Layne Sarver vs. Lake Superior
Mike Gallagher

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

Men's Basketball Game Preview: Golden Knights Bring Eight-Game Winning Streak into Meeting with Shepherd

SHEPHERD RAMS (7-3, 3-0 PSAC East) at NR/No. 19 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (8-2, 4-0 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, December 17, 2024 | 5:00 p.m.
STADIUM/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
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THE GANNON-SHEPHERD SERIES
Gannon leads 3-2 
Last Meeting: Dec. 18, 2022 – Shepherd 51, at Gannon 45 | RECAP
Gannon rallied from a 21-point deficit midway through the second half but the Golden Knight ran out of time. Gannon held the Rams scoreless over the last four minutes and scored the final 10 points of the game but got no closer than the final margin. Chris Clancy and Ronny Raphael led the Golden Knights with 10 points apiece. Daniel McClain-Corley paced the Rams with a game-high 16 points while Phillip Jordan had 10 points and eight rebounds.


ERIE, Pa. – After having a break for final exams the Gannon men's basketball team hosts Shepherd on Tuesday, December 17. Tipoff at Hagerty Family Events Center is 5:00 p.m.
 
Tuesday's game features a dichotomy of styles with Gannon leading the PSAC in scoring offense at 98.9 ppg. while Shepherd is the lowest scoring team in the conference at 65.6 ypg. but leads the PSAC in scoring defense at 66.3 ppg.
 
After leading Division II in scoring a year ago Gannon has scored 100-or-more points in the last three games and five in all. The Golden Knights rank fifth in Division II in scoring. Meanwhile, Shepherd has held eight of ten opponents to 66 points or less, holding the last six opponents to 62 points or less. Virginia State scored 93 points against the Rams while West Liberty scored 92 points.
 
Both teams come in riding winning streaks. The Golden Knights opened the season with a pair of losses but since then have won eight straight games to improve to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in PSAC games. They climbed to 19th in last week's D2CSC Division II Top 25.
 
Shepherd has won three straight games after defeating Virginia Union 61-51 on Friday. That boosted the Rams to 7-3 overall and they come in at 3-0 in PSAC action. They have already played a pair of games against nationally-ranked teams, losing to No. 17 West Liberty (92-72) and defeating fourth-ranked California (Pa.) 66-61.

Following Tuesday's game Gannon wraps up the 2024 portion of its schedule with its final PSAC crossover game at Lock Haven on Saturday, December 21. Tipoff is 3:00 p.m.
 
GOLDEN KNIGHTS ADD GAME ON JAN. 2
Gannon was originally scheduled to play West Virginia State in the Gary Miller Classic on November 30. While severe weather conditions forced the cancellation of the tournament the two teams have come up with a date to make up the game. Gannon will host the Yellow Jackets at the Hagerty Family Events Center on Thursday, January 2. Note the 1:00 p.m. tipoff. Both teams were in the Atlantic Regional last year.

The Knight Watch:
Record:  8-2, 4-0 PSAC West
Head Coach: Easton Bazzoli (1st year)
  • Gannon improved to 8-2 with a sweep of road games at Mansfield (113-67) and Shippensburg (100-73). They are perfect in PSAC play at 4-0 and have now won eight straight games. Gannon has moved up to 19th in the latest D2CSC Top 25 and are receiving votes in the NABC poll.  
  • The Golden Knights are averaging 98.9 ppg., good for fifth in Division II. They have scored 100-or-more points in the last three games and five times overall after topping the century mark 16 times a year ago.  
  • Cal Baptist transfer Tasman Goodrick was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week for the second time this season following wins at Mansfield and Shippensburg. The 6-foot-9 sophomore was selected while seeing limited playing time in the two games. In his first season as a Golden Knight, the sophomore contributed eight points and eight rebounds in 15 minutes at Mansfield, adding two blocks and two steals. The next day he played 20 minutes at Shippensburg and posted his sixth double-double of the season. He scored 12 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, adding a steal and a block.
  • Freshman Pace Prosser is one of several Golden Knights who stuff the stat box. That was certainly the case for the 6-foor-2 guard at Shippensburg. He posted season highs for points (26) and rebounds (9), adding four assists, three steals and a blocked shot. Prosser made 5-of-9 3-pointers. He is averaging 14.2 ppg. and 5.5 rpg.
  • Prosser has garnered the bulk of the attention, but two other freshmen have also been making major contributions. Lucas Sekasi (Washington, DC/Jackson-Reed), 6-foot-5 guard from Washington, D.C. is playing just under 20 minutes per game and contributing 6.7 ppg. and leads the team with 48 assists and is tied for the lead in steals with 20. Mason Kemp (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley) is a 6-foot-7 forward who hails from Shawnee, Kan. He is playing just over 13 minutes per game, averaging 7.3 ppg. and shooting 58.0 percent from the floor (29-of-50). Kemp had highs of 24 points and eight rebounds at Mansfield while Sekasi dished out 10 assists.
Scouting Shepherd
Record:  7-3, 3-0 PSAC East
Head Coach: Justin Namolik (16th year)
Top Players: Chase Paar (F, 6-10, Gr., 11.6 ppg., 8.4 rpg., 10 blk., 50.0 FG%); Marcus Banks (G, 6-2, So., 10.1 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 40 asts., 17 stls.); Brody Davis (G, 6-5, Fr., 10.0 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 24-of-66 3's); Jarod Robinson (G, 6-4, Sr., 8.4 ppg., 5.2 rpg.); Carson Poffenberger (F, 6-8, Sr., 8.0 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 12-of-29 3's)
  • Shepherd improved to 7-3 with a 61-51 win at Virginia Union on Friday night. The Rams have now won three straight games, and in those contests have allowed an average of 55.0 ppg. They have already played a pair of games against nationally-ranked teams, losing to No. 17 West Liberty (92-72) and defeating fourth-ranked California (Pa.) 66-61.
  • While the Rams rank last in the PSAC in scoring offense (65.6 ppg.), they lead the conference in scoring defense (66.3 ppg.). Shepherd has held its last six opponents to 62 points or less, and eight of ten opponents to 66 points or less.
  • Shepherd was picked to finish fourth in the PSAC East preseason poll. They come in with a 3-0 record in PSAC action, but actually have played four games vs. PSAC West teams. The Rams won 68-57 at Indiana (Pa.) but it was determined before the season began that the game would not count in the PSAC standings due to Mercyhurst's defection.
  • The Rams are led in scoring and rebounding by Chase Paar, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Towson. Paar averages 11.6 ppg. and 8.4 rpg. with 10 blocked shots. He was joined by his younger brother Cole, a 6-foot-9 sophomore who also began his career at Towson.
Next for the Golden Knights: Gannon will play for the final time in 2024 traveling to Lock Haven on Saturday, December 21. Tipoff at Thomas Fieldhouse is 3:00 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Lucas Sekasi

#2 Lucas Sekasi

G
6' 5"
Freshman
Pace Prosser

#22 Pace Prosser

G
6' 2"
Freshman
Tasman Goodrick

#23 Tasman Goodrick

F
6' 9"
Sophomore
Mason Kemp

#33 Mason Kemp

F
6' 7"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Lucas Sekasi

#2 Lucas Sekasi

6' 5"
Freshman
G
Pace Prosser

#22 Pace Prosser

6' 2"
Freshman
G
Tasman Goodrick

#23 Tasman Goodrick

6' 9"
Sophomore
F
Mason Kemp

#33 Mason Kemp

6' 7"
Freshman
F