Lucas Sekasi vs. Shepherd
Joe Mattis

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

Men's Basketball Game Preview: No. 17 Golden Knights Play Twice in Three Days to Open New Year

Gannon hosts West Virginia State on Jan. 2, California (Pa.) on Jan. 4

WEST VIRGINIA STATE YELLOW JACKETS (5-5, 3-3 MEC) at NR/No. 17 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (10-2, 6-0 PSAC West) 
DATE/TIME: Thursday, January 2, 2024 | 1:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
CALIFORNIA (PA) VULCANS (7-7, 2-4 PSAC West) at NR/No. 17 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (10-2, 6-0 PSAC West) 
DATE/TIME: Saturday, January 4, 2024 | 3:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
 
THE GANNON-WEST VIRGINIA STATE SERIES
First Meeting
 
THE GANNON-CALIFORNIA (PA) SERIES
Gannon leads 24-20
Gannon and California (Pa.) met three times in 2023-24. The two teams split the regular season games, with Cal winning on its homecourt 99-84, before Gannon handed the Vulcans a 107-98 defeat in the rematch. The third meeting came with the PSAC title on the line. The Golden Knights prevailed 89-74.
Last Meeting:  March 10, 2024 – at Gannon 89, California (Pa.) 74 I RECAP
Gannon trailed 36-35 at the half but outscored the Vulcans 54-38 over the final 20 minutes to win the PSAC Championship game at the Hagerty Family Events Center. Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) led four Golden Knights in double figures with 22 points. Derrick James (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) added 17 points. Cal also had four players in double digits, led by KJ McClurg with 20 points.


ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team will play twice in the span of three days to open the New Year. The first game is a rescheduled date with West Virginia State that originally was the opening game of the Gary Miller Classic. The tournament was canceled due to heavy snow. The two will now meet on Thursday, January 2 at the Hagerty Family Events Center. Tipoff is 1:00 p.m.
 
Gannon returns to its home-away-from-home one last time on Saturday, January 4 to begin PSAC West action. The Golden Knights host Western Division preseason favorite California (Pa.) in a rematch of last year's PSAC Championship game.
 
The Golden Knights last played on December 21, escaping Lock Haven with an 89-84 win over the Bald Eagles. Head coach Eastern Bazzoli's team has now run off ten straight wins to improve to 10-2 overall. The win boosted Gannon to 6-0 in the PSAC West. The Golden Knights were ranked 17th in the most recent D2CSC Top 25 rankings.
 
Gannon, West Virginia State and California (Pa.) all earned berths in the Atlantic Regional last year. The Yellow Jackets actually lost to Cal in the regional quarterfinals.
 
West Virginia State has a 5-5 record, 3-3 in the Mountain East Conference, and looks to snap a two-game losing streak. The Yellow Jackets were 20-10 a year ago.
 
This is the third straight game for WVSU playing one of the top scoring teams in Division II. Gannon comes in fifth in the country in scoring. The Yellow Jackets' last game was against Bluefield State, who is fourth, and before that they played West Liberty, who is ninth. The Yellow Jackets are 28th in Div. II in scoring at 86.8 ppg.
 
Cal has faced an inordinate number of injuries to start the season. The Vulcans were chosen as the Western Division favorite, with Gannon third, after posting the second-most wins in team history at 28-5 a year ago. Cal won its first six games to start the season and climbed to fourth in the national rankings. But that was followed by seven straight losses before an 87-73 win at Kutztown on December 21.
 
The Cal game will be Gannon's final contest at Hagerty Family Events Center. The Golden Knights will play at Indiana (Pa.) (Jan. 8) and at Edinboro (Jan. 11) before returning to the Highmark Events Center for the first time since December 19, 2023. The Golden Knights host Slippery Rock on Wednesday, January 15. 

The Knight Watch:
Record:  10-2, 6-0 PSAC West
Head Coach: Easton Bazzoli (1st year)
  • Gannon made it 10 wins on a row with an 89-84 win at Lock Haven on December 21. That was the last game for the Golden Knights in 2024. They enter the New Year with a 10-2 record and are a perfect 6-0 in PSAC action. Gannon has climbed to 17th in the most recent D2CSC Div. II Top 25.
  • After leading Division II in scoring a year ago the Golden Knights come in averaging 97.5 ppg., good for fifth in the country. In addition, the Golden Knights lead Division II in turnovers forced per game (24.17) and are also first in turnover margin at +9.6.
  • Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) led Gannon with 18 points and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is averaging 18.6 ppg. and has made 36-of-101 3-pointers.
  • Cal Baptist transfer Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) adds 14.5 ppg. and ranks 12th in the Div. II in rebounding at 10.3 per game. Goodrick is a 6-foot-9 sophomore who has had six double-doubles.    
  • Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) is another transfer who has played a huge role. A 6-foot-1 grad transfer from Union (Tenn.), DeBuck is averaging 13.0 ppg. with 36 assists and 23 steals. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the floor.
  • Freshmen continue to play a key role for the Golden Knights. Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) has started all 12 games at guard and is averaging 12.9 ppg. while ranking second in assists (48) and leading in steals (26). Fellow guard Lucas Sekasi (Washington, DC/Jackson-Reed) leads the team in assists with 51 while coming off the bench and is averaging 7.3 ppg. Mason Kemp (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley) has emerged as the top reserve in th post. While only averaging just under 13 minutes he averages 7.5 ppg.
Scouting West Virginia State
Record:  5-5, 3-3 MEC        
Head Coach: Bryan Poore (26th year)
Top Players: Miguel Martinez (G, 6-4, R-Jr., 16.5 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 19-of-48 3's); Jaedaun Slack (F, 6-6, Sr., 17.3 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 17-of-48 3-pointers); Arthur Cox (F/C, 6-8, Sr., 12.4 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 28 asts., 55.4 FG%); Jaden Byers (G, 6-2, Jr., 10.5 ppg., 3.0 rpg.); Nate Mims (G/F, 6-6, R-Jr., 10.0 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 13 blks.)
  • West Virginia State head coach Bryan Poore is in his 26th season as the head coach. Since taking over in 1999 he has compiled a 421-316 record, a school record for wins. Including one season at Charleston (WV) he is 433-328.
  • The Yellow Jackets earned a berth in the Atlantic Regional last year. The No. 7 seed, they suffered a 96-80 loss to California (Pa.) in the quarterfinals to end the year at 20-10. West Virginia State was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain East Conference preseason poll.
  • West Virginia State had run off back-to-back wins in MEC action but enter the New Year with two straight losses. The Yellow Jackets nearly rallied to upset fourth-ranked West Liberty before coming up short 92-89, then ended 2024 with a high-scoring 112-106 loss at Bluefield State on December 17.
  • Arthur Cox was a second team All-MEC selection a year ago. The 6-foot-8 senior is one of five Yellow Jackets averaging in double figures. He comes in at 12.4 ppg. and 4.9 rpg.
  • Jaedaun Slack, a 6-foot-6 senior, leads the team in scoring at 17.3 ppg. Miguel Martinez, a 6-foot-4 redshirt junior, adds 16.5 ppg. and a team-high 6.8 rpg.
  • Kenyon Giles is not one of the five Yellow Jackets in double digits, but the 5-foot-11 freshman comes off a 31-point effort vs. Bluefield State.
Scouting California (Pa.)
Record:  7-7, 2-4 PSAC West
Head Coach: Danny Sancomb (7th year at Cal, 18th year overall)
Top Players: Donald Whitehead, Jr. (G, 5-10, Jr., 17.4 ppg., 34 asts., 11 stls., 28-of-70 3's); Cam Polak (G, 6-2, R-Jr., 15.6 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 29 asts., 32-of-95 3's, 94.3 FT%); Jordyn Buchanon (G/F, 6-4, Fr., 10.1 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 14-of-52 3's); Dalman Alexander (F, 6-8, So., 8.9 ppg., 8.0 rpg., 15 blks.); Kadyn Hannah (F, 6-4, Sr., 8.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg.)
  • After being chosen the preseason favorite in the PSAC West California (Pa.) has battled numerous injuries this season. The Vulcans come in at 7-7 after an 87-73 win over Kutztown on Dec. 21. That snapped a seven game losing streak after Cal opened the year with six straight wins and climbed to fourth in the Division II rankings.
  • Head coach Danny Sancomb has had to use ten different players as starters, with Cam Polak the only Vulcan to start all 14 games. Keith Palek III, a multi-talented 6-foot-8 senior and 1,000-point scorer, has missed the last eight games with an injury. He was averaging 11.3 ppg. and 8.5 rpg. at the time. Bryson Lucas, a 6-foot-7 junior who was the 2024 PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year, has played in just three games. Donald Whitehead, Jr. has missed four of the last five games. The 5-foot-10 junior was averaging 19.4 ppg. over his first eight contests and comes in at 17.4 ppg.
  • The numerous injuries have afforded a number of players to step up. Polak was a known commodity. A 6-foot-2 redshirt junior, he is averaging 15.6 ppg. with 32 3-pointers in 96 attempts. He played in just one game a year ago but averaged 13.7 ppg. in 2022-23.
  • Kadyn Hannah has started 12 games after never starting a game in two previous seasons at Cal. The 6-foot-4 senior is averaging 8.5 ppg. and 5.6 rpg. Jordyn Buchanon and Dalman Alexander have each started eight games. Buchanon is a 6-foot-4 freshman who is averaging 10.1 ppg. and 4.0 rpg. Alexander, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, adds 8.9 ppg. and a team-high 8.0 rpg.
Next for the Golden Knights: Gannon plays back-to-back road games beginning with a game at Indiana (Pa.) on Wednesday, January 8. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.
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Players Mentioned

Derrick James

#12 Derrick James

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Ernest Shelton

#4 Ernest Shelton

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Lucas Sekasi

#2 Lucas Sekasi

G
6' 5"
Freshman
Justin DeBuck

#5 Justin DeBuck

G
6' 1"
Graduate Student
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

Derrick James

#12 Derrick James

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Ernest Shelton

#4 Ernest Shelton

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Lucas Sekasi

#2 Lucas Sekasi

6' 5"
Freshman
G
Justin DeBuck

#5 Justin DeBuck

6' 1"
Graduate Student
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