Lyle Tipton
Cody Exley

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

Game Preview: Streaking Golden Knights Host Clarion in Search of 12th Straight Win

CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (7-17, 5-13 PSAC West) at No. 7/4 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (22-2, 16-2 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 17, 2024 | 3:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS l LIVE VIDEO

GAME NOTES

THE GANNON-CLARION ALL-TIME SERIES
Gannon leads 49-13     
In a series that first began in 1948-49, Gannon has won the last 16 meetings with Clarion. A year ago Gannon snapped a 15-game losing streak to start the season with a 73-62 win at Clarion on January 23, then completed the sweep with an 81-69 win at the Highmark Events Center on February 15. The Golden Knights won this year's first meeting on January 20 by a 95-73 score at Tippin Gymnasium.

Last Meeting:  Jan. 20, 2024 – Gannon 95, Clarion 73 I RECAP
Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) scored a game-high 25 points and reached a milestone to lead Gannon to its 16th straight win over Clarion. After scoring 1,758 points at Geneva Tipton pushed his career total past 2,000 points. It was Tipton who woke up a Gannon squad that found itself trailing to Clarion by a 25-17 margin with 11:26 left in the first half. Tipton scored a pair of baskets during an 8-0 run that tied the game at 25-all. The Golden Knights used a 17-6 spurt to go up 45-37 and in all outscored the Golden Eagles 31-14 after Clarion had gone ahead by eight points. Holding a 64-56 advantage, Gannon outscored Clarion 16-3 at one point and the Golden Knights led 80-59. Tipton led three Golden Knights in double figures with 25 points. He made 10-of-13 field goals, including both 3-point attempts, and 3-for-3 at the line. Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa) added 15 points, making 3-of-6 3-pointers, and led Gannon with seven rebounds. Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) contributed 14 points. All told eleven Golden Knights scored. The bench featured a nine-point effort by freshman Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge). Gannon forced 30 turnovers and had 20 steals while turning it over just 10 times. Nigel Haughton (Bel Air, Md./South Kent) had five steals as eight different players registered a theft. Gannon held a 38-11 edge in points off turnovers.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon men's basketball team will look to keep a couple of streaks intact when the Golden Knights host Clarion on Saturday, February 17 at Hagerty Family Events Center. Tipoff is 3:00 p.m.
 
The Golden Knights extended their winning streak to 11 games on Wednesday with a 94-91 win over Slippery Rock. It left them with a perfect 13-0 record at home, which includes games at both the Highmark Events Center and Hagerty Family Events Center. The victory boosted a Gannon team that is ranked fourth in the latest D2CSC Media Poll and seventh in the NABC Top 25 to 22-2 overall and 16-2 in PSAC West play.
 
One other streak exists also for the Golden Knights. Following a 95-73 win over Clarion on January 20 Gannon has now won the last 16 meetings with Clarion. The Golden Eagles are 7-17 and 5-13 in the PSAC West after suffering a 95-66 loss at No. 14 California (Pa.) on Wednesday. It was Clarion's second straight loss and ninth in the last ten games.
 
First-year head coach Jordan Fee has transformed a Gannon team that was 3-23 a year ago into one that has climbed into the top five in Division II.

The Golden Knights are on their second long winning streak of the season after running out to a 10-0 start under Fee.
 
Picked to finish seventh in the PSAC West in the preseason poll, Fee brought in nine new players to replenish the roster and has energized the program with a fast-paced, entertaining style of play. The Golden Knights reached 100 points for the 13th time this season recently against Edinboro and have twice set the school record for points in a game. They scored 146 points vs. Penn State DuBois and 140 vs. Glenville State. The Golden Knights remain the leading scoring team in Division II at 104.8 ppg.
 
Gannon earned the regular season sweep over Slippery Rock thanks to another narrow win on Wednesday. Playing without top outside threat Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa), the Golden Knights fell behind by 18 points midway through the first half before rallying to take a nine-point lead later in the half. Gannon would hold off The Rock 94-91 after claiming the first meeting 95-90 in overtime.


LAST TIME OUT
Gannon 94, Slippery Rock 91 – Things didn't appear promising when Slippery Rock scored the first nine points of the game and jumped out to a 33-15 advantage less than ten minutes into the game. In a monumental swing, Gannon outscored SRU 41-16 the rest of the half, at one point taking a nine-point lead. The Golden Knights led by 11 points early in the second half but a 10-0 SRU run left things close the rest of the way. Slippery Rock gained a momentary 74-73 lead but Gannon claimed the lead for good with 9:18 remaining on a Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) jumper. The game still remained tight down the stretch but a pair of Omojafo free throws with 11 seconds left gave Gannon the 3-point lead and Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) came up with a steal at midcourt with six seconds to play. Omojafo finished with 22 points for his 13th game with 20-or-more points. He was one of five Golden Knights in double digits. Derrick James (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) added 14 points and six steals, with Tipton totaling 13 points. Freshman Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) had his second double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) contributed 10 points in 10 minutes.
 
California (Pa.) 95, Clarion 66 – Clarion was unable to upset a California (Pa.) team that came in ranked 14th in Division II and proceeded to 58 percent in the second half. The Vulcans made 24-of-31 free throws while Clarion was 5-of-9. In addition the Vulcans held a 49-36 advantage on the glass. Cam Kearney had a strong game for the Golden Eagles with 19 points and eight rebounds. Steve Kelly added 11 points and Jeremy Thomas II totaled eight points and 10 rebounds.  
 
Gannon Makes Slight Jump in National Rankings
Gannon made a slight climb in the Division II national rankings following a pair of victories last week. The Golden Knights remained fourth in the D2CSC Media Poll while moving up one spot from eighth to seventh in the NABC Top 25. Gannon improved to 21-2 under first-year head coach Jordan Fee thanks to a 124-82 win over Edinboro and a 91-89 triumph at Indiana (Pa.). A week ago the Golden Knights climbed into the top five for the first time. Gannon has wins over three teams in each poll following the recent 107-98 victory over California (Pa.).
 
Omojafo Makes the Cut to Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List  
A month ago Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) was named to the Bevo Francis Top 100 Watch List for the 2023-24 season. Today The National Awards Committee and Small College Basketball announced the pared down number of candidates as the Top 50 Watch List was released, with Omojafo making the cut. It consists of some of the top players from NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA, USCAA and NCCAA. The Clarence "Bevo" Francis Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within Small College Basketball. Omojafo is a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Hamilton, Ontario. He has led the resurgence of Gannon men's basketball under first-year head coach Jordan Fee. One of the most improved players in the PSAC after averaging 8.2 ppg. as a freshman, Omojafo leads Gannon and is tied for second in the PSAC in scoring at 20.1 ppg. He is shooting 50.7 percent from the floor with 19 3-pointers in 58 attempts. In addition he is closing in on the Gannon record for free throws made with 161 in 194 attempts, good for fifth in the PSAC in free throw percentage at 83.0 percent. He is second in the PSAC and fourth nationally in free throws made. Omojafo ranks fourth on the team in steals (36) and has 32 assists. He scored 22 points on Wednesday in a 94-91 win over Slippery Rock, his 13th game with 20-or-more points. That includes three games of 30-or-more points. He dropped in a career-high 32 points vs. West Chester along with scoring at Bloomsburg and 30 at California (Pa.). On March 15th, the Top 25 players will be announced. On April 5th, the finalists of this year's award will be announced, followed by the Bevo Francis Award winner being crowned on April 8th.
 
Montano Named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week
Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) was selected the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week on Monday, the second time the freshman has earned the award. Montano helped the Golden Knights run their winning streak to ten straight games with a 124-82 win Edinboro last Wednesday followed by a 91-89 triumph at Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday. A 6-foot-7 guard/forward, the native of Alexandria, Va. came off the bench in both games as part of first-year head coach Jordan Fee's "second wave". In 18 minutes against Edinboro he finished with seven rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal on the defensive end while totaling nine points and four assists on the offensive end. On Saturday he was a force on the boards as Gannon won at IUP for the first time since the 2013-14. He pulled down 12 rebounds, including seven defensive, adding a steal. In addition, he contributed eight points and an assist while playing 16 minutes. It was the third time this season Montano has pulled down 10-or-more rebounds. He made it a fourth on Wednesday with his second double-double of the season vs. Slippery Rock, finishing with 13 points and 12 boards.
 
For Second Time in a Week Gannon Overcomes Loss of a Starter
Derrick James (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) missed the Edinboro game recently but has returned to play the last two games. On Wednesday it was Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa) who was dealing with an injury and unavailable to play vs. Slippery Rock. The Golden Knights were able to hold off SRU 94-91 without their top 3-point threat. Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) came off the bench to hit a pair of three's and was also fouled on a 3-point attempt. The freshman scored 10 points in 10 minutes of action.
 
11-Game Winning Streak Longest Since 2001-02
Gannon opened the 2023-24 campaign with ten straight victories. The Golden Knights suffered losses to Millersville and California (Pa.) but since the latter loss have run off 11 straight wins. That is the longest winning streak since the 2001-02 team opened the year with 14 straight wins.
 
22 Wins the Most Since 2017-18
Gannon's 22 wins are the most since the 2017-18 team finished the year at 22-10. Next up is the 2014-15 Golden Knight edition that finished at 23-9.
 
James Makes Triumphant Return
Derrick James (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) sat out the Edinboro game with an injury suffered in the previous game vs. California (Pa.). The sophomore guard was not needed during the 124-82 win over Edinboro, but his presence was definitely necessary at Indiana (Pa.). He played 26 minutes and while only scoring two points, he accounted for the game-winning points with a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds left, lifting the Golden Knights to a 91-89 win.
 
Gannon Wins at IUP for First Time Since 2013-14
Last Saturday Gannon held off Indiana (Pa.) 91-89 to win on the Crimson Hawks' homecourt for the first time since a 67-62 win in 2013-14. The Golden Knights previously defeated IUP 84-58 in January and completed the regular season sweep on Saturday. It's the first time with the regular season sweep since that same 2013-14 season.   
 
Gannon Remains Perfect at Home
Wednesday's 94-91 win over Slippery Rock kept the Golden Knights undefeated at home this year at 13-0. Gannon has called two courts "home" this season. They went 6-0 at the Highmark Events Center before it was shut down for renovations. Since that time Gannon has called Cathedral Prep's Hagerty Family Events Center home and has run off wins in all seven contests at that facility.
 
Golden Knights Record First Win over Ranked Team since 2020-21
The recent matchup between Gannon and California (Pa.) featured a pair of nationally-ranked squads, with Gannon seventh in the D2CSC poll and Cal tenth, and the Golden Knights ranked ninth in the NABC Top 25 while the Vulcans were 14th. It marked Gannon's first win over a nationally-ranked team since they swept back-to-back games over Daemen in 2020-21, the COVID year.   
 
High Scoring Halves the Norm
Gannon has led Division II in scoring all season. The Golden Knights currently sit at 104.8 ppg. With the top-scoring team in the country comes a lot of high-scoring halves. Gannon has played 48 total halves of basketball this season and scored 50-or-more points in 25 of them and 60-or-more on 13 occasions. The 13th came a week ago Wednesday as Gannon jumped out to a 69-36 lead over Edinboro at halftime.
 
Scouting Clarion
Clarion visits Hagerty Family Events Center looking to snap a two-game losing streak that has dropped the Golden Eagles to 7-17 overall and 5-13 in the PSAC West. They have lost nine of their last ten games, interrupted by a 94-70 win over Pitt-Johnstown on February 7. Head coach Damian Pitts has assembled a young squad with talent. Four players are scoring in double digits and a fifth falls just under the mark. Cam Kearney, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, leads the way at 16.1 ppg. along with 5.8 rpg. He has made 31-of-86 3-pointers. Steve Kelly, a senior point guard, adds 13.9 ppg. and ranks among the PSAC leaders in assists with 105. Kelly has made 27-of-85 3-pointers. Six-foot-five redshirt freshman Jeremy Thomas II is the top rebounder at 7.5 rpg. along with scoring 10.5 ppg. Thomas is shooting 56.6 percent from the floor. Jayson Harris, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, is the fourth double figure operative at 10.4 ppg. Long-range specialist Gavin Cote, a transfer from Pace, contributes 9.7 ppg. while making 46-of-109 trifectas. Clarion averages 73.6 ppg. but is allowing 78.8 ppg.   

Next for the Golden Knights
It's rivalry time round two for Gannon as the Golden Knights play at Mercyhurst on Wednesday, February 21. Tipoff at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center is 7:30 p.m.
 
 
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Players Mentioned

Nigel Haughton

#10 Nigel Haughton

G
6' 1"
Graduate Student
Zachary Hobbs

#24 Zachary Hobbs

G/F
6' 4"
Graduate Student
Derrick James

#12 Derrick James

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Mike Montano

#1 Mike Montano

G/F
6' 7"
Freshman
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Ernest Shelton

#14 Ernest Shelton

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Lyle Tipton

#33 Lyle Tipton

G/F
6' 3"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Nigel Haughton

#10 Nigel Haughton

6' 1"
Graduate Student
G
Zachary Hobbs

#24 Zachary Hobbs

6' 4"
Graduate Student
G/F
Derrick James

#12 Derrick James

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Mike Montano

#1 Mike Montano

6' 7"
Freshman
G/F
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Ernest Shelton

#14 Ernest Shelton

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Lyle Tipton

#33 Lyle Tipton

6' 3"
Graduate Student
G/F