Nigel Haughton vs. Edinboro
Taylor Brown

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

Game Preview: No. 8/4 Golden Knights Put Nine-Game Winning Streak on the Line at Indiana (Pa.)

No. 8/4 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (20-2, 14-2 PSAC West) at INDIANA (PA) CRIMSON HAWKS (14-7, 11-4 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 10, 2024 | 3:00 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Kovalchick Convocation & Athletic Center l Indiana, Pa.
LIVE STATS l LIVE VIDEO

GAME NOTES

THE GANNON-IUP ALL-TIME SERIES
IUP leads 32-26     
IUP had won nine of the last ten meetings before Gannon handed the Crismon Hawks an 84-58 defeat at Hagerty Family Events Center on January 13. Prior to that IUP had swept the Golden Knights in back-to-back seasons. The two teams first met during the 1957-58 season. Gannon has not swept the two regular season games with the Crimson Hawks since the 2013-14 season.
 
Last Meeting:  Jan. 13, 2024 – at Gannon 84, Indiana (Pa.) 58 I RECAP
The Golden Knights snapped a five-game losing streak to IUP while once again validating their turnaround from 2022-23. The Crimson Hawks had won 14 of the last 16 meetings. The 26-point margin of victory was the largest since a 27-point win in 2001-02. Defense was the name of the game for the Golden Knights, limiting the Crimson Hawks to 23 points in the first half and 58 in the game. IUP shot just 40.8 percent from the floor, going 5-of-25 on 3-pointers. Gannon, meanwhile, shot 50 percent-or-better for the tenth time this season, finishing at 52.5 percent (31-of-59). Gannon forced 25 turnovers and held a 30-15 advantage in points off turnovers. IUP led just once in the game, that coming at 2-0. The Golden Knights proceeded to sprint out of the gates with the next 18 points to take an 18-2 lead over the first six minutes. During that period IUP committed seven turnovers that led to 11 Gannon points. The Crimson Hawks pulled to within seven points at 22-15 midway through the first half. The Golden Knights closed the half on a 22-6 run to go ahead 46-23 at the half. Gannon shot 62.1 percent (18-of-29) over the first 20 minutes and made 6-of-11 3-pointers. Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) and Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) led the way with 21 points apiece. Tipton added a team-high seven rebounds while making 8-of-12 field goals, including a 3-pointer, and going 4-for-4 at the line. Omojafo made 7-of-14 field goals with a 3-pointer and was 6-of-7 at the line. Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa) was a third Golden Knight in double digits with 12 points as eleven Golden Knights scored in all.
 

ERIE, Pa. – With PSAC divisional play into the second half of the season Gannon faces a key road encounter at Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday, February 10. The Golden Knights won their ninth straight game on Wednesday with a 124-82 victory over Edinboro to remain in first place in the PSAC West.
 
The Golden Knights improved to 20-2 with the victory, the first 20-win season since 2017-18. More importantly, they sit atop the Western Division standings at 14-2 and have clinched a PSAC Tournament berth. Gannon is one game ahead of California (Pa.) (13-3) and two games ahead of IUP (11-4). The top two teams in the division will receive a first-round bye in the tournament.
 
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 jumped three spots to fourth in this week's D2CSC Media Poll, along with eighth in the NABC Top 25.
 
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 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 106.0 ppg.
 
IUP has enjoyed huge success under long-time head coach Joe Lombardi, who has won over 400 games in his 18 seasons at the helm. After a slow start IUP has rallied for a 15-5 record and had won five of six games before losing 93-85 in double overtime at Mercyhurst on Wednesday.  


LAST TIME OUT
Gannon 124, Edinboro 82 – Gannon finished a regular season sweep of Edinboro with an impressive offensive showing. The Golden Knights used several big spurts to run away from the Fighting Scots, shooting 54.1 percent for the game, including 59.6 percent in the first half. Gannon jumped out to a 69-36 halftime lead. All 13 players who dressed scored, with four players in double figures. Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) putting on a show despite playing just 19 minutes. Omojafo led Gannon with 20 points, including a pair of highlight-reel slam dunks. He made 8-of-12 field goals. Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) added 19 points and 8-of-10 shooting from the floor. Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) came off the bench to make 5-of-9 3-pointers and finish with a team-high 21 points. Nathan Schneider (Kersey, Pa./St. Marys Area) added 11 points while Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) contributed nine points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots.
 
Mercyhurst 93, Indiana (Pa.) 85 2ot – IUP sent the game into overtime at 70-70 on a basket by KJ Rhodes with two seconds remaining, then rallied from a five-point deficit to reach double overtime at 79-all on Garvin Clarke's 3-pointer with 19 seconds remaining. The Crimson Hawks never led in the second overtime as Mercyhurst scored the first ten points in the session. Clarke and Porterfield each played all 50 minutes, with Clarke scoring 24 points and Porterfield contributing 22 points and 16 rebounds. Bryce Radford made six 3-pointers to finish with 18 points while Rhodes also chipped in with 18 markers.  The quartet combined for all but three of IUP's points.
 
Gannon Moves into Top Five in D2CSC Media Poll
The Gannon men's basketball team's ascent in the Division II national rankings continued this week with the Golden Knights climbing into the top five in one poll.  Gannon recorded wins over Seton Hill and nationally-ranked California (Pa.) last week to improve to 19-2 under first-year head coach Jordan Fee. The latest national rankings came out on Tuesday, with Gannon moving up three spots from seventh to fourth in the latest D2CSC Media Poll. In addition, they moved up one spot in the NABC Division II Top 25 poll to eighth. Gannon has wins over three teams in each poll following the 107-98 victory over California (Pa.) on Saturday. They previously defeated Charleston (WV) and East Stroudsburg.
 
Omojafo Soars over Fighting Scots
Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) continues to put up big numbers while enjoying a breakout season. The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Hamilton, Ontario needed just 19 minutes to score 20 points against Edinboro. He made 8-of-12 field goals and was a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. Omojafo is third in the PSAC in scoring at 20.2 ppg. He has scored 20-or-more points in 12 games including three games of 30-or-more points. He posted a career-high 32 points vs, West Chester.  Omojafo is quickly climbing Gannon's season free throw records. The sophomore guard helped his cause with a 13-for-14 showing at the line last Saturday vs. California (Pa.). He has now made 151 free throws this season, jumping all the way to second in the season records. His 183 attempts are tied for tenth.
 
Fee Forced to Alter Lineup for First Time
Jordan Fee had employed the same starting five for the first 21 games but on Wednesday he was forced to make a change with Derrick James (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) unavailable. Fee turned to freshman Mason Bennett (Canton, Ga./Cherokee) to make his career start. Nigel Haughton (Bel Air, Md./South Kent) took over at point guard and finished with a season-high six assists.   
 
Shelton's Sweet Stroke
Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) returned to the "second wave" recently and proved on Wednesday night he can provide instant offense. The 6-foot-4 freshman with the sweet shooting stroke made 5-of-9 3-pointers to end the night with a team-high 21 points. It was his second game of 20-or-more points this season.  
 
Golden Knights Clinch Berth in PSAC Tournament
Last Saturday's 107-98 win over California (Pa.) clinched a berth in the PSAC Tournament. The Golden Knights still have plenty to play for. The top two teams in each division receive a first round bye in the tournament. In addition, the top remaining Western Division seed will earn the right to host the PSAC Final Four.    
 
Gannon Remains Perfect at Home
Wednesday's 124-82 win over Edinboro kept the Golden Knights undefeated at home this year at 12-0. 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 six contests at that facility.
 
Omojafo Named PSAC West Athlete of the Week
 
Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) was selected the PSAC West Athlete of the Week on Monday. It marks the second time the native of Hamilton, Ontario has earned the award. On Saturday the Golden Knights clinched a berth in the PSAC Tournament with a 107-98 win over California (Pa.). It was Gannon's eighth straight win. The 6-foot-5 guard led Gannon with 27 points in 28 minutes, making 7-of-14 field goals, including a 3-pointer, while going 13-of-14 at the line. He added five rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot. Earlier in the week on Wednesday he helped hold off Seton Hill 83-79, scoring 22 points and pulling down four rebounds. He made 6-of-11 field goals, including both 3-point attempts, and made 8-of-9 free throws.
 
Gannon Reaches 20-Wins for First Time Since 2017-18
Gannon's 124-82 win over Edinboro boosted the Golden Knights to 20-2 on the season. The last time the Golden Knights reached 20 wins in a season was 2017-18 when they finished at 22-10.
 
Fee Fourth GU Coach with 20 Wins in First Season
Wondering if a Gannon coach has reached 20 wins in his first season at the helm? The answer is yes. It had actually happened three times before Jordan Fee won his 20th game on Wednesday. Ed Sparling leads the way with a 25-4 record in 1974-75. Tom Chapman followed with a 22-9 finish in his first season in 1984-95. Bob Dukiet took over for Chapman in 1989-90 and guided Gannon to a 24-8 finish.
 
Golden Knights Record First Win over Ranked Team since 2020-21
Last Saturday's 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 106.0 ppg. With the top-scoring team in the country comes a lot of high-scoring halves. Gannon has played 44 total halves of basketball this season and scored 50-or-more points in 24 of them and 60-or-more on 13 occasions. The 13th came on Wednesday as Gannon jumped out to a 69-36 lead over Edinboro at halftime.
 
Scouting Indiana (Pa.)   
IUP has enjoyed tremendous success under head coach Joe Lombardi, winning four straight PSAC championships, and 2023-24 is no exception. A year ago the Crimson Hawks finished at 32-2, reaching the finals of the Atlantic Regional. However IUP suffered tremendous losses, with three players who combined for over 1,500 points departing. Despite the losses IUP was picked to finish first in the PSAC West. The Crismon Hawks got over to a slow start at 1-3, but are now up to 14-7 overall and 11-4 in the PSAC West, good for third in the division.  IUP comes off a 93-85 loss in double overtime at Mercyhurst on Wednesday. The Crimson Hawks feature the high-scoring tandem of senior Ethan Porterfield and junior Garvin Clarke. Porterfield, a 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 17.7 ppg. and 9.4 rpg., standing second in scoring and first in rebounding. He ranks among IUP's career leaders in both categories with 1,724 career points and 838 career rebounds. Porterfield has made 53-of-145 3-pointers. Clarke is a transfer from Akron who has been on fire of late. The 6-foot-0 point guard junior has taken over the team lead in scoring at 17.8 ppg. and also leads the team with 102 assists and 44 steals. He adds 6.8 rpg. Clarke is averaging 24.0 ppg. and 8.3 rpg. over the last seven games since being held to six points in the first meeting with Gannon. The Crimson Hawks lost Dallis Dillard to an injury after ten games. The junior guard was averaging 15.8 ppg. and 6.3 rpg. In stepped Bryce Radford, a senior guard who played at IUP in 2021-22 and at WVU Tech last year. Radford just rejoined the team in December. He has played in 11 games and is averaging 13.5 ppg. with 46 3-pointers in 105 attempts. He has made four-or-more 3-pointers in seven games.

Next for the Golden Knights
Gannon returns to action at home for the fourth time in five games on Wednesday, February 14 when Slippery Rock visits Hagerty Family Events Center. While it will be Valentine's Day, there will be little love for the 7:30 p.m. tipoff after Gannon defeated Slippery Rock in overtime in the first meeting.
 
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Players Mentioned

Mason Bennett

#5 Mason Bennett

G
6' 0"
Freshman
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
Nathan Schneider

#23 Nathan Schneider

G
6' 2"
Graduate Student
Ernest Shelton

#14 Ernest Shelton

G
6' 4"
Freshman
Lyle Tipton

#33 Lyle Tipton

G/F
6' 3"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Mason Bennett

#5 Mason Bennett

6' 0"
Freshman
G
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
Nathan Schneider

#23 Nathan Schneider

6' 2"
Graduate Student
G
Ernest Shelton

#14 Ernest Shelton

6' 4"
Freshman
G
Lyle Tipton

#33 Lyle Tipton

6' 3"
Graduate Student
G/F