AMHERST, N.Y. – Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) scored a team-high 20 points and Lathan Coleman (Lauderhill, Fla./South Plantation) provided a crucial first-half spark as the No. 3 Gannon men's basketball team overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat Daemen 94-83 on Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium, completing a perfect weekend at the East Region Challenge.
The defending NCAA Division II national champions improved to 4-0 after earning their second victory in as many days, following Friday's 113-69 win over Roberts Wesleyan.
Gannon faced its largest deficit of the young season after Daemen opened the contest with a strong offensive performance, building a 26-9 advantage with 9:24 remaining in the first half.
The Golden Knights responded behind Coleman, who scored 11 of his 13 points before halftime and helped ignite a 16-0 run that erased a 12-point deficit. Gannon eventually took its first lead with 1:36 remaining in the opening period and carried a 40-38 advantage into the break.
Gannon continued its momentum in the second half, opening with nine unanswered points before eventually building a 24-point lead. The Golden Knights outscored Daemen 54-45 after halftime to secure the 11-point victory.
Morgan led the way with 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including three 3-pointers, while Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) added 16 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Coleman and Jaden Calloway (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) each contributed 13 points, and Derek Fairley finished with 10 points and five assists.
The Golden Knights forced 26 Daemen turnovers, converting them into 38 points while recording 14 steals. Gannon also dominated the offensive glass with 21 offensive rebounds, helping produce a 26-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Gannon shot 46.3 percent from the field and connected on 11-of-21 attempts from beyond the arc, including a 7-of-9 performance in the second half.
The victory extended Gannon's season-opening winning streak to four games, including two victories over nationally ranked opponents during the opening weekend.
THE GAME FACTS
Score: No. 3 Gannon 94, Daemen 83
Records: Gannon 4-0, Daemen 0-3
Location: Lumsden Gymnasium – Amherst, N.Y.
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Attendance: 163
Halftime: Gannon 40, Daemen 38
THE KNIGHT CAP
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Mackenzie Leads the Way: Senior Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) finished with a team-high 20 points, shooting 8-of-16 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Morgan also contributed three steals, two assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes.
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Early Deficit: Daemen came out firing, building a 12-4 advantage before extending its lead to 20-9 with 11:50 remaining in the opening half. The Wildcats continued their offensive success with consecutive 3-pointers from Jaiden Harrison and Charlie Croff, pushing the lead to 26-9 at the 9:24 mark.
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Coleman Ignites the Comeback: Sophomore Lathan Coleman (Lauderhill, Fla./South Plantation) helped turn the momentum in Gannon's favor, scoring 11 first-half points on 4-of-6 shooting. Coleman connected on two 3-pointers, including a crucial basket with 2:23 remaining that brought the Golden Knights within three points at 34-31.
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Golden Knights Chip Away: Trailing 26-9, Gannon began to find its rhythm as Derek Fairley scored a jumper before Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) added a layup. Coleman followed with another basket, and Parker Applegate (Murfreesboro, Tenn./Franklin Road Christian) connected on a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 26-18 with 6:29 remaining in the first half.
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A 16-0 Response: With Daemen leading 34-22 and 3:54 remaining before halftime, Gannon put together a 16-0 run to take a four-point advantage. Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) started the surge with a 3-pointer before Coleman scored six consecutive points. Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) added a fast-break layup, Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) completed a three-point play and Fairley finished the run with a layup to make it 38-34 with 47 seconds remaining.
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First Lead Before Halftime: Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) gave Gannon its first lead at 35-34 with 1:36 remaining in the first half. After Daemen tied the game in the closing seconds, Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) converted two free throws to send the Golden Knights into halftime with a 40-38 advantage.
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Second-Half Surge: Gannon wasted little time extending its lead after the break, scoring nine unanswered points to open the second half. Applegate began the run with a layup before Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) added a layup and 3-pointer. Calloway finished the stretch with a jumper to give the Golden Knights a 49-38 advantage with 18:43 remaining.
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Golden Knights Pull Away: Gannon continued to apply pressure, extending its lead to 60-43 following a Mason Kemp (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley) layup with 15:17 remaining. The Golden Knights eventually built their largest advantage at 76-52 with 9:56 left in the contest.
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Morgan Brothers Produce: Mackenzie and Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) combined for 36 points in the victory. Lucas finished with 16 points, a team-high eight rebounds and five assists while shooting 6-of-12 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. He also collected four offensive rebounds.
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Coleman's Career Performance: Lathan Coleman (Lauderhill, Fla./South Plantation) provided a major boost off the bench, finishing with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Coleman scored 11 points during the first half and played an important role in Gannon's comeback from a 17-point deficit.
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Calloway Contributes: Jaden Calloway (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Hartley) added 13 points, six rebounds, four steals and one assist. The sophomore shot 6-of-10 from the field and collected four offensive rebounds while helping Gannon force 26 turnovers.
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Fairley Provides a Spark: Derek Fairley finished with 10 points, five assists, two steals and three rebounds off the bench. Fairley helped lead Gannon's first-half comeback and connected on a 3-pointer in the second half as the Golden Knights extended their advantage.
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Applegate Adds Eight: Parker Applegate (Murfreesboro, Tenn./Franklin Road Christian) contributed eight points and four rebounds, shooting 3-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. His first-half 3-pointer helped Gannon cut into Daemen's early lead, while his opening basket of the second half sparked the Golden Knights' 9-0 run.
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Kemp Provides Energy: Mason Kemp (Shawnee, Kan./Mill Valley) finished with seven points, including his first 3-pointer of the season. He also recorded two steals and helped Gannon maintain its defensive pressure during the second half.
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Bench Production: The Golden Knights received 34 points from their reserves, compared to 16 for Daemen. Coleman led the bench with 13 points, followed by Fairley with 10, Kemp with seven, and Julian Rivera (Gainesville, Va./Highland) and Jack Burchard (Meadville, Pa./Meadville Area) with two apiece.
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Defensive Pressure Makes the Difference: Gannon forced 26 Daemen turnovers and turned them into 38 points. The Golden Knights committed just nine turnovers themselves, allowing the Wildcats to score only 10 points off turnovers.
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Fourteen Steals: Gannon recorded 14 steals, led by Calloway and Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) with three apiece. Fairley, Rivera and Kemp each finished with two steals, while Applegate and Burchard added one apiece.
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Dominating the Offensive Glass: The Golden Knights collected 21 offensive rebounds, including four each from Calloway and Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore). Gannon finished with a 26-6 advantage in second-chance points and outrebounded Daemen 35-31.
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Controlling the Paint: Gannon outscored Daemen 50-20 in the paint, using its aggressive offensive approach to create scoring opportunities around the basket.
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Second-Half Shooting: After shooting 42.1 percent in the first half, Gannon improved to 50 percent (22-of-44) in the second. The Golden Knights were particularly effective from 3-point range, connecting on 7-of-9 attempts (77.8 percent) after halftime.
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Efficient From Deep: Gannon finished 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from beyond the arc. Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) led the Golden Knights with three made 3-pointers, while Applegate and Coleman each added two.
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Daemen's Leading Scorers: Jaiden Harrison led the Wildcats with 19 points, connecting on five 3-pointers. Nakyhi Harris added 18 points, while Jaymeir Goosby and Charlie Croff finished with 12 apiece.
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Wildcats' Late Push: Daemen cut Gannon's 24-point second-half lead to 15 at 87-72 with 4:11 remaining. The Golden Knights answered with consecutive baskets from Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) before Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) connected on a 3-pointer with 2:04 left to push the advantage to 94-77.
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Fourth Straight Victory: Gannon improved to 4-0 after opening the season with wins over No. 19 Central Missouri, No. 11 Point Loma Nazarene, Roberts Wesleyan and Daemen. The Golden Knights completed their first four games away from Erie and will now return home for their home opener.
UP NEXT
Gannon returns to the Highmark Events Center for its home opener on Saturday, November 21, when the Golden Knights host Saint Anselm at 11:30 a.m.
This story was written using the support of AI.
