Maddy Wheatley vs. D&E
89
Winner Gannon Gannon 18-3,10-2 PSAC
75
Seton Hill SHU 17-2,11-1 PSAC
Winner
Gannon Gannon
18-3,10-2 PSAC
89
Final
75
Seton Hill SHU
17-2,11-1 PSAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Gannon Gannon 23 32 18 16 89
Seton Hill SHU 8 20 19 28 75

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

Golden Knights Ride Huge First Half, Wheatley's Career-High to Upset of No. 5 Seton Hill

GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Gannon women's basketball team exploded to a 27-point halftime lead and rode a career day by Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) to upset fifth-ranked Seton Hill on Saturday afternoon. The final score was 89-75 at The Katherine Mabis McKenna Center but it was never really that close.
 
Gannon has now won three straight games while improving to 18-3 overall. They pulled to within a game of the Griffins for first place in the PSAC West at 10-2 while Seton Hill is now 11-1. The Griffins saw their five-game winning streak snapped while suffering their second loss of the season at 17-2. Gannon came into the game ranked 12th in the D2CSC Div. II Top 25 and 15th in the WBCA Top 25.
 
The Golden Knights came out on fire and jumped to a 23-8 lead after one quarter. A wild second quarter saw the Golden Knights outscore Seton Hill 32-20 to go into halftime with a 55-28 lead.
 
During those first 20 minutes Gannon beat the Griffins at their own game, making 9-of-13 3-pointers and shooting 58.8 percent from the floor (20-of-34). The half featured an incredible shooting display by Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra). The redshirt junior was a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc and 7-of-8 overall to score 21 points, a career-high.
 
Wheatley would end the game with her second straight double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, adding four assists and three steals.
 
Seton Hill was able to shave a point off the lead after three quarters and the Griffins staged a late rally to pull within 12 points but much of the game was spent with Gannon holding leads of 20 points or more.
 
Gannon will look to extend its winning streak on Wednesday, January 29 when the Golden Knights host Clarion. That game tips off at 5:30 p.m. at the Highmark Events Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Gannon never trailed in the game and took the lead for good at 4-2 on Kate Ratliff's (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) layup with 8:21 remaining. Leading 7-4 the Golden Knights scored eight points in a row to go up by double digits for the for the first time at 15-4 midway through the first quarter. Wheatley had a pair of layups in the run. Seton Hill closed the gap to nine points but Gannon scored the final six points of the quarter for a 23-8 lead after ten minutes.
 
The two team combined for 52 points in the second quarter with Gannon outscoring the Griffins 32-20. Gannon built the lead to 23 points at 37-14 on a 3-pointer by Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) that was preceded by a three by Wheatley. The Griffins were never able to cut the deficit below 20 points and when Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) scored on a layup with 33 seconds left Gannon went to the half with a 55-28 lead.
 
Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi) opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer as Gannon's lead reached 30 points. The Golden Knights twice led by 34 points, the last at 66-32 at the 4:11 mark on a free throw by Taylor Ethridge (Chesapeake, Va./Catholic). Seton Hill scored the final six points of the third quarter but Gannon's lead was still 73-47.
 
The fourth quarter was much the same until late as head coach Cleve Wright was able to use his bench. A pair of Dunham free throws left Gannon with an 85-60 lead with 2:31 left to play. Seton Hill ended the game on a 15-4 run to make the final score more respectable.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
After the sizzling first half Gannon ended the game shooting 53.7 percent from the floor (29-of-54), including 10-of-21 on 3-pointers. The Golden Knights made just one three in the second half, and that came on the first basket of the third quarter as the lead grew to 30 points. The Golden Knights spent a good portion of the second half at the line and made 21-of-25 free throws.
 
Seton Hill came in leading the PSAC and ranking sixth in Division II in scoring at 83.0 ppg. and needed a 28-point fourth quarter to come close to that. The Griffins were held to 37.7 percent shooting (26-of-69), making 9-of-34 three's, and went 14-of-18 at the line.
 
The two teams battled to a draw on the glass with 35 rebounds apiece, with Gannon committing 21 turnovers and Seton Hill 18.
 
Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) scored a career-high 25 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double. The redshirt junior added four assists and three steals. She made 8-of-12 field goals, including 5-of-6 on 3-pointers, and went 4-for-4 at the line.
 
Wheatley led four players in double figures. Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) added 16 points and four steals, with Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) coming off the bench to contribute 13 points in 19 minutes. She made 3-of-6 3-pointers. Despite battling foul trouble and playing just 18 minutes sophomore Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) ended with 12 points. Freshman Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi) added six points and seven rebounds. 
 
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