Goodrick and Shelton vs. UPJ
83
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt-J 9-10,5-7 PSAC
91
Winner Gannon Gannon 16-3,11-0 PSAC
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt-J
9-10,5-7 PSAC
83
Final
91
Gannon Gannon
16-3,11-0 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pitt.-Johnstown Pitt-J 37 46 83
Gannon Gannon 42 49 91

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

Golden Knights Make Big Plays Down the Stretch to Hold Off UPJ 91-83

ERIE, Pa. – A year ago Gannon posted two lopsided wins over Pitt-Johnstown. On Wednesday night the Mountain Cats invaded the Highmark Events Center and gave the Golden Knights all they could handle, but it was Gannon making the big plays down the stretch to come away with a 91-83 win.
 
The victory leaves the Golden Knights, ranked ninth in the D2CSC Div. II Top 25 and 23rd in the NABC rankings, with a 16-3 overall record and a perfect 11-0 mark in the PSAC West. UPJ dropped to 9-10 and 5-7, respectively.
 
Hot-shooting UPJ jumped out an early double-digit lead but Gannon battled back to take a 42-37 lead. The Golden Knights were never able to shake the Mountain Cats with the lead changing hands six times in the second half.
 
The Mountain Cats grabbed their last lead at 76-75 with three-and-a half minutes remaining but Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) gave the Golden Knights the lead for good on a layup off a pretty pass from Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) at 77-76.
 
The lead grew to six points at 85-79 with a minute remaining but back-to-back UPJ buckets left the Golden Knights clinging to an 85-83 lead with 34 seconds remaining. Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison), playing his finest game of the season, stepped up and made four free throws for an 89-83 lead with 19 seconds to play. Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) clinched the win with two more makes at the charity strip with eight seconds remaining.
 
Gannon will look to win for the 17th time in the last 18 games on Saturday when they play at Seton Hill.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UPJ came out on fire and jumped out to a 12-2 lead. Gannon used the long ball to climb back into the game with 3-pointers by Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) and Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) pulling the Golden Knights close and Layne Sarver (New Madison, Ohio/Tri-Village) hitting a three for Gannon's first lead of the night at 21-20 midway through the half.
 
Gannon led the rest of the half, going on top by as much as eight points at 41-33 before UPJ closed to 42-37 at the half.
 
The two teams went back and forth in the second half, with Gannon taking its biggest lead of the night at 51-41 less than three minutes into the half. UPJ cut into the lead and eventually grabbed its first lead since midway through the first half on a 3-point play by Baden Forup. That gave the Mountain Cats a 72-70 lead with 4:54 left.
 
Over the next minute-and-a-half the lead changed hands five times before Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) took a pass from Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) and scored on a layup for a 77-76 advantage. Victor Desmond's (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska) hustle steal gave the ball back to Gannon and Mike Montano's (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) layup made it 79-76. UPJ made one of two free throws but Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) countered with a huge three from the baseline for an 82-77 lead with 2:08 left.
 
A pair of free throws closed the gap to three points before Goodrick made one of two free throws for an 83-79 lead. After forcing a UPJ miss Goodrick followed his own miss with a layup giving Gannon an 85-79 lead. Vinnie Cugini answered immediately with a short jumper and after a Gannon turnover Cugini's layup suddenly left Gannon clinging to an 95-83 lead with 34 seconds left.
 
The Golden Knights went 6-for-6 at the line but the final 34 seconds featured plenty of emotion. Montano made two from the charity stripe and after a UPJ miss the sophomore made two more for an 89-83 lead with 19 seconds left.
 
Following the second free throw Gannon was called for a technical. Cugini stepped to the line and with the crowd roaring he missed both free throws.
Ryan Smith missed a contested three and Prosser finally clinched the win with two free throws.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Gannon had to hold off a hot-shooting UPJ squad that ended the night at 54.2 percent (32-of-59). Gannon, meanwhile, finished at 45.3 percent (34-of-75). Gannon converted on 9-of-22 3-pointers while holding Pitt-Johnstown to 1-of-8. The Golden Knights ended the night at 14-of-20 from the line while UPJ was 18-of-24.
 
After trailing on the boards much of the night Gannon held a slim 39-36 advantage on the glass. That included 19 offensive boards. Gannon forced UPJ into 23 turnovers while committing 17.
 
Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) and Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) were Mt. Inside-Mr. Outside on Wednesday night. Both led Gannon with 22 points. Goodrick made good on 10-of-16 field goals and fell a rebound shy of his 11th double-double with nine rebounds. Shelton drained 4-of-9 shots from beyond the arc and also contributed six rebounds and three steals.
 
In his top effort of the year Mike Montano (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He made 7-of-9 free throws. Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) added 11 points, six rebounds and five assists.         
 
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