General | 3/12/2026 5:00:00 PM

No. 2 GANNON GOLDEN KNIGHTS (28-4, 18-2 PSAC West) vs. No. 7 EDINBORO FIGHTING SCOTS (19-13, 14-6 PSAC West)
ATLANTIC REGIONAL QUARTERFINAL
DATE/TIME: Friday, March 13, 2026 | 2:30 p.m.
HOMECOURT/LOCATION: Kovalchick Convention & Athletic Center l Indiana, Pa.


THE 2026 ATLANTIC REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, March 13 – Quarterfinals
No. 3 Winston Salem State (26-3) vs. No. 6 Glenville State (24-6) – 12 noon
No. 2 Gannon (28-4) vs. No. 7 Edinboro (19-13) – 2:30 p.m.
No. 1 Indiana (Pa.) (26-3 ) vs. No. 8 Charleston (WV) (21-10) – 5:00 p.m.
No. 4 Seton Hill (21-8) vs. No. 5 Fayetteville State (21-5) – 7:30 p.m.
 
Saturday, March 14 -- Semifinals
Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 5:00 p.m.
Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 – 7:30 p.m.

Monday, March 16 – Championship
Saturday's semifinal winners – 7:00 p.m.
 
GANNON IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Gannon is making its 17th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Knights have won the Atlantic Regional the last two years and four times overall to reach the Elite Eight -- in 2010, 2013 and 2024. Gannon reached the semifinals in 2010, defeating Tusculum 70-66 in the quarterfinals before suffering a 97-94 loss in overtime to Emporia State in the semifinals. A year ago the Golden Knights defeated Fayetteville State (60-50) and Seton Hill (80-70) to reach the Atlantic Regional title game. Gannon earned its fourth regional crown with a 72-59 win over Indiana (Pa.). The Golden Knights fell to top-seeded Grand Valley State in the quarterfinals of the Elite Eight.
 
THE GANNON-EDINBORO SERIES
Gannon leads 32-31 (Gannon & Edinboro split the 2025-26 regular season series)
The two teams split a pair of meetings during the regular season. Oddly enough, each won on the other's homecourt. A year ago Edinboro won both meetings after Gannon defeated the Fighting Scots three times in 2023-24.
The Golden Knights had won the last eight meetings before Edinboro ended that string with a 62-45 win over Gannon in last year's first meeting at McComb Fieldhouse, followed by a 66-53 setback at the Highmark Events Center. Gannon ended the two-game skid to the Fighting Scots with a 63-56 overtime win at Edinboro in this year's first meeting. Edinboro countered with a 50-47 win at the Highmark Events Center a month later.

ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's basketball team will make its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Div. II Atlantic Regional. The Golden Knights earned the second seed in the Atlantic Region with Indiana (Pa.) edging Gannon for the top seed and earning hosting rights.
 
The Atlantic Regional tips off with four games on Friday, March 13.  The action gets underway at the Kovalchick Convention & Athletics Center at 12 noon with No. 3 seed Winston Salem State (26-3), the CIAA champion, vs. No. 6 Glenville State (24-6) at 12 noon.
 
Gannon, the number two seed with a 28-4 record, begins regional play at 2:30 p.m. against a familiar foe in Erie County rival Edinboro. The Fighting Scots are 19-13 and seeded seventh. The two teams split a pair of regular season games winning on the other teams' court.
 
Game number three is a battle of two conference champions with host and top seed Indiana (Pa.), the PSAC champion, playing CIAA champion Charleston (WV). The Crimson Hawks are 26-3 while the Golden Eagles come in at 21-10. The day concludes with No. 4 seed Seton Hill (21-8) battling No. Fayetteville State (21-10)
 
The Atlantic Regional features three teams ranked in the latest WBCA Div. II Top 25. IUP jumped ahead of Gannon after winning the PSAC crown by a 61-57 margin and is fourth. Gannon dropped two spots from fifth to seventh while Winston Salem State comes in 13th.
 
Head coach Cleve Wright's squad is in search of its third straight trip to the Elite Eight. The Golden Knights bring a record of 28-4 into the regional. Gannon finished as the PSAC West regular season champion and reached Sunday's PSAC Championship game with wins over Bloomsburg and Seton Hill.  Gannon will be making its sixth straight trip to NCAA Tournament and 17th overall.
 
As usual, Wright's squad emphasizes defense. The Golden Knights are ranked ninth in scoring defense allowing 53.2 ppg. The Golden Knights are also tied for sixth field goal percentage defense at (33.6 pct.). Gannon has held eight opponents to less than 50 points and 21 to less than 60 points.
 
In fact, the regional showcases three of the top ten defensive teams in Division II. Winston Salem State is fourth at 51.4 ppg. while fellow CIAA member Fayetteville State is tenth (53.5 ppg.).
 
IUP earned the PSAC's automatic berth and enters with a 26-3 record. The Crimson Hawks will face No. 8 Charleston (WV). The 21-10 Golden Eagles upset Glenville State, the top seed, in the Mountain East Conference championship game.
 
The other half of Gannon's bracket features No. 4 seed Seton Hill (21-8) playing No. 5 seed Fayetteville State (21-5).
 
CIAA champion Winston-Salem State (26-3) earned the number three seed and will square off against No. 6 Glenville State (24-6) to wrap up the Atlantic Regional field.  
 
The Golden Knights have now won 20-or-more games six straight seasons in their pursuit of a third straight trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The 28 wins are tied for fifth in a season. 
 
The winners of Friday's first two games will meet in the first semifinal game on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. at IUP. The second semifinal will follow at 7:30 p.m. The 2026 Atlantic Regional Championship game will tip off at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 16 at IUP. The winner moves on to the Elite Eight at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pa. The tournament runs from March 24-28.

The Knight Watch:
Record:  28-4, 18-2 PSAC West

• Gannon makes its sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Div. II Atlantic Regional and is in search of a third straight trip to the Elite Eight. The Golden Knights saw a seven-game losing streak snapped last Sunday with a 61-57 loss to Indiana (Pa.) in the PSAC Championship game. They are 28-4 and ranked seventh in the latest WBCA Div. II Top 25.
• The Golden Knights opened PSAC Tournament action with a 66-56 win over Bloomsburg before defeating Seton Hill for the third time this year, 79-73, in the semifinals. Oddly enough, following the loss to IUP in the PSAC Championship game, all of Gannon's losses have come at the Highmark Events Center. The Golden Knights were the PSAC West regular season champions for the third time in the last four years.   
• Head coach Cleve Wright has now led the Golden Knights to six straight 20-win seasons (not counting the shortened 2020-21 COVID season). Wright is completing his 18th season at the helm of the Golden Knights and 22nd overall as a head coach. He went over 400 wins at Gannon earlier this season and now has a 415-133 record at Gannon and 450-220 overall.
• Defense has always been Gannon's calling card under Wright, and this year is certainly no exception. Gannon is allowing 52.3 ppg. and holding opponents to 33.6 percent shooting. Gannon ranks ninth in Division II in scoring defense along with tied for sixth, in field goal percentage defense. The Golden Knights have held eight opponents to less than 50 points and 21 to less than 60 points.
• For just the third time in team history Gannon has three 1,000-point scorers on the same team. Senior guard Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) has climbed to fifth in career scoring with 1,812 points. Junior Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) topped the 1,000-point mark recently and now has 1,071 career points while Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) eclipsed 1,000 points in the recent win at IUP and now has 1,040 career points. The other two teams with three-or-more 1,000-career scorers in the same year are: 2009-10 – four (Kristina Freeman, Carrie Nolan, Brittany Tabron, Kim Vargas) and 2014-15 – three (Nettie Blake, Brittany Batts, Mollie Sebald).
• Claxon is now a three-time All-PSAC West first team honoree who comes in as Gannon's leading scorer at 16.2 ppg. She has made 53-of-163 3-pointers and stands second on the team with 47 steals. The senior guard has scored 519 points this season. She is just the third Golden Knights to score 500-or-more points in three-or-more season. She has topped the mark three times. Rona Nesbit did it four times and Kristin Roseberry three times, as well.
• Ratliff is a multi-talented junior who ranks second in scoring (11.8 ppg.) and rebounding (5.4 rpg.) while leading the Golden Knights in assists (96), blocked shots (41) and steals (65). She is now a two-time second-team All-PSAC West selection.
• Wheatley now holds the Gannon all-time record for games played. She appeared in her 145th game against IUP on Sunday, although it wasn't certain she would be able to answer the bell. 

Scouting Edinboro
Record:  19-13, 14-6 PSAC West
Head Coach: Callie Wheeler (129-76, 8th year)
Top Players: Rachael Manfredo (G, 5-9, Sr., 17.0 ppg., 5.7 rpg., 56 stls., 40 blks., 53.5 FG%, All-PSAC West First Team); Ava Haddad (G, 5-9, Sr., 12.5 ppg., 5.3 rpg., 79 asts., 24 blks., 52.5 FG%, All-PSAC West Second Team); Taylor Blunt (G, 5-11, Jr., 11.2 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 55 asts., 41 stls., 44-of-132 3's); Hope Garrity (G, 5-10, Jr., 7.8 ppg., 38-of-114 3's,)  

• Edinboro is making its second straight Atlantic Regional appearance and third under head coach Callie Wheeler. They previously qualified in 2019 and 2025. The former Edinboro standout enjoyed her finest season at the helm last year as the Fighting Scots finished with a 25-7 record and was the number one seed. Edinboro reached the semifinals thanks to a win over Virginia State before losing to Indiana (Pa.) in the semifinals.
• The Fighting Scots received an at-large bid and are the number seven seed after falling to Indiana (Pa.) 71-55 in the PSAC Semifinals. They come in at 19-13 overall and 14-6 in the Western Division, good for fourth place. Like Gannon Edinboro began the season co-hosting the D2 CCA Tip-Off Classic. They lost all three games and began the year with a five-game losing streak before righting themselves and eventually running off eight straight wins.
• Edinboro features a dynamic pair of players in Rachael Manfredo and Ava Haddad. Both earned All-PSAC West accolades with Manfredo, a 6-foot-0 sophomore guard named to the first team and 6-foot-0 senior forward Haddad a second-team honoree.
• It figures that Hope Garrity is one of Edinboro's top 3-point threat since both of her parents were proficient from beyond the arc while playing at Gannon. The junior guard has made 38-of-114 three's and is averaging 7.8 ppg. Her father is Aaron Garrity and mother Kim Bates, now Kim Garrity. Meanwhile her sister Faith Garrity is a standout at nearby Fairview High School and recently verbally committed to Gannon.