The No. 8 Gannon women's basketball team battled through a back-and-forth contest Wednesday night against a red-hot Clarion squad that defeated then-No. 7 IUP last Saturday, and used a strong overtime period to earn an 83-74 victory at the Highmark Events Center. 

The Golden Knights erased a late three-point deficit in the final seconds of regulation before outscoring the Golden Eagles 13-4 in overtime to secure their 11th PSAC win of the season.

Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) delivered a season-high 26 points and made three clutch free throws with three seconds remaining to force overtime. In the extra session, Gannon went 4-of-8 from the field, 1-of-3 from three-point range, and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, led by Kate Ratliff's (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) five points, while holding Clarion to just 1-of-4 shooting as the Golden Knights pulled away.

The Game Facts
Score: Gannon 83, Clarion 74 (OT)
Records: Gannon 19-2, 11-1 PSAC | Clarion 11-7, 6-6 PSAC
Location: Highmark Events Center – Erie, Pa.
Date: January 28, 2026

The Knight Cap

• Clutch at the Line: Claxon knocked down three free throws with three seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 70-70 and send it to overtime.
• Overtime Takeover: Gannon went 4-8 from the field, 1-3 from three, and 4-5 from the free-throw line in OT while holding Clarion to 1-4 shooting.
• Double-Double Duo: Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) notched her second double-double of the season with a season-high 16 points and career-high 12 rebounds, while Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) recorded her first double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.
• Historic Climb: Claxon's 26 points moved her into sixth place on Gannon's all-time scoring list with 1,621 career points, passing Kristina Freeman (1,604).
• Bench Spark: Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi) finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
• Playmaking Presence: Tori Mayes (Lake City, Pa./Cathedral Prep) dished out a career-high five assists while adding three rebounds.
• Defense to Offense: The Golden Knights scored 24 fast break points and 21 points off turnovers.
• Team Effort on the Glass: Gannon pulled down 49 rebounds in the win.

Up Next
Gannon wraps up the first round of PSAC action on Saturday, January 31 against Slippery Rock at 1:00 p.m.

This story was written using the support of AI.