Victor Desmond
Nate Kurtz
Victor Desmond's jumper sent the game into overtime.
87
Millersville MU 19-12,13-9 PSAC
89
Winner Gannon Gannon 24-6,17-3 PSAC
Millersville MU
19-12,13-9 PSAC
87
Final
89
Gannon Gannon
24-6,17-3 PSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Millersville MU 42 32 13 87
Gannon Gannon 31 43 15 89

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

Golden Knights Rally from 20-Point Deficit to Defeat Millersville in Overtime

Gannon to face Shepherd in PSAC Championship game

SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Gannon and Millersville met for the second year in a row in the PSAC Semifinals on Saturday. This time the venue was Shepherd's Butcher Center. While how it happened was entirely different, at the end of the day Gannon will have a chance to defend its 2024 PSAC championship thanks to an 89-87 win in overtime over the Marauders.
 
The Golden Knights, the winners of the PSAC West regular season for the second straight year, have now won eight games in a row to improve to 24-6 under first-year head coach Easton Bazzoli. They will face No. 3E Shepherd in the PSAC Championship game on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. The Golden Knights are looking to repeat as PSAC champions.
 
Millersville, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Division, was seeking to upset a division champion for the second straight game after defeating West Chester on Wednesday. The Marauders fell to 19-12 and now must see if they claim one of eight spots in the Atlantic Regional.   
 
Gannon trailed at the half by 11 points at 42-31 and fell behind by 20 points at 57-37 with 13:38 remaining. The Golden Knights used a 13-0 run to get back into the fray and eventually tied the game at 68-68. The Golden Knights never did regain the lead in overtime, but Victor Desmond's (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska) jumper in the paint tied the game at 74-74 and when Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) blocked a layup at the buzzer the teams were headed for overtime.
 
Ernest Shelton's (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) 3-pointer and a conventional three by Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) provided the Golden Knights with their biggest lead of the day at 84-78 with 1:21 left. Millersville wouldn't go away as the Marauders made nine 3-pointers after that, but Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) made three of four free throws in the final seconds and the Marauders missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.   
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first 12 minutes of the game featured nine lead changes with Gannon taking a 20-16 lead midway through the half. The ninth lead change was a layup by Saraj Ali that gave Millersville a 22-20 lead. That basket was part of a 10-0 run as the Marauders went up 26-20 and eventually built that lead up to 15 points at 42-27 before settling for a 42-31 lead at the half.
 
A string of eight straight points for Millersville early in the second half built Millersville's advantage to 57-37 with 13:38 remaining. But Gannon scored the next 13 points in a span of just two minutes to get back into the game.  The rally was buoyed by back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers, the first by Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) and the next two by Layne Sarver (New Madison, Ohio/Tri-Village) to cap the run.
 
Sarver would tie the game for the Golden Knights at 68-68 when he was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws. Gannon never would regain the lead in regulation and trailed by four points after the initial tie at 72-68 with just under four minutes remaining.
 
The defenses took over as the game went into overtime tied at 74-74. Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) scored consecutive baskets to pull Gannon even at 72-72 with 2:15 left. Drew Stover gave the lead back to Millersville at 74-72 with a pair of free throws, but Gannon answered with a Victor Desmond (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska) jumper in the paint to knot the score at 74-all with 1:29 left. Millersville missed a three and Gannon missed a pair of shots. The Marauders had the last possession but Goodrick blocked a potential game-winning layup by Ali as time expired.
 
Millersville opened the scoring with a pair of free throws in the extra session but Gannon proceeded to gain its largest lead of the game. Tied at 78-78, Ernest Shelton (Philadelphia, Pa./Father Judge) drained a 3-pointer for an 81-78 lead with just over two minutes remaining. It was Gannon's first lead since the 20-18 lead in the first half. After a Millersville turnover Prosser scored on a traditional 3-point play as Gannon went up 84-78 with 1:21 left to play.
 
The rest of the game was spent with Millersville shooting free throws as the Marauders continually went to the line and made nine straight free throws. Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) converted three of four free throws in the final 14 seconds, but his miss with six seconds remaining left Gannon holding an 89-87 lead. Millersville worked the ball to Aamir Hurst in the left corner, but his 3-pointer was off the mark as the buzzer sounded.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
Gannon played its first overtime game since winning a 95-90 decision at Slippery Rock on Jan. 17, 2004.
 
Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) paced five Golden Knights in double figures with 23 points, adding four rebounds and five assists. The freshman guard made 9-of-16 field goals, including 2-of-4 3-pointers, and was 3-of-4 at the line.
 
Tasman Goodrick (Sydney, Australia/St. Joseph's College) joined Prosser with a 20-point effort as the 6-foot-9 sophomore recorded his 17th double-double of the season. He finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, along with five steals and a pair of blocks. He also made 9-of-16 shots and was 4-of-6 at the line.
 
Victor Desmond (Onalaska, Wisc./Onalaska) contributed 13 points and six rebounds and Layne Sarver (New Madison, Ohio/Tri-Village) came off the bench to total 13 points while making 2-of-4 three's and 5-of-5 free throws.  Justin DeBuck (Broward County, Fla./Pembroke Pines Charter) battled foul trouble but had 10 points.
 
After shooting just 32.4 percent in the first half (11-of-34), Gannon ended the game at 43.1 percent (31-of-72). The Golden Knights made 7-of-16 3-pointers and were 20-of-26 at the line. Millersville ended the game at 46.8 percent (29-of-62) from the floor, making 8-of-20 3-pointers, and was 21-of-26 at the line.
 
Gannon won the battle of the boards 43-38 and limited the Marauders to just eight offensive rebounds. The Golden Knights committed 11 turnovers and Millersville 15.        
 
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