mike Montano

#1 Mike Montano

6' 7"
Sophomore
G/F
Ernest Shelton

#4 Ernest Shelton

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Lucas Sekasi

#2 Lucas Sekasi

6' 5"
Freshman
G
Isiah Warfield

#3 Isiah Warfield

6' 5"
Graduate Student
G
Justin DeBuck

#5 Justin DeBuck

6' 1"
Graduate Student
G
Bruce Carpenter

#24 Bruce Carpenter

6' 2"
Junior
G
Victor Desmond

#15 Victor Desmond

6' 7"
Junior
G/F
Pace Prosser

#22 Pace Prosser

6' 2"
Freshman
G
Tasman Goodrick

#23 Tasman Goodrick

6' 9"
Sophomore
F