Carissa Dunham

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

Women's Basketball Game Preview: Two Elite Eight Teams Square Off as No. 11 Gannon Hosts Daemen

DAEMEN WILDCATS (0-2, 0-0 ECC) at No. 11 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (5-0, 0-0 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
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THE GANNON-DAEMEN SERIES
Gannon leads 10-6 
The series first began in 1987-88. They last met in 2020-21, playing twice in three days. Daemen, ranked 13th, won at No. 21 Gannon 70-68 on Jan, 29. On Jan. 31, it was the Golden Knights winning 65-56. 
Last Meeting: Jan. 31, 2021– Gannon 65, at Daemen 56 l RECAP
This was the second of back-to-back meetings two days apart during the 2020-21 COVID 19-shortened season. Daemen handed Gannon a 70-68 defeat two days earlier. Sam Pirosko paced the upset with 23 points and eight rebounds. Sydney Mitchell added 14 points and seven boards.

ERIE, Pa. – Gannon hosts Daemen on Wednesday, November 13 in a meeting of two Elite Eight teams from last year. Tipoff at Hagerty Family Events Center is 5:00 p.m.

A year ago Gannon won the Atlantic Regional as the top seed to advance to the Elite Eight while Daemen upset three higher seeds as the sixth seed to win the East Regional. Both lost in the quarterfinals with Gannon finishing at 35-3 and Daemen 23-8.

The two teams have gotten off to entirely different starts in 2024-25. Gannon is 5-0 after winning three games in the CCA Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic followed by wins over Glenville State and Davis & Elkins this past weekend. The Golden Knights began the year ranked 11th in the WBCA Division II Preseason Top 25.

Daemen, meanwhile, is 0-2 after opening the season in the Redhawk Classic. The Wildcats fell to Felician 59-55 on Friday followed by a 77-72 double overtime loss to 20th-ranked Assumption on Saturday. The game was a rematch of last year's East Regional semifinal.

Wednesday's game is also a tale of two long-time coaches. Gannon's Cleve Wright is in his 21st season as a head coach, 17th at Gannon. He enters the game with 399 victories, one shy of his 400th career win.

Daemen's Jenepher Banker is in her ninth season as the head coach and has also enjoyed considerable success. She also had a five-year stint as the head coach at Penn State Behrend from 1988 to 1993.

Gannon showed impressive resolve against a Glenville State team that is a clone of the Gannon men's team. Constantly pressure and substituting. A year ago the Pioneers handed Gannon one of its three defeats. The Golden Knights held a slim 42-41 lead late in the third quarter before building a 50-43 lead at the end of the quarter.

Then Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) took over. The sophomore guard scored 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds in the fourth quarter as Gannon outscored the Pioneers 33-15. Final Score: Gannon 83, Glenville State 58

Ratliff turned in the finest game of her career, scoring 29 points and pulling down 16 rebounds. She added five assists and five blocked shots and went 14-of-14 at the line.

Ratliff is one of four players in double figures, averaging 17.0 ppg. along with a team-high 6.6 rpg. Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster), a 2023-24 All-PSAC West first team selection, boosted her average to 15.8 ppg. with a 21-point effort against Davis & Elkins. The junior guard has made 11-of-25 3-pointers. Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) is the top 3-point threat with 13 in 33 attempts. The junior guard is averaging 10.6 ppg. redshirt junior Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) adds 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
 
Four players earned spots on the CCA Division II Canadian Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team. Andrea Maibach (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne) and Ratliff were named to the first team while Claxon and Wheatley earned spots on the second team.
 
Scouting Daemen
Record:  0-2, 0-0 MEC
Head Coach: Jenepher Banker (9th year)
Top Players: Danielle DiCintio (G, 5-6, Gr., 12.5 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 6-of-19 3's); Cecilia Lapertosa (F, 6-1, Jr., 11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.); Claire Pikett (F, 6-0, Jr. , 11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg.)
The Wildcats come in with a deceiving 0-2 record after a pair of tough losses this weekend. Playing in the Redhawks Classic they suffered a 59-55 loss to Felician on Friday followed by a 77-72 double overtime loss to 20th-ranked Assumption on Saturday in a rematch of last season's East Regional semifinal. Danielle DiCintio canned five three-pointers as part of a 22-point outing to lead Daemen. The Wildcats ended the 2023-24 campaign with a 23-8 record, advancing to the Elite Eight.

Next for the Golden Knights: Gannon's difficult schedule to start the season doesn't get any easier as the Golden Knights play at Charleston (WV) on Saturday, November 16. Tipoff is 4:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles are off to a 2-0 start after finishing at 19-11 a year ago. They were picked fourth in the Mountain East Conference preseason poll.
 
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Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Junior
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

G
5' 7"
Junior
Andrea Maibach

#34 Andrea Maibach

P
6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
Kate Ratliff

#23 Kate Ratliff

G
6' 0"
Sophomore
Maddy Wheatley

#4 Maddy Wheatley

G
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Freshwater/Marine Biology and Environmental Science

Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

5' 7"
Junior
G
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

5' 7"
Junior
G
Andrea Maibach

#34 Andrea Maibach

6' 2"
Redshirt Sophomore
P
Kate Ratliff

#23 Kate Ratliff

6' 0"
Sophomore
G
Maddy Wheatley

#4 Maddy Wheatley

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Freshwater/Marine Biology and Environmental Science
G