men's regional
Matt Durisko
65
Charleston (WV) UCM 29-5,17-3 MEC
67
Winner Gannon Gannon 32-2,20-2 PSAC
Charleston (WV) UCM
29-5,17-3 MEC
65
Final
67
Gannon Gannon
32-2,20-2 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Charleston (WV) UCM 41 24 65
Gannon Gannon 27 40 67

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Bob Shreve, Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations

Elite Eight Here We Come! Haughton's Hoop at the Buzzer Rallies Gannon to 67-65 Win over Charleston (WV)

Golden Knights rally from 16 points down to earn first trip to the Elite Eight since 2009

ERIE, Pa. – Nigel Haughton's (Bel Air, Md./South Kent) follow-up basket at the buzzer capped an incredible comeback by Gannon on Tuesday night as the Golden Knights advanced to the Elite Eight with a 67-65 win over Charleston (WV). It marked the only time Gannon led all night. Gannon came into the game ranked third in the final regular season NABC Division II Top 25 while Charleston was seventh.

The victory was No. 1 seed Gannon's 21st in a row and gives the Golden Knights a 32-2 record as they head to Evansville, Ind. for the Elite Eight from March 26-30. Gannon also ended the season undefeated at home at 21-0 while playing the first part of the season at the Highmark Events Center before moving to Cathedral Prep's Hagerty Family Events Center in January.

After trailing the entire game, at one time by as much as 16 points, the Golden Knights battled back to tie the game on three occasions, the last at 65-65 with 54 seconds left when Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) hit a pair of free throws.

Following a Charleston timeout, the Golden Eagles came down and missed a 3-pointer with Haughton grabbing the rebound. First-year head coach Jordan Fee called timeout with 16 seconds remaining to set up one last play.

Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) ended up with the ball as time wound down. He drove the left side of the lane and threw up a desperation shot. Haughton grabbed the rebound under the left side of the basket and his follow-up shot went through the basket as the horn was sounding. The officials reviewed the play and confirmed the basket was good, sending the sold-out crowd into delirium as Haughton was mobbed by his teammates.

 

Charleston (29-5), the number three seed in the Atlantic Regional, came out on fire and quickly jumped out to a double-digit lead at 15-4. They would build the lead to as much as 16 points at 41-25 late in the half before Derrick James' (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) jumper with three seconds left sent the Golden Knights into the locker room trailing 41-27 at intermission.  

The Golden Eagles sizzled from the floor in the opening half, making 63.0 percent from the floor (17-of-27), including 7-of-15 3-pointers as five different players made shots from beyond the arc. The Golden Knights, meanwhile, struggled over the opening 20 minutes at 27.8 percent (10-of-36). In addition Charleston outrebounded Gannon 22-16 in the half.

Charleston still held a 50-37 lead five minutes into the second half when the Golden Knights climbed back into the fray. Six straight points on a pair of Tipton baskets and a James bucket made it 50-43 with 13:36 remaining. The run also brought the crowd back into the game.

Gannon kept trying to inch back but the Golden Eagles continued to hold of the Golden Knights over the next eight minutes as the deficit still remained seven points at 61-54 at the five-minute mark.

That's when the Golden Knights put together their second mini-run of the night, scoring seven points in a row to pull even at 61-61. Omojafo hit three-of-four free throws and Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa) followed with a pair. Tipton knotted the score for the first time since the opening tip as he followed up his own miss with a basket to tie the game with 2:52 left, setting the stage for an incredible ending.

While winning their sixth regional title and a trip to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2009, the Golden Knights did the unthinkable under Fee. They went from 3-23 a year ago to 32-2, setting a school record for victories while producing the largest turnaround in NCAA history at any level.

Gannon came into the game leading Division II in scoring at 102.5 ppg. A strong Charleston defense held the Golden Knights to a season-low point total, but it was the Gannon defense that ended up ruling the day. Gannon limited the Golden Eagles to just 24 points in the second half as the Golden Eagles shot 7-of-18 in the second half with 12 turnovers. After scorching the nets from beyond the arc in the first half UC made just 1-of-11 3-point attempts in the second half.

Gannon, meanwhile, shot 50.0 percent (15-of-30) in the second half to finish the night at 37.9 percent (25-of-66), including 2-of-12 on 3-pointers. Charleston, the number one team in Division II in field goal percentage, ended the night at 53.3 percent (24-of-45), making 8-of-25 3-pointers. Gannon attempted 21 more shots than the Golden Eagles. Gannon went 15-of-21 at the charity stripe while UC was 9-of-10.




The Golden Knights closed the gap on the glass against an athletic and long Charleston squad as UC held a 36-32 advantage, but Gannon pulled down 19 offensive rebounds, the 19th by Haughton to account for the winning basket. Gannon committed a season-low four turnovers while forcing Charleston into 19. That led to a 20-4 advantage in points off turnovers.

Omojafo paced Gannon with 25 points, his 18th game with 20-or-more, and was named the Atlantic Regional Tournament MVP. The 6-foot-5 sophomore made 8-of-18 shots and went 9-of-11 at the line, adding five rebounds. He has scored 680 points this season, the second-highest total ever at Gannon, while setting season records for free throws made (231) and attempted (281).

Hobbs was the only other Golden Knight in double figures with 14 points, making 5-of-7 free throws. The 6-foot-4 graduate transfer added a team-high seven rebounds and had four steals. Tipton finished with eight points, all in the second half, while James totaled eight points, as well.

As for Haughton, the 6-foot-1 grad transfer had moderate numbers with four points and four rebounds, but the "Silent Assassin" as he was called by Fee afterward, had the biggest rebound and basket in many years.

Tyler Eberhart led Charleston with 22 points while Mountain East Conference Player of the Year Eddie Colbert III had 15 points.   
The win marked the second time this season Gannon rallied in the second half to defeat Charleston. The two met in the second game of the season on Nov. 11 in the Atlantic Region Tip-Off Challenge at Charleston. Gannon rallied from a nine-point deficit in the second half for a 91-83 win.   

The All-Tournament Team included Omojafo and Hobbs of Gannon, Colbert III and Eberhart from Charleston, and California (Pa.)'s KJ McClurg.  

Fee now goes back to the Elite Eight for the third straight year. A year ago he was the associate head coach for a Nova Southeastern team that went on to win the NCAA Division II national championship. Now he guides Gannon to the Elite Eight in his first season as a head coach. Over the last three years his teams are a combined 99-3.  

NCAA Division II Elite Eight bracket
 
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