Carissa Dunham vs. Glenville
47
East Stroudsburg ESU 2-2,0-1 PSAC
60
Winner Gannon Gannon 9-0,2-0 PSAC
East Stroudsburg ESU
2-2,0-1 PSAC
47
Final
60
Gannon Gannon
9-0,2-0 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
East Stroudsburg ESU 13 11 11 12 47
Gannon Gannon 14 10 21 15 60

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Three-Point Barrage Helps Golden Knights Overcome Adversity, East Stroudsburg

ERIE, Pa. – It has been a week of adversity for the Gannon women's basketball team. But through it head coach Cleve Wright's squad has continued to win. On Saturday the Golden Knights ran their record to 9-0 and 2-0 in PSAC action with an impressive 60-47 win over East Stroudsburg. The Warriors suffered their second straight loss to a ranked team and are 2-2 and 0-1, respectively.

Gannon came in to its two-game PSAC crossover set with Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg ranked third in the latest D2CSC Top 25 and fourth according to the WBCA poll. The Golden Knights were without second-leading scorer Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester), however, and on Saturday post player Andrea Maibach (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne) exited the game late in the third quarter and did not return.

The Golden Knights had an answer to the adversity, however. A barrage of 3-pointers. With the score tied 24-24 at the half Gannon came out and drained 4-of-11 3-pointers in the third quarter, at one point making four in a row. When the third quarter ended Gannon led 45-35.

For good measure, Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer and Gannon's lead would go to as many as 21 points.

The Golden Knights now begin a four-game road trip beginning with a Wednesday, November 27 game at Ohio Dominican.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Gannon got off to a fast start as Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) and Andrea Maibach (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne) combined for all 14 points to give the Golden Knights a 14-6 lead. Maibach scored eight points and Dunham made a pair of 3-pointers. ESU ran off the next seven points and Gannon's lead shrunk to 14-13 after one quarter.

The Warriors regained the lead at 19-6 early in the second quarter as Gannon went cold from the field. But the Golden Knights finally responded with eight straight points for a 24-19 lead, spurred by Olivia Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland). The sophomore guard had a steal and a layup, followed by a free throw. Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) added a 3-pointer. But ESU scored the final five points of the half as the Golden Knights went scoreless for the final 4:47.

Gannon trailed 28-26 early in the fourth quarter before taking the lead for good thanks to four straight 3-pointers over a period of less than three minutes. Trinitee Harris (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) made her first 3-pointer of the season as Gannon regained the lead at 29-28. Dunham followed with back-to-back three's and Cernuto's three made it 38-32 with just under six minutes left in the period.

The third quarter ended with Gannon holding a 45-35 lead as the Golden Knights made 4-of-11 3-pointers. But with 1:29 left in the period Maibach went down with an injury and would not return, leaving the Golden Knights missing two starters.

Gannon opened the final period with a 13-2 run as the lead expanded to 58-37. Once again it was shots from beyond the arc that got things going. Dunham made her fifth three of the day to open the quarter, and Claxon and Olivia Popyk also hit from beyond the arc. It was the first 3-pointer of Popyk's career. ESU never got closer than the final score.

BY THE NUMBERS
Gannon finished the game shooting 35.0 percent from the floor (21-of-60). However, over of their attempts were from beyond the arc as the three's went up in a near record pace. Gannon ended at 11-of-35 on 3-pointers, one attempt shy of the school record. Gannon attempted 36 3-pointers earlier in the year in the NCAA Atlantic regional championship game against Fayetteville State. ESU finished at 18-of-46 (39.1 pct.) but the Warriors were just 1-of-4 on three's. ESU had a 10-of-16 showing at the line while Gannon was 7-of-9.

The Gannon defense forced East Stroudsburg into 24 turnovers as Gannon held an 18-8 edge in points off turnovers. The Golden Knights committed 10 turnovers. With Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) out and Andrea Maibach (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne) also missing the Warriors ruled the glass 43-28.

Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) led Gannon with 15 points as the junior guard made 5-of-12 3-pointers. She added three assists. Claxon has now been in double figures all nine games with the junior guard dropping in 12 points and making a pair of 3-pointers. Maibach had 11 points and four rebounds before departing. She also celebrated her birthday on Saturday.

Emily Chmiel was the lone player in double figures for East Stroudsburg. She scored 15 points, adding 13 rebounds, and in the process topped 1,000 points for her career.

NEXT FOR THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Gannon will play one more time before Thanksgiving, heading to Columbus, Ohio to play at Ohio Dominican on Wednesday, November 27. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. 
 
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