A stifling defensive performance powered the No. 5 Golden Knights to a commanding 62–30 PSAC crossover victory over Shippensburg to open the 2026 calendar year inside the Highmark Events Center.
Gannon held the Raiders to just 10 first-half points and under 10 points in three quarters, a performance that also marked Head Coach
Cleve Wright's 400th career win at Gannon.
Score: Gannon 62, Shippensburg 30
Records: No. 5 Gannon (13-1, 5-0 PSAC) | Shippensburg (1-10, 0-4 PSAC)
Location: Highmark Events Center
Date: January 2, 2026
THE KNIGHT CAP
- Defensive Dominance from the Opening Tip: No. 5 Gannon allowed just four points in the first quarter and six in the second, holding Shippensburg to 10 total points at halftime.
- Lockdown Shooting: The Golden Knights held the Raiders to just 25.0 percent shooting from the field and 16.7 percent from beyond the arc.
- Relentless Pressure: Gannon caused 25 turnovers and turned them into 23 points on the offensive end.
- Elite Defensive Metrics: Entering the break, the Golden Knights are allowing just 48.8 points per game while holding opponents to 31.1 percent shooting from the floor.
- Defense to Offense: Gannon outscored Shippensburg 38–12 in points in the paint.
- Bench Production: The Golden Knights received a significant spark from the bench, outscoring the Raiders 30–4 in bench points.
- Milestone Victory: Head coach Cleve Wright earned his 400th career win at Gannon with the victory.
- Consistent Leadership: Wright previously reached the 400-win mark during the 2024–25 season against Daemen and now holds a 435–217 career coaching record.
- Balanced Scoring Effort: Mia Slater (Canberra, Australia/Canberra Grammar School) led the way for the second straight contest, followed by Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) (10 points), Olivia Pepple (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) (nine points), Bella Deere (Union, Ky./Cooper) (seven points), and Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi) (six points).
Up Next
Gannon returns to PSAC crossover action on Saturday, January 3, hosting Lock Haven inside the Highmark Events Center. Tip-off is. slated for 1:00 PM.
This story was written using the support of AI.