2025 PSAC Champions

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

PREVIEW: Fast-Paced Game Likely as No. 2 Gannon Meets No. 7 East Stroudsburg in Atlantic Regional Quarterfinal

No. 2 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (25-6, 17-3 PSAC West) vs. No. 7 EAST STROUDSBURG WARRIORS (21-8, 16-4 PSAC East) 
NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional -- Quarterfinals
DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 15, 2025 | 2:30 p.m.
HOMECOURT/LOCATION:  Academic Sports & Recreation Complex l West Liberty, W.Va.
LIVE STATS
LIVE VIDEO
 
TICKETS  (click on link to purchase tickets)
Saturday, March 15 – Sessions I & II
Session I – Gates Open at 11:00 AM
Session II – Gates Open at 5:00 PM
All Session Pass -- $40
Adults – $12
Youth (ages 3-18) -- $8
Senior Citizens (55+) -- $8
Students (Participating Schools, with ID) -- $8
 
Sunday, March 16 – Sessions III
Gates Open at 4:00 PM
Adults – $12
Youth (ages 3-18) -- $8
Senior Citizens (55+) -- $8
Students (Participating Schools, with ID) -- $8
 
Tuesday, March 18 – Session IV
Gates Open at 6:00 PM
Adults -- $12
Youth (ages 3-18) -- $8
Senior Citizens (55+) -- $8
Students (Participating Schools, with ID) -- $8


NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional at West Liberty – Quarterfinals – Saturday, March 15
Game 1 – No. 3 Virginia State (21-8) vs. No. 6 West Chester (23-6) – 12 noon
Game 2 – No. 2 GANNON (25-6) vs. No. 7 East Stroudsburg (21-8) – 2:30 p.m.
Game 3 – No. 1 West Liberty (27-4) vs. No. 8 Bluefield State (19-11) – 6:00 p.m.
Game 4 – No. 4 Fayetteville State (22-8) vs. No. 5 Fairmont State (27-4) – 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 16 -- Semifinals
Game 5 – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner – 5:00 p.m.
Game 6 – Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner – 7:30 p.m.
 
Tuesday, March 18 -- Championship
Game 7 – Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – 7:00 p.m.

GANNON VS. THE ATLANTIC REGION FIELD
No. 1 seed West Liberty (27-4) – in a series that first began in 1984-85 Gannon holds an 18-9 lead in the all-time series after defeating the Blad Eagles 80-65 last Sunday in the PSAC Championship game.
Hilltoppers to Watch: Kyler D'Augostino (G, 6-1, So., 17.0 ppg., 3.8 rpg., 35-of-126 3 FGs, 67 asts., 50 stls., 1st Team All-PSAC East); JJ Harper (F, 6-5, Gr., 15.9 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 80 asts., 40 blks., 53 stls., 48-of-128 3-pointers, 1st Team All-PSAC East); Lanyc Shuler (G, 6-1, Sr., 11.6 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 128 asts., 51 stls., 54.7 FG% 2nd Team All-PSAC East/PSAC East Freshman of the Year); Kameron Tinsley (F, 6-6, Fr., 11.4 ppg., 4.5 rpg., 58-of-125 3's, 51 asts., 34 stls.); Finley Woodward (F, 6-7, Jr., 10.5 ppg., 4.3 rpg., 55.2 FG%, 144 asts.); Dante Spadafora (G, 6-0, R-Jr., 10.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg., 44-of-145 3's, 94 asts., 53 stls.)
No. 3 seed Virginia State (21-8) – G
Trojans to Watch: Jacob Cooper (G, 5-8, Jr., 15.6 ppg., 8.9 rpg., 57 blks.,1st Team All-PSAC West); Clint Wright Jr. (G, 6-3, Gr., 9.8 ppg., 8.7 rpg., 38 stls., 2nd Team All-PSAC West); Kendall Bynum (G, 6-1, Sr. , 7.3 ppg., 74 asts.)
No. 4 seed Fayetteville State (22-8) – Fayetteville State comes in as the number four seed after losing to Bluefield State in the semifinals. Prior to that the Broncos had won 13 of 14 games with an 11-game winning streak. Head coach Luke D'Alessio was named the CIAA Coach of the Year. The Broncos allow just 65.8 ppg.
Broncos to Watch: Tairell Fletcher (G, 6-2, Sr., 17.5 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 131 asts., 30 stls., 27-of-67 3's, All-CIAA Backcourt); Caleb Simmons (G/F, 6-4, Sr., 16.8 ppg., 9.3 rpg., 50.2 FG%, 48 stls., 125-of-154 FTs, 29-of-75 3's, All-CIAA Frontcourt); Ezekiel Cannedy (G, 6-2, Jr., 15.9 ppg., 89-of-264 3's); Myles Pierre (G. 6-1, Sr., 9.4 ppg., 51.9 FG%, 49-of-98 3's)
No. 5 seed Fairmont State (27-4) – Fairmont State and West Liberty battled for three overtimes before the Falcons captured the Mountain East Conference championship with a 122-14 win. Head coach Tim Koenig is in his sixth season as head coach. The Falcons enter the regional riding a seven-game winning streak. They rank 28th in Division in scoring at 85.6 ppg. 
Falcons to Watch: David Jollinder (F, 6-6, Jr., 15.8 ppg., 6.5 rpg., 50.7 FG%, 25-of-105 3's, 59 asts., 43 stls., First Team All-MEC); Andre Harris (G, 6-4, Sr., 14.5 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 75 asts., 40 stls., Second Team All-MEC); Rudy Fitzgibbons (G, 6-0, Gr., 11.8 ppg., 73-of-200 3's, 77 asts., MEC Tournament MVP); Taj Thweatt (F, 6-7, R-Jr., 11.8 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 24-of-87 3's, 18 blks.); Tommy Williams ( , 10.4 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 56-of-144 3's, 78 asts., 60 stls., Hon. Ment. All-MEC)
No. 6 seed West Chester (23-6) – the Golden Rams finished as the PSAC East regular season champion at 18-3, their first divisional title since 2006, but were then upset by Millersville in the PSAC Semifinals. WCU earned its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2019. Head coach Damien Blair has led WCU to a 23-6 record, tied for the school record for wins. He was selected the PSAC East Coach of the Year.
Golden Rams to Watch: Elijah Allen (G, 6-2, Sr., 15.5 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 55 asts., 28 stls., 44-of-158 3's, First Team All-PSAC East); Davante Dennis (F, 6-7, Jr., 10.6 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 51.4 FG%, 31 blks., 50 stls., First Team All-PSAC East); Joshua Walker (F, 6-8, Sr., 10.6 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 28 blks., Second Team All-PSAC East); Dylan Blair (G, 5-10, So, 10.3 ppg., 4.2 rpg., 46-of-125 3's, 123 asts., 42 stls.)
No. 8 seed Bluefield State (19-11) – Bluefield State finished as the runner-up in the CIAA after suffering a 71-64 loss to Virginia State in the CIAA Championship game. Head coach Devin Hoehn led the Big Blue to its first NCAA Tournament berth.  They rank eighth in Division II in scoring at 89.8 ppg.
Big Blue to Watch: Jordan Hinds (G, 6-4, Sr., 20.3 ppg., 6.6 rpg., 71 asts., 53 stls., 42-of-114 3's, All-CIAA Player of the Year/All-CIAA Backcourt); Larry Howell (F, 6-6, Jr., 12.2 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 41 asts., 38 stls., 22-of-64 3's, All-CIAA Frontcourt); Romeo Aquino (F, 6-5, Jr., 13.8 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 48 stls., 32 blks., 33-of-98 3's); Rell Williams (G, 6-3, Jr., 13.3 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 162 asts., 63 stls.); Shainen Carter (F, 6-9, Jr., 12.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 52.2 FG%, 66 blks.)
 
GANNON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Gannon is making its 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and has won five regional championships to advance to the Elite Eight. The fifth came a year ago when Nigel Haughton's (Bel Air, Md./South Kent) putback as the buzzer sounded gave Gannon a 67-65 win over Charleston (WV). The Golden Knights went on to lose to Cal State San Bernardino 99-65 in the quarterfinals. Gannon won its first regional crown in 1975 winning the East Regional. They also won the East Regional in 1987, 1988 and 1990. In 2009 Gannon won the Atlantic Regional.
 
THE GANNON-EAST STROUDSBURG SERIES
Gannon leads 12-10  
Last Meeting:  Nov. 23, 2024 – at Gannon 105, East Stroudsburg 93 I RECAP
In a fast-paced game the Golden Knights forced East Stroudsburg into 27 turnovers. Those turnovers led to a huge 40-14 advantage in points off turnovers. The miscues also helped Gannon shoot 56.8 percent from the floor (42-of-74). Five Golden Knights scored in double figures led by Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) with 23 points. Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) added 19 points, with Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) contributing 14 points and five steals and Isiah Warfield (Monaca, Pa./Central Valley) 13. Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Lakeem McAliley paced the Warriors with 20 points.   
 
 
ERIE, Pa. – Gannon captured its second straight PSAC Championship last weekend with a 74-58 win at Shepherd and now begins defense of its 2024 Atlantic Regional title. That team went on to finish at 32-3 while reaching the Elite Eight.
 
That's where the similarities end. Jordan Fee left after his first season to become an assistant coach at Div. I Florida Atlantic, and only three players returned from last year's squad.
 
Assistant coach Easton Bazzoli stepped in for Fee and has done a brilliant job while having to navigate a season filled with injuries. The first-year head coach has not had the luxury of all 14 players on the roster suited up for one game this year. Yet he has guided the Golden Knights to a 25-6 record.
 
The Golden Knights lost their first two games of Bazzoli's tenure – to Nova Southeastern, now the number one seed in the South Region, and Lake Superior State, the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Division. Gannon followed with a 15-game winning streak, only to run into a speed-bump after that. They lost at top-ranked Daemen, the top seed in the East Region, and in all lost four of five games.
 
After leading Division II in scoring a year ago and ranking among the national leaders this year, Bazzoli found his team struggling on offense, at least by their standards. While still pressing for 94 feet, he transformed the Golden Knights into one that has run off nine straight wins thanks to a defense that has held seven of those opponents to 74 points or less.
 
Gannon can still score, for sure. The Golden Knights come in averaging 90.5 ppg., good for seventh in Division II. That's what makes the upcoming Atlantic Regional so exciting. There should be plenty of points during the three-day regional.
 
The Atlantic Regional features three of the top seven scoring teams in Division II and five of the top 28. Host West Liberty is second in the country at 101.8 ppg., with Gannon seventh and Bluefield State eighth (89.8 ppg.). East Stroudsburg, the seventh seed and Gannon's first round opponent, is 22nd at 86.3 ppg. and Fairmont State 28th (85.6 ppg.).
 
The regional gets underway with four quarterfinal games at West Liberty's Academic Sports & Recreation Complex on Saturday, March 15. Gannon enters as the number two seed and faces No. 7 seed East Stroudsburg at 2:30 p.m. in the second game of the day. The two met in late November with the Golden Knights claiming a 105-93 victory.
 
The quarterfinal winners advance to Sunday's semifinals and the Atlantic Regional champion will be crowned on Tuesday, March 18. The regional champion moves on to the Elite Eight in Evansville, Ind. on March 25-29.
 
The Knight Watch:
Record:  23-6, 17-3 PSAC West
Head Coach: Easton Bazzoli (1st year)
Top Players: Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) (G, 6-5, So., 17.4 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 83-of-230 3's, 36 stls., 26 blks.); Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) (F, 6-9, So., 15.4 ppg., 10.6 rpg., 55.9 FG%, 38 stls., 26 blks.); Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) (G, 6-2, Fr., 13.6 ppg., 5.6 rpg., 62-of-148 3's, 129 asts., 56 stls.); Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) (G, 6-1, Gr., 12.5 ppg., 27-of-76 3's, 70 asts., 38 stls.)
  • Gannon took entirely different routes on its way to wins over Millersville and Shepherd in the PSAC Final Four. In the semifinal game with Millersville, the Marauders jumped out to a 20-point lead seven minutes into the second half before Gannon came roaring back to win 89-87 in overtime. In the finals while playing on Shepherd's homecourt the Golden Knights led by ten points at the half and pulled away early in the second half for a 74-58 win.
  • Gannon has now won back-to-back PSAC Championships, the 14th time a team has done so. It was Gannon's fourth PSAC title since joining the conference in 2008-09.
  • Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) was named the PSAC Tournament MVP. The freshman guard had 23 points and five assists in the semifinal win over Millersville. The next day he carried the Golden Knights to the win over Shepherd. He scored a season-high 29 points, making 5-of-8 3-pointers, and matched his season high with 10 rebounds.  
  • It was quite the day for Easton Bazzoli on March 5. In the wee hours of the morning his wife Katrina gave birth to the couple's second child, a boy. Just over 16 hours later the first-year head coach was presented with his first playoff win, an 88-58 triumph over Indiana (Pa.) in the PSAC Quarterfinals.
  • Gannon enters the Atlantic Regional riding a nine-game winning streak. The Golden Knights are 25-6 overall and finished at 17-3 in the PSAC West. They climbed back into the latest NABC Division II Top 25 rankings this week at No. 22 and are now tied for 16th in the latest D2CSC Top 25.
  • Three Golden Knights earned All-PSAC West honors last week. Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) and Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) were accorded first team honors while freshman guard Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) earned a spot on the second team. Goodrick, a 6-foot-9 forward from Sydney, Australia who joined the Golden Knights after playing at Cal Baptist last year, is averaging a double-double with 15.3 ppg. and 10.6 rpg. while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor. He is second in the PSAC and 14th in Division II in rebounds per game, along with tied for fifth in double-doubles.
  • Shelton, a 6-foot-5 guard, ranks among the top 3-point threats in the PSAC, making 86-of-241 trifectas. He ranks seventh at Gannon in season 3-pointers and fifth in attempts. He is fourth in the PSAC in 3-pointers made per game (2.8). Shelton is averaging a team-high 16.9 ppg. and second on the team in blocked shots (26). He has scored 525 points this season, tied for 13th in a season.
  • Prosser regularly fills up the stat sheet. He is averaging 14.4 ppg. and 5.6 rpg., the latter figure second on the team. He leads the team in assists (138) and steals (60) and has made 69-of-160 3-pointers. He is third in the PSAC in 3-pt. field goal percentage (43.1 pct.) and tied for fourth in assists (4.5).
  • After leading Division II in scoring a year ago the Golden Knights currently rank seventh in the country at 90.5 ppg. They allow 77.8 ppg., tenth in the PSAC, but over the last seven games that figure is 66.4 ppg. The Golden Knights also stand second nationally in turnovers forced at 20.2 per game.
Scouting East Stroudsburg
Record:  21-8, 15-6 PSAC East    
Head Coach: Jeff Wilson (22nd year)
Top Players: Lakeem McAliley (F, 6-6, R-Sr., 18.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 55.5 FG%, 34-of-92 3's, 49 stls., 22 blks.); Evan Morton (G, 6-2, Fr., 13.7 ppg., 72 asts., 45-of-147 3's); Cam Young (G/F, 6-7, Sr., 11.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 52.6 FG%, 68 asts., 77 stls.); Nasir Griffin (F, 6-8, Jr., 9.5 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 30-of-82 3's, 46 asts.) 
 
  • East Stroudsburg was voted the preseason favorite in the Eastern Division after finishing with a 25.5 record a year ago. The Warriors have enjoyed another 20-win season under long-time head coach Jeff Wilson. ESU went into the PSAC Tournament as the number two seed in the East but was upset by Shepherd in the quarterfinals. The Warriors are making their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, the last eight under Wilson.
  • Wilson is wrapping up his 22nd season as the head coach at East Stroudsburg. Wilson is ESU's all-time wins leader and ranks fifth all-time in the PSAC in victories. The ESU alum has a 427-210 record. He has led the Warriors to eight PSAC East regular season titles, three PSAC championships, and now eight NCAA Tournament appearances.
  • The Warriors feature four-time All-PSAC East selection Lakeem McAliley. The 6-foot-6 forward earned first team honors the last three seasons. He leads the Warriors in scoring (17.3 ppg) and rebounding (5.9) last year. He comes in leading the PSAC in scoring at 25.5 ppg. adding 7.0 rpg. McAliley has climbed to sixth in career scoring with 1,536 points and also ranks among the career leaders in numerous other categories.
  • ESU picked up two major PSAC postseason awards recently with Cam Young named the PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year and Evan Morton the Freshman of the Year. Young is a 6-foot-7 senior who has 77 steals and 16 blocked shots while averaging 11.5 ppg. and 5.4 rpg. Morton is a 6-foot-2 guard who ranks second on the team in scoring at 13.7 ppg.
  • East Stroudsburg ranks 22nd in Division II in scoring offense at 86.3 ppg. and is seventh in turnovers forced. 
 
 
Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Nigel Haughton

#10 Nigel Haughton

G
6' 1"
Graduate Student
Ernest Shelton

#4 Ernest Shelton

G
6' 5"
Sophomore
Isiah Warfield

#3 Isiah Warfield

G
6' 5"
Graduate Student
Justin DeBuck

#5 Justin DeBuck

G
6' 1"
Graduate Student
Pace Prosser

#22 Pace Prosser

G
6' 2"
Freshman
Tasman Goodrick

#23 Tasman Goodrick

F
6' 9"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Nigel Haughton

#10 Nigel Haughton

6' 1"
Graduate Student
G
Ernest Shelton

#4 Ernest Shelton

6' 5"
Sophomore
G
Isiah Warfield

#3 Isiah Warfield

6' 5"
Graduate Student
G
Justin DeBuck

#5 Justin DeBuck

6' 1"
Graduate Student
G
Pace Prosser

#22 Pace Prosser

6' 2"
Freshman
G
Tasman Goodrick

#23 Tasman Goodrick

6' 9"
Sophomore
F