Maddy Wheatley vs. D&E

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

Women's Basketball Game Preview: No. 4/3 Golden Knights Begin PSAC Play Hosting Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg

BLOOMSBURG HUSKIES (3-1, 0-0 PSAC East) at No. 4/3 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (7-0, 0-0 PSAC West)
HAWAIIAN DAY
DATE/TIME: Friday, November 22, 2024 | 11:00 a.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
EAST STROUDSBURG WARRIORS (2-1, 0-0 PSAC East) at No. 4/3 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (4-2, 0-0 PSAC West)
THANKFUL DAY
DATE/TIME: Saturday, November 23, 2024 | 1:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
THE GANNON-BLOOMSBURG SERIES
Gannon leads 11-3 
Last Meeting: Dec. 1, 2023 – Gannon 75, Bloomsburg 31
The Gannon defense held Bloomsburg to 27.3 percent from the floor (12-of-44) and forced 26 turnovers. Eleven Golden Knights scored with Sam Pirosko contributing 19 points.
 
THE GANNON-EAST STROUDSBURG SERIES
Gannon leads 12-3 
Last Meeting: Dec. 2, 2023 – Gannon 65, East Stroudsburg 33
Gannon allowed just seven field goals in 36 attempts as the Warriors shot 19.4 percent from the floor. In addition, ESU turned the ball over 28 times, leading to 30 points for Gannon. Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) led three Golden Knights in double figures with 17.


ERIE, Pa. – Gannon opens up PSAC action with a pair of crossover games this weekend. The Golden Knights come in ranked in the top five nationally and face a pair of improved Eastern Division squads in Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg.
 
The weekend gets underway with a special morning edition of Golden Knight basketball as Friday's Gannon-Bloomsburg game is set for an 11 a.m. tipoff. The early time, with the men's game to follow at 1:00 p.m., is necessitated by the Gannon volleyball team hosting the PSAC Final Four on Friday evening. On Saturday Gannon hosts East Stroudsburg with the contest tipping off at 1:00 p.m.
 
Gannon survived a tough battle at Charleston (WV) last Saturday to remain undefeated at 7-0. The Golden Knights rallied for the win with Trinitee Harris' (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) driving layup with seven seconds left accounting for the winning basket. Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) iced the 71-68 victory with a pair of free throws.
 
Gannon enters the weekend ranked third in the D2CSC Division II Top 25 and fourth in the WBCA Top 25. The Golden Knights received a much-needed rest this week after playing seven times in the first 16 days of the season.
 
Bloomsburg was picked to finish sixth in the PSAC East preseason poll, while East Stroudsburg was one spot ahead in fifth place. The two teams have both gotten off to strong starts, with Bloomsburg at 2-1 and ESU at 3-1.

The Knight Watch:
Record:  7-0, 0-0 PSAC West
Head Coach: Cleve Wright (17th year at Gannon, 21st overall)
  • Gannon presented Cleve Wright with his 400th career win recently with a hard-earned 55-39 win over Daemen. Wright is in his 21st season as a head coach and is now 401-209 overall and 366-122 at Gannon in 17 seasons.
  • Saturday's game at Charleston (WV) was the fourth against a team that won at least 19 games last year. The 71-68 win came courtesy of a Trinitee Harris (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) layup for a 69-68 lead with seven seconds remaining. Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) put the exclamation point on the victory with a pair of free throws to close out the 71-68 win.
  • Claxon turned in a season-best effort against the Golden Eagles. The junior guard dropped in 26 points and pulled down a career-best seven rebounds. She made 10-of-16 field goals, including 3-of-4 3-pointers, and was 3-of-4 at the line. Claxon leads the Golden Knights in scoring at 16.6 ppg. and has made 15-of-37 3-pointers.
  • Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) was recently named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week on Tuesday after a huge game against Glenville State. The 6-foot-0 sophomore had 28 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. She is averaging 15.6 ppg. and 5.6 rpg. and leads the team with 12 blocks and 10 steals.
  • Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) is a third Golden Knight in double digits. The redshirt junior is averaging 11.3 ppg. along with a team-high 5.7 rpg. Her role has changed in 2024-25, now playing more in the post. But she has still stepped outside to hit 11-of-22 3-pointers.
  • Speaking of 3-pointers, that is Carissa Dunham's (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) specialty. The junior guard has made 15 three's in 43 attempts. She has made just three buckets inside the arc.
Scouting Bloomsburg
Record:  3-1, 0-0 PSAC East
Head Coach: Alison Tagliaferri (9th year)
Top Players: Katie Starr (F, 5-11, Sr., 12.8 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 55.3 FG%); Leah Kale (G, 5-9, So., 12.3 ppg., 6-of-18 3's); Ava Stevenson (G, 6-0, Sr., 9.5 ppg., 2.0 rpg.)
  • Bloomsburg, picked to finish sixth in the PSAC East, opened the season with a 54-50 loss to Virginia State but since that time the Huskies have run off three straight wins. They last played on Tuesday, edging Chestnut Hill 77-75. They trailed 63-50 entering the fourth quarter before outscoring Chestnut Hill 27-12 over the final ten minutes.
  • The Huskies have relied on a stingy defense in the early portion of the season. They are allowing just 54.0 ppg., limiting two opponents to less than 50 points.
  • Senior Katie Starr is the team's leading scorer at 12.8 ppg. The 5-foot-11 forward also leads in rebounding (7.0 rpg.). A year ago she was a first team All-PSAC East selection after averaging 17.1 ppg.
  • Leah Kale, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, adds 12.3 ppg. She has made 6-of-18 3-pointers.
Scouting East Stroudsburg
Record:  2-1, 0-0 PSAC East
Head Coach: Liz Flooks (1st year)
Top Players: Emily Chmiel (F/C, 6-2, Sr., 22.7 ppg., 9.7 rpg., 63.6 FG%); Izzy Vogel (G, 5-10, Sr., 11.0 ppg., 6.7 rpg., 10 stl.)
  • Liz Flooks is in her first season as the head coach at East Stroudsburg. The Warriors were picked to finish fifth in the PSAC East after ending the year at 10-18 but are off to a 2-1 start. They dropped a 69-58 decision to No. 10 Jefferson on Wednesday. ESU trailed by just a basket entering the fourth quarter before being outscored 21-12.
  • Emily Chmiel led ESU with 22 points, adding six rebounds, against Jefferson. A 6-foot-2 senior, Chmiel has increased her averages from 9.3 ppg. and 6.8 rpg. to 22.7 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. She leads the PSAC in scoring and is fourth in rebounding. In addition she is shooting 63.6 percent from the floor (28-of-44), good for second in the PSAC.
  • Izzy Vogel added 17 points against Jefferson to boost her average to 11.0 ppg. Vogel is a 5-foot-10 senior    
Next for the Golden Knights: The Golden Knights will play one more time before Thanksgiving, traveling to Columbus, Ohio to play at Ohio Dominican on Wednesday, November 27.

 
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Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Junior
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

G
5' 7"
Junior
Trinitee Harris

#11 Trinitee Harris

PG
5' 7"
Senior
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
Trinitee Harris

#11 Trinitee Harris

5' 7"
Senior
PG
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