Carissa Dunham
Taylor Brown

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

Game Preview: No. 2/3 Gannon Faces Stern Test at Indiana (Pa.) in Battle of Top Two Teams in PSAC West

No. 2/3 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (24-1, 16-0 PSAC West) at INDIANA (PA) CRIMSON HAWKS (15-5, 11-4 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 10, 2024 | 1:00 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 26-23    
Gannon made it four wins in the last six meetings in the series with a 68-52 win over the Crimson Hawks on January 13 at Hagerty Family Events Center. A year ago Gannon swept the regular season series for the first time since 2013-14 after a 94-88 win over IUP last January and a 77-61 victory in February at IUP. The Golden Knights snapped a 10-game losing streak to IUP in the 2020 PSAC Championship, winning the first of back-to-back conference crowns by a 50-40 margin. The series first began in 1979-80.

The Last Meeting
Jan. 13, 2024 – at Gannon 68, Indiana (Pa.) 52 I RECAP
The Gannon women's basketball team completed a brutal stretch of three games in eight days with a 68-52 win over Indiana (Pa.) at the Hagerty Family Events Center on Saturday afternoon. It was the 14th straight win for the Golden Knights.  Gannon held a 28-22 lead at the half but the Crimson Hawks would score the first four points of the third quarter and suddenly Gannon's advantage was just 28-26. The Golden Knights gained some breathing room with the next six points, four by Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North). Leading 38-31 midway through the third quarter the Golden Knights went on an 8-0 run to pull ahead 46-31 with 2:57 remaining. Gannon would hold a 50-39 lead after three quarters. Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) led all scorers with 23 points, making 10-of-19 field goals, including 3-of-7 3-pointers. Pirosko totaled 17 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) added 10 points.


ERIE, Pa. – After surviving a near upset against Edinboro on Wednesday Gannon now faces a difficult encounter at Indiana (Pa.) in a matchup of the top two teams in the PSAC West. Wednesday's 57-54 win over Edinboro left Gannon with a 21-game winning streak and a 24-1 overall record, including 16-0 in the Western Division. IUP enters with a 15-5 record and 11-4 in conference play.

Gannon is ranked second in Division II the latest WBCA Top 25 and is third in the D2CSC Media Poll. The 21-game winning streak is the second-longest in school history, bettered only by a 37-game stretch in 2009-10.

While Gannon was escaping with a 3-point win over Edinboro on Wednesday night Indiana (Pa.) was not far away and on the other end of a 3-point decision as the Crimson Hawks dropped a 66-63 decision at Mercyhurst. However, IUP has lost just once at Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Center, that a one-point decision to Edinboro. They had run off four straight wins since before the setback at Mercyhurst.

There's not many times that a team can shoot 31.7 percent from the floor and win, but that's what Gannon did on Wednesday. Of course, not many teams have a Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North). The 5-foot-10 redshirt senior put the Golden Knights on her back and carried them to victory while in the process accomplishing a significant milestone.

The reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Year, Pirosko had her seventh double-double of the season with 27 points and 10 rebounds. She scored on a key rebound basket and added a pair of free throws in the final minutes to hold off the Fighting Scots.

Early in the second quarter Pirosko made a free throw for her 2,000th career point, becoming the third Golden Knight women's basketball player to reach 2,000 career points. She also pulled into sixth place in career rebounds with 786.  Pirosko leads the PSAC in scoring at 19.2 ppg. and has a streak of 58 straight games in double figures after boosting her career total to 2,022 career points.

Head coach Cleve Wright's team continues to ride a strong defense. Gannon ranks first in the PSAC and sixth in Division II in scoring defense at 53.0 ppg. The Golden Knights have held nine opponents to 50 points or less. In addition, they lead the PSAC in turnover margin (+4.48) while ranking second in the PSAC in steals (10.3) and turnovers forced per game (20.16), along with third in field goal percentage defense (34.8 pct.). That figure is good for 18th nationally. IUP is fifth in the PSAC in scoring defense at 56.9 ppg.

THE LAST TIME OUT
Gannon 57, Edinboro 54 – The night belonged to Sam Pirosko. Early in the second quarter the redshirt senior became the third Golden Knight to score 2,000 career points. She then proceeded to carry Gannon to the narrow victory and a 21st consecutive win. Pirosko finished with her seventh double-double, totaling 27 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists, three blocked shots and a pair of steals. Gannon trailed at the half for just the second time this season at 26-24. In a game that featured four ties and 14 lead changes Gannon held a five-point lead early in the fourth quarter, only to see Edinboro pull ahead 53-52 with 1:31 remaining. With a minute to play Pirosko gathered in her own miss and scored to give the Golden Knights a 54-53 lead. She then came up with a steal and defense and went to the foul line, making a pair with 26 seconds remaining for a 56-53 lead. The Fighting Scots came down and made one-of-two free throws with 20 seconds to play, but Trinitee Harris (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) followed with a free throw for a 57-54 lead. Edinboro's Hayley Sims' long 3-point attempt was off the mark and Pirosko tracked down the rebound as the buzzer sounded. Gannon won despite shooting 31.7 percent from the floor.
Mercyhurst 66, Indiana (Pa.) 63 – IUP led 36-25 just after halftime but was done in by a huge third quarter for the Lakers. Mercyhurst outscored the Crimson Hawks 20-5 in the third period. The Lakers held IUP scoreless for the final 6 minutes, 15 seconds of the period while scoring 16 straight points. Four Crimson Hawks scored in double figures as the quartet accounted for all but three of the team's points. Kiera Baughman finished with 19 points to lead all scorers while Rahmena Henderson added 17 points and nine rebounds. Nyshae' Weaver and Maria Cerro added 14 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Pirosko Third Golden Knight to Join the 2000-Point Club
With 7:35 remaining in the second quarter Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) made the first of two free throws for her 2,000th career point. The redshirt senior joined Rona Nesbit (2,340 points) and Kristin Roseberry (2,147) as the third Gannon women's basketball player to reach the milestone.  She ended the night with 27 points to boost her career total to 2,022 points.

Trailing at Halftime a Rarity
Wednesday's 57-54 win over Edinboro featured a rarity for the Golden Knights. Gannon had previously trailed just once this season at the half, that coming against Glenville State. It ended up being Gannon's lone loss of the season. Edinboro held a 26-24 lead at intermission on Wednesday but Gannon outscored the Fighting Scots 19-12 in the third quarter to regain the lead. 

Pirosko Repeats as PSAC West Athlete of the Week
Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) repeated as the PSAC West Athlete of the Week when the league announced its award winners on Monday. It is the fifth time this year she has been honored by the conference, including four times as the Athlete of the Week. She has now received a PSAC weekly honor 12 times in her career. Pirosko led the Golden Knights in scoring and rebounding in wins over Seton Hill and California (Pa.). Against Seton Hill the 5-foot-10 redshirt senior scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds while playing just 25 minutes. Lat Saturday Pirosko spearheaded the victory over Cal (Pa.) with a 23-point, 9-rebound effort.

Freshmen Playing Huge Role in Team's Success
Prior to the start of the season head coach Cleve Wright extolled the virtues of a recruiting class that included six freshmen plus transfers Trinitee Harris (Elkhart, Ind./Elkhart Central) and Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria). Harris and Dunham have been valuable contributors in the backcourt while combining for 34 starts. But the play of the freshmen has been instrumental in Gannon's 24-1 record. Including redshirt freshman Andrea Maibach (Creston, Ohio/Norwayne), the first-year performers have combined to make 19 starts. The 6-foot-2 post player is averaging 6.8 ppg. and 4.4 rpg. Six-foot guard Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) has started the last nine games and is averaging 5.1 ppg. and 2.9 rpg. with 38 steals. Wright has entrusted a pair of freshmen to key minutes at point guard. Olivia Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) is averaging 13.6 minutes per game and Tori Mayes (Lake City, Pa./Cathedral Prep) just under ten. Mayes has started five games this season and has stepped up recently with injuries limiting Cernuto and Harris. At any given time 2-3 freshmen can be found on the court.

Sam on a Roll
Samantha Pirosko (Eastlake, Ohio/Eastlake North) has been on a roll of late, averaging 25.7 ppg. over the last six games. She scored a career-high 35 points recently vs. Mercyhurst to move into third place in career scoring at Gannon. On Wednesday she recorded her sixth straight game with 20-or-more points and seventh double-double this season, finishing the night with 27 points and 10 rebounds. The 35-point outing vs. Mercyhurst was her sixth game of 30-or-more points in her career. She also moved into sixth place in career rebounds with 786. Pirosko ranks among Gannon's career leaders in several other categories including one that recognizes her longevity. She has now appeared in 130 career games, tied for third all-time. Sydney Mitchell holds the career record with 132 games.  

Golden Knights Achieve Ninth 20-Win Season Under Wright
Gannon recently reached 20 wins with a 69-44 win over Mercyhurst. The 24-1 record marks the ninth 20-win season under head coach Cleve Wright and the third in a row. In fact, factor out the abbreviated 2020-21 COVID-19 season when Gannon finished at 13-1 and it is four straight 20-win seasons since Wright returned for his second tenure as Gannon's head coach. He departed after the 2012-13 season with back-to-back 20-win campaigns. In other words, Wright has now led the Golden Knights to six straight 20-win seasons when factoring out the COVID season.

Gannon Remains Second, Third in Latest National Polls
For the third straight week Gannon is second in the WBCA Division II Top 25 along with third in the D2CSC Media Poll. Head coach Cleve Wright's squad jumped two spots to third in the WBCA Top 25 before the holidays after being ranked fifth a week earlier. The second-place ranking is the highest attained by the Golden Knights since they were also second throughout the first half of the 2013-14 season. The WBCA poll at that time was the USA Today Sports Division II Top 25. Gannon held down the top spot in that poll in the USA Today Sports Top 25 for two weeks at the end of the 2009-10 season.

Streaks Nothing New for Wright's Teams
Gannon extended its winning streak to 21 games with Wednesday's 57-54 win over Edinboro. It is now the second-longest streak in school history, bettered only by a run of 37 straight games to open the 2009-10 season. Long winning streaks are almost common for head coach Cleve Wright's teams. A year ago the Golden Knights had a 12-game winning streak and later an 11-game winning streak. The 2020-21 team enjoyed a nine-game winning streak. All told Wright's Gannon teams have now had eight winning streaks of ten games or more. In 2006-07 Gannon won 10 straight games, and the 2008-09 team matched that and also had a nine-game winning streak. Wright's last team in his first tenure in 2012-13 team won 14 straight games. The next year the Golden Knights won 17 games in a row under Jim Brunelli. The 1977-78 team also won 18 straight games, which was previously the second-longest until recently.

Pirosko Third Among Active Scorers in Division II
Samantha Pirokso is currently third in Division II in active scoring. Pirosko has scored 2,022 career points. Carson-Newman's Braelyn Wykle is the leading active scorer in Division II with 2,500 points, with Annie Roshak of Ashland is next with 2,174 points.

Gannon D Among the Elite
Gannon's defense ranks among the best in Division II in numerous categories. The Golden Knights rank first in the PSAC and sixth in Division II in scoring defense at 53.0 ppg. They have held nine opponents to 50 points or less. In addition, they lead the PSAC in turnover margin (+4.48) while ranking second in the PSAC in steals (10.3) and turnovers forced per game (20.16), along with third in field goal percentage defense (34.8 pct.). That figure is good for 18th nationally.

Scouting Indiana (Pa.)
For many years Indiana (Pa.) ranked among the top teams in the conference and region. A year ago the Crimson Hawks saw their string of seven straight 20-win seasons come to an end – barely – as IUP finished at 18-10. Picked to finish third in the PSAC West, second-year head coach Craig Carey's team sits in second place in the Western Division at 11-4 and is 15-5 overall. Carey added several newcomers to the roster, most notably Rahmena Henderson and Nyshae' Weaver. Henderson is a 5-foot-8 junior who previously played at Southeast Missouri. She is averaging 16.4 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. while making 40-of-112 3-pointers. Weaver joined IUP by way of Alderson Broaddus. A 6-foot-0 sophomore, she is averaging 10.2 ppg. and a team-high 8.9 rpg. Teirra Preston is the top returning player. A 6-foot-0 forward she is averaging 10.3 ppg. and 8.1 rpg. Kiera Baughman is a fourth Crimson Hawk scoring in double digits at 10.5 ppg. with 26 3-pointers in 82 attempts.

Next for the Golden Knights
Gannon returns to Hagerty Family Events Center for its fourth game in the last five outings hosting Slippery Rock on Wednesday, February 14. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Sophomore
Andrea Maibach

#34 Andrea Maibach

P
6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

P
5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
Olivia Cernuto

#5 Olivia Cernuto

G
5' 7"
Freshman
Trinitee Harris

#11 Trinitee Harris

PG
5' 7"
Junior
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

G
5' 7"
Sophomore
Tori Mayes

#15 Tori Mayes

PG
5' 4"
Freshman
Kate Ratliff

#23 Kate Ratliff

G
6' 0"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

5' 7"
Sophomore
G
Andrea Maibach

#34 Andrea Maibach

6' 2"
Redshirt Freshman
P
Samantha Pirosko

#44 Samantha Pirosko

5' 10"
Redshirt Senior
P
Olivia Cernuto

#5 Olivia Cernuto

5' 7"
Freshman
G
Trinitee Harris

#11 Trinitee Harris

5' 7"
Junior
PG
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

5' 7"
Sophomore
G
Tori Mayes

#15 Tori Mayes

5' 4"
Freshman
PG
Kate Ratliff

#23 Kate Ratliff

6' 0"
Freshman
G