Bri Claxon vs. SRU
Mike Gallagher

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

Gannon In Search of Fourth Straight Win with Clarion Visiting the Highmark Events Center

CLARION GOLDEN EAGLES (12-8, 6-6 PSAC West) at No. 15/12 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (18-3, 10-2 PSAC West)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, January 29, 2025 | 5:30 p.m.
HOMECOURT/LOCATION: Highmark Events Center l Erie, Pa.
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THE GANNON-CLARION SERIES
Gannon leads 50-15 
Gannon has won the last 15 meetings with Clarion and 33 of the last 34 meetings. The Golden Knights avoided an upset at Clarion in the first meeting last year, coming away with a 54-44 victory, then coasted to a 72-38 victory at the Highmark Events Center.

Last Meeting:  Feb. 17, 2024 – at Gannon 72, Clarion 38 I RECAP
Clarion scored the opening basket of the game and Gannon answered with the next 22 points. The lead would grow to as much as 27 points in the first half before Gannon led 37-13 at the half. The Golden Knights proceeded to outscore the Golden Eagles 22-8 in the third quarter. Gannon held Clarion to 19.6 percent shooting from the floor (10-of-51). Sam Pirosko and Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) led Gannon with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon made a statement on Saturday with an 89-75 win at fifth-ranked Seton Hill. The Golden Knights jumped out to a 27-point halftime lead while cutting the Griffins' lead in half in the PSAC West.
 
Now the Golden Knights return home to host a Clarion team that is extremely improved a year ago. The Golden Eagles will fly into the Highmark Events Center with a 12-8 record and 6-6 in the PSAC West. A year ago they won one game.
 
Gannon sits at 18-3 overall and is now 10-2 in the PSAC West, good for a three-way tie for second place behind 11-1 Seton Hill. Edinboro and Indiana (Pa.) are also at 10-2 in league play. Gannon was ranked 12th in last week's D2CSC Div. II Top 25 and 15th in the WBCA rankings.
 
The Clarion marks the final game of the first half of divisional play. The second begins with the same demanding three-game stretch that the first half started – at California (Pa.), then home games with Edinboro and Indiana (Pa.). But at least the games are spread out more than the eight-day period the first time around I early January.
 
After slowing down the to-scoring team in the PSAC on Saturday the Golden Knights face the second-highest scoring team in Clarion. The Golden Eagles average 76.8 ppg.
 
The Golden Knights are no slouches offensively at 70.3 ppg., fifth in the conference, but Cleve Wright teams are known for their defense. Gannon leads the PSAC and is 26th in Division II in scoring defense, allowing just 55.9 ppg. In addition they also pace the conference and are ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense. (34.4 pct.).
 
Following Wednesday's game with Clarion the Golden Knights make the annual trip to California (Pa.) on Saturday, February 1 with tipoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. 

The Knight Watch:
Record:  18-3, 10-2 PSAC West
Head Coach: Cleve Wright (17th year at Gannon, 21st overall)
Top Players: Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) (G, 5-7, Jr., 16.1 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 38-of-91 3's, 44 asts., 27 stls.); Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) (G, 6-0, So., 12.3 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 29 stls., 25 blks.); Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) (P, 5-11, R-Jr., 11.3 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 25-of-58 3's)
  • Gannon sent a message on Saturday that the Golden Knights are not about to give up the top spot in the PSAC West without a fight. Gannon traveled to Greensburg, Pa. to play a Seton Hill team that was ranked fifth in both the WBCA and D2CSC national polls. The Griffins had a 17-1 record and were 11-0 in the PSAC West. Gannon proceeded to jump out to a 55-28 halftime lead and the final score of 89-75 was hardly indicative of Gannon's dominance in the game.
  • The Golden Knights were led by Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) who not only posted her second straight double-double but had a career-high 25 points to go with 10 rebounds. For good measure, she added four assists and three steals. The redshirt junior had a massive first half, eclipsing her career high with 21 points while making 5-of-5 3-pointers. Wheatley was named the PSAC West Athlete of the Week for her performance. Wheatley previously had her first career double-double on Wednesday vs. Pitt-Johnstown with 16 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Wheatley is averaging 11.3 ppg. and a team-high 5.7 rpg.
  • Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria) broke out of a brief shooting slump to finish with 13 points in 19 minutes at Seton Hill. She made 3-of-6 3-pointers. The junior is an outstanding long-range shooter but had made just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc in the previous two games. On the season she leads the team with 42 3-pointers in 120 attempts.
  • Last week's 66-41 win over Pitt-Johnstown was another example of Gannon's strong defense. The Golden Knights rank first in the PSAC and 26th in Division II in scoring defense, allowing just 55.9 ppg. In addition they lead the conference and are ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense. (34.4 pct.). The Golden Knights have held seven opponents to under 50 points and 11 to under 60 points.
  • Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) continues to lead the Golden Knights in scoring. A 5-foot-7 junior who was a first team All-PSAC West selection a year ago and the 2022-23 PSAC West Freshman of the Year, Claxon is averaging 16.1 ppg., good for seventh in the PSAC. She has made 38-of-91 3-pointers. Claxon also has a team-high 44 assists.
  • Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) is also scoring in double figures at 12.3 ppg. The 6-foot-0 sophomore is second on the team in rebounding (4.5 rpg.) and paces the team with 25 blocks and 29 steals.
Scouting Clarion
Record:  12-8, 6-6 PSAC West
Head Coach: Danielle Fleming (2nd year)
Top Players: Autumn Taylor (G, 5-7, So., 17.3 ppg., 31 asts., 25 stls., 44-of-146 3's); Arianna Seitz (G, 6-0, Fr., 11.2 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 32 stls., 21-of-64 3's); Zoe Guice (G, 5-7, Fr., 8.9 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 49 asts., 57 stls.); Hannah Wilkerson (G, 5-8, Jr., 9.3 ppg., 3.6 rpg.)
  • Danielle Fleming has guided Clarion to a huge turnaround in her second season. The Golden Eagles were 1-27 a year ago and picked to finish eighth in the PSAC West. Instead they are 12-8 and 6-6 in a highly-competitive Western Division. Clarion does come in riding a two-game losing streak following a 68-39 loss at Indiana (Pa.) on Saturday. Three of their losses have come in overtime.
  • A year ago Autumn Taylor led Clarion in scoring as a freshman at 11.0 ppg. The 5-7 sophomore has boosted that number to 17.3 ppg. this year, a figure that ranks fifth in the PSAC. She has made 44-of-146 3-pointers.
  • Clarion relies on a youthful roster featuring five freshmen, two of whom are starters. The Golden Eagles are second in the PSAC in scoring at 76.8 ppg., with nine games scoring 80-or-more points.
  • Arianna Seitz, one of those freshmen, is second on the team in scoring at 11.2 ppg. The other freshman in the starting lineup, Zoe Guice, paces the team in both assists (49) and steals (57).       
Next for the Golden Knights: The Golden Knights begin the second half of PSAC West play on Saturday, February 1 playing at California (Pa.). Tipoff is 1:00 p.m. Gannon won the first meeting 71-62 on Jan. 4.
 
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Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

G
5' 7"
Junior
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

G
5' 7"
Junior
Kate Ratliff

#23 Kate Ratliff

G
6' 0"
Sophomore
Maddy Wheatley

#4 Maddy Wheatley

G
5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Freshwater/Marine Biology and Environmental Science

Players Mentioned

Bri Claxon

#12 Bri Claxon

5' 7"
Junior
G
Carissa Dunham

#13 Carissa Dunham

5' 7"
Junior
G
Kate Ratliff

#23 Kate Ratliff

6' 0"
Sophomore
G
Maddy Wheatley

#4 Maddy Wheatley

5' 11"
Redshirt Junior
Freshwater/Marine Biology and Environmental Science
G