Jordan Fee vs. Mercyhurst
Duffy Gallagher

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

Game Preview: Gannon Hosts Fourth-Seed IUP in PSAC Quarterfinal Game

INDIANA (PA) CRIMSON HAWKS (17-12, 13-9 PSAC West) at No. 3/3 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (26-2, 20-2 PSAC West)
PSAC QUARTERFINALS
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
ARENA/LOCATION: Hagerty Family Events Center l Erie, Pa.
LIVE STATS l LIVE VIDEO

GAME NOTES 

THE 2024 PSAC TOURNAMENT FIELD
Monday, March 4 – First Round
No. 3W Slippery Rock 71, No. 6W Seton Hill 69
No. 4W Indiana (Pa.) 69, No. 5W Mercyhurst 54
No. 3E East Stroudsburg 114, No. 6E Mansfield 72
No. 4E West Chester 76, No. 5E Shepherd 66
 
Wednesday, March 6 – Quarterfinals
No. 4W Indiana (Pa.) (17-12, 13-9 West) at No. 1W Gannon (26-2, 20-2 West) – 7:30 p.m.
No. 3W Slippery Rock (16-13, 13-9 West) at No. 2W California (Pa.) (25-3, 19-3 West) – 6:00 p.m.
No. 4E West Chester (19-10, 15-7 East) at No. 1E Lock Haven (20-7, 18-4 East) – 7:30 p.m.
No. 3E East Stroudsburg (25-4, 18-4 East) at No. 2E Millersville (23-5, 18-4 East) – 7:00 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 9 -- Semifinals (hosted by highest remaining Western Division seed)
Top remaining East seed vs. second-highest West seed -- TBA
Second-highest East seed vs. top remaining West seed -- TBA
 
Sunday, March 10 – Championship
Saturday's semifinal winners – 3:00 P.M.
 
GANNON IN THE PSAC TOURNAMENT
Gannon is making its 11th appearance in the PSAC Tournament since joining the conference in 2008-09, and the first under head coach Jordan Fee. The Golden Knights won the PSAC championship in their first year in the conference and also won in 2014-15. This is the third meeting between Gannon and IUP in the PSAC Tournament. Gannon dropped a 63-62 decision to the Crimson Hawks in 2009-10 and defeated IUP 69-66 in the 2014-15 PSAC Championship game. The Golden Knights last appeared in the conference tournament in 2021-22, dropping a 78-62 decision at Pitt-Johnstown in the first round.
 
GANNON-INDIANA (PA) SERIES RECORD
Gannon leads 34-26
IUP had won nine of the last ten meetings before Gannon handed the Crimson 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. Gannon completed the regular season sweep with an 91-89 win at IUP on February 10, the first sweep by the Golden Knights since the 2013-14 season. Gannon and IUP have met just twice in the PSAC Tournament, with the last in the 2015 championship game. Gannon won its second PSAC title with a 69-66 win.
 
First Meeting
Jan. 13, 2024 -- at Gannon 84, Indiana (Pa.) 58 I RECAP
The Golden Knights snapped a five-game losing streak to IUP as they held the Crimson Hawks to 23 points in the first half and 40.8 percent shooting. Gannon forced 25 turnovers that led to a 30-15 advantage in points off turnovers. IUP led 2-0 then saw the Golden Knights score the next 18 points. IUP would close to within seven points but Gannon closed the half on a 22-6 run for a 46-23 lead at the half. Gannon shot 62.1 percent (18-of-29) in the first half and 52.5 percent (31-of-59) for the game. Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) and Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) led the Golden Knights with 21 points each. Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa) added 12 points as 11 Golden Knights scored.
 
Second Meeting
Jan. 31, 2024 -- Gannon 91, at Indiana (Pa.) 89 I RECAP
Derrick James (Columbus, Ohio/Canal Winchester) converted a pair of free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining as Gannon held off IUP. Gannon led 41-34 at the half and an 18-7 run gave the Golden Knights a 67-47 lead. IUP would respond later with a 15-4 run to pull to within 75-71 with 6:40 remaining. Gannon built the lead back up to eight points at one point, and still held an 89-84 lead with 1:39 left to play. Garvin Clarke's basket ten seconds later made it a three-point game. Gannon came down and missed but grabbed the offensive rebound, only to then have leading scorer Josh Omojafo (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) whistled for an offensive foul, his fifth of the game. Clarke came down and buried a tying 3-pointer with 17 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, first-year head coach Jordan Fee put the ball in James' hands. James drove the left side of the lane and was fouled with 4.2 seconds remaining. The sophomore guard calmly sank both free throws for a 91-89 lead. IUP's missed a 3-pointer from as the horn sounded. An entertaining second half saw Omojafo, Clarke and IUP's Ethan Porterfield turn in plenty of highlights. First-half foul trouble limited Omojafo to just three points in nine minutes, but the 6-foot-5 sophomore finished the day with 16 points before fouling out. Gannon limited Clarke to just three points as well in the first half. The transfer from Akron scored 23 points in the second half to finish with 26 points, while Porterfield finished with a game-high 31 points. The duo accounted for 42 of IUP's 55 points in the second half.
Zachary Hobbs (Gilbert, Ariz./Mesa) led Gannon with 20 points. Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy) scored 13 points. 
 

ERIE, Pa. – Gannon has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this year after winning just three games a year ago. In fact, the improvement in just a year's time ranks among the best ever in the NCAA.
 
Now the Golden Knights have an opportunity to continue that success as the postseason begins. Gannon not only earned a berth in the PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2021-22 but finished as the Western Division champion after being picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll.
 
Gannon hosts number four seed Indiana (Pa.) in a PSAC Quarterfinal game on Wednesday, March 6. As the number one seed out of the Western Division the Golden Knights would host the PSAC Final Four on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10 with a victory.
 
The Golden Knights have not won a PSAC Tournament game since the 2017-18 season when they won twice to reach the championship game before losing to East Stroudsburg. Gannon has won two PSAC championships, in 2009 and 2015. The Golden Knights last appeared in the tournament in 2021-22.
 
Gannon enters Wednesday's game with a 26-2 record and finished with a 20-2 league record. That is the most PSAC wins ever for a Golden Knight squad. The 26 wins are tied for third in a season and are the most since the 2008-09 team was 30-4. The Golden Knights have climbed all the way to third in the NABC Division II Top 25, matching their highest ranking ever in the poll. In addition Gannon is also third in the D2CSC Media rankings.  
 
More importantly, Gannon was the number one team in the Atlantic Region poll released last week. The third set of rankings come out on Wednesday and the NCAA Division II Tournament field will be announced on Sunday night.
 
The architect of the amazing turnaround has been first-year head coach Jordan Fee. Fee was no stranger to success after serving as the associate head coach at Nova Southeastern, helping lead the Sharks to the Division II national championship last year. He also grew up a Gannon fan leaving his hiring a perfect fit.
 
Fee proceeded to rework the roster, bringing in nine new players, including four graduate transfers who have played a major role in the success. More importantly, he unveiled a full-court pressing, fast-paced system that has led Division II in scoring all season long. The Golden Knights have scored 100-or-more points a school record 15 times and lead Division II in scoring at 103.6 ppg. They have twice set the school record for points in a game, scoring 146 points vs. Penn State DuBois after opening the season with 140 vs. Glenville State.
 
Gannon last played on Saturday at Seton Hill, holding off the Griffins 84-75. In the process the Golden Knights won their 15th straight game to break the school record. Gannon started the year with a 10-game winning streak.
 
Indiana (Pa.) comes in as the number four in the Western Division with a 17-12 record and 13-9 in the PSAC. The Crimson Hawks snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday with a 69-54 win over fifth-seed Mercyhurst in the first round.
 
Gannon defeated IUP in both meetings in the regular season, 84-58 on January 13 at Hagerty Family Events Center and 91-89 on February 10 at IUP. Long-time IUP head coach Joe Lombardi has not lost to the same team three times in a season since his second season at the helm in 2007-08. He has 417 career victories.
 
IUP features the top scoring tandem in the PSAC in 6-foot-8 senior Ethan Porterfield fifth in scoring at 19.5 ppg. and Garvin Clarke, a 6-foot-0 junior who previously played at Akron, who comes in at 18.2 ppg., seventh in the PSAC.
 
Overall while Gannon leads the PSAC and Division II in scoring IUP comes in third in the PSAC in scoring defense at 68.6 ppg.
 
Gannon Climbs to Number Three in NABC Poll, Tying Top Mark Ever
Gannon ended the regular season ranked in the top five in both the NABC Division II Top 25 and the D2CSC Media Poll and in the process climbed to new heights. The Golden Knights moved up two spots to third in the NABC Division II Top 25 that was released on Tuesday. That ties for the highest in program history. Gannon was ranked third in the December 18 poll in 1969-70 and was also third in the February 8 poll in 1987-88. The Golden Knights also took one step up the ladder in the D2CSC Media Poll. Four weeks ago the Golden Knights climbed into the top five for the first time. Gannon's f place ranking in the NABC poll is the highest since the 2008-09 team was fifth in the season's final poll. That squad was ranked as high as fourth during the season.
 
Gannon Number One in NCAA Atlantic Region Poll
A year ago at this time Gannon had just finished a three-win season. Last Wednesday the NCAA released its second set of Division II regional rankings and Gannon was the top-ranked team in the Atlantic Region. The third set of rankings will follow on Wednesday, March 6 before the field for the NCAA Division II National Championships is announced on Sunday, March 10. Gannon has the distinction of being number one in the Atlantic Region in both the men's and women's polls. They are the only school with the top regional team in both polls. Gannon ended the regular season with a 26-2 record and won the Western Division regular season title at 20-2. California (Pa.) (23-3) is ranked second in the Atlantic Region. A pair of Mountain East Conference teams, Charleston (WV) (23-3) and West Liberty (21-5), hold down the third and fourth spots in the Atlantic Region poll. The PSAC has four of the top six teams with Millersville fifth and East Stroudsburg sixth. Both have 22-4 records. The top eight teams in the regional rankings will earn berths to the National Championships.  Gannon has not earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
Atlantic Region Rankings
1.  GANNON (25-2)
2.  California (Pa.) (23-3)
3.  Charleston (WV) (23-3)
4.  West Liberty (21-5)
5.  Millersville (22-4)
6.  East Stroudsburg (22-4)
7.  Concord (20-5)
8.  Fairmont State (18-7)
9.  West Virginia State (17-7)
10.  Lock Haven (18-7) 
 
Gannon Earns PSAC Regular Season Crown for Fourth Time
With one game remaining Gannon had clinched at least a tie for the PSAC West regular season title and the top seed in the division. Saturday's 84-75 win at Seton Hill gave the Golden Knights the outright division crown. It marks Gannon's fourth divisional crown since joining the PSAC in 2008-09. Gannon won the regular season title that very first year and also won it outright in 2014-15. Both years Gannon went on to win the PSAC championship. In 2013-14 the Golden Knights were PSAC West co-champions. The 20-2 record in league play is also a record for most PSAC wins in a season. The 2014-15 team finished at 18-4.
 
Fee Sets Record for Wins by First-Year Coach
Earlier in the season Jordan Fee joined an elite group of coaches at Gannon to post 20 wins in their first season. Fee took it even further and now thanks to Saturday's win at Seton Hill holds the Gannon record for wins by a first-year head coach. He has reached 26 wins, breaking the record of 25 previously set by Ed Sparling 1974-75 to a 25-4 finish. Bob Dukiet guided the Golden Knights to a 24-8 record in his first season in 1989-90 and Tom Chapman had a 22-9 record in 1984-85, his first season at the helm.
 
15-Game Winning Streak Sets School Record
Gannon opened the 2023-24 campaign with ten straight victories. The Golden Knights suffered losses to Millersville and California (Pa.) but they have not lost since the latter loss. Saturday's 84-75 win at Seton Hill was Gannon's 15th straight and set a new school record for longest winning streak. The 2001-02 team had won 14 games in a row.
 
Tipton Turns in Monster Game with Former Teammates in Attendance
Last Sunday Gannon recognized four players on Senior Day, including Lyle Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Philadelphia Montgomery Christian Academy). The day was particularly special for the 6-foot-3 swingman as many of his former teammates and coaches from Geneva were in attendance. Tipton made it worth the trip up I-79. He turned in the biggest game of his one season at Gannon, finishing with his first double-double. He made good on 11-of-18 field goals, including 4-of-7 3-pointers, and went 4-of-6 at the charity stripe for a season-high 30 points. He added a season-high 12 rebounds, 10 of those on the offensive glass. For good measure, throw in two assists, three steals and a block. For Tipton's former Geneva teammates it was almost par for the course. The two-time Presidents Athletic Conference Player of the Year had 14 30-point games at his former school, including a high of 46 points a year ago vs. Thiel.
 
26 Wins Tied for Third in a Season
Gannon picked up its 26th win on Saturday with an 84-75 win at Seton Hill. That is tied for the third-highest win total in a season. The 2007-08 team also won 26 games. The 2008-09 Golden Knight edition set the school record for wins in a season with 30-4.
 
Most Victories in a Season
2008-09 -- 30-4
1986-87 -- 28-6
2023-24 -- 26-2
2007-08 -- 26-5
1985-86 -- 25-6
1974-75 -- 25-4
 
Make it 15 100-Point Games
When the 2023-24 season began the school record for 100-point games in a season was six. Under first-year head coach Jordan Fee the Golden Knights have more than doubled that number. Gannon's 117-91 win over Pitt-Johnstown marked the 15th time the Golden Knights topped 100 points. Gannon continues to lead Division II in scoring at 103.6 ppg. The Golden Knights have twice set the school record for points in a game. They scored 146 points vs. Penn State DuBois and 140 vs. Glenville State.
 
Gannon Remains Perfect at Home
The recent 117-91 win over Pitt-Johnstown kept the Golden Knights undefeated at home this year at 15-0. 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 nine contests at that facility. Gannon had not finished undefeated at home during the regular season since 1974-75, when they finished at 19-0.
 
Omojafo on Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List 
Josh Omojafo's (Hamilton, Ontario/St. Jean de Brebeuf) was recently named to the Bevo Francis Top 50 Watch List. His meteoric rise has imitated the resurrection of the Gannon program this season. The 6-foot-5 sophomore is one of the most improved players in the PSAC after averaging 8.2 ppg. as a freshman, Omojafo leads Gannon and is fourth in the PSAC in scoring at 19.8 ppg. He is shooting 49.4 percent from the floor with 25 3-pointers in 73 attempts. In addition he has set the Gannon record for free throws made in a season with 188 and has tied the record for attempts with 232. Omojafo ranks fourth on the team in steals (42). He led Gannon with 24 points at Seton Hill last Saturday, his 15th 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.). He has led Gannon in scoring 16 times.
 
Tough for the Trifecta vs. Lombardi
Few teams in Division II have enjoyed the success Joe Lombardi has at IUP. Now in his 18th season he owns a 417-120 career ledger. Beginning with his third season IUP has won at least 21 games each season until this year. Gannon is attempting to beat a Lombardi-coached IUP team for the third time this season. That has only happened once before, when Edinboro defeated the Crimson Hawks three times in 2007-08, his second year at the helm. 
 
Scouting Indiana (Pa.)
Indiana (Pa.) is making its 38th all-time PSAC tournament appearance and 16th straight since 2008. IUP has enjoyed tremendous success under head coach Joe Lombardi, winning four straight PSAC championships. Lombardi owns a 417-120 record and is in his 18th season at the helm. The Crimson Hawks come in with an uncharacteristic 17-12 record and finished fourth in the Western Division with a 13-9 record. That's the most losses since the 2007-08 season. IUP broke a four-game losing streak on Monday with a 69-54 win over Mercyhurst in the PSAC first round. The result was particularly impressive since second-leading scorer Garvin Clarke was held to one basket. The 6-foot-0 junior transfer from Akron has been on fire the second half of the season and combines with Ethan Porterfield to form the top-scoring one-two punch in the conference. Porterfield, a 6-foot-8 forward, ranks fifth in the PSAC in scoring at 19.5 ppg. and is third in rebounding at 8.5 rpg. He scored 29 points in Monday's win to boost his career total to 1,900 points. He has 875 career rebounds. Porterfield is also the top 3-point threat with 72 in 185 attempts. Clarke adds 18.2 ppg., good for seventh in the PSAC, and leads the conference in assists (149) and is fifth in steals (54). He adds 7.6 rpg. He is the only player in Division II averaging at least 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists. 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 rejoined the team in December and has played in 19 games, averaging 11.6 ppg. His specialty is the 3-pointer, making 63-of-162 from beyond the arc.

Next for the Golden Knights
A win on Wednesday would allow Gannon to host the upcoming PSAC Final Four on Saturday, March 9 and Sunday, March 10. The Golden Knights would face the winner of Wednesday's Millersville-East Stroudsburg game. The semifinals would be at 12 noon and 2:30 p.m. at Hagerty Family Events Center. Sunday's PSAC Championship game is 3:00 p.m.   
 
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Players Mentioned

Zachary Hobbs

#24 Zachary Hobbs

G/F
6' 4"
Graduate Student
Derrick James

#12 Derrick James

G
5' 10"
Sophomore
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Lyle Tipton

#33 Lyle Tipton

G/F
6' 3"
Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

Zachary Hobbs

#24 Zachary Hobbs

6' 4"
Graduate Student
G/F
Derrick James

#12 Derrick James

5' 10"
Sophomore
G
Josh Omojafo

#4 Josh Omojafo

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Lyle Tipton

#33 Lyle Tipton

6' 3"
Graduate Student
G/F