THE GAME FACTS
Final Score: (#3) Gannon 75, (#6) Michigan Tech 49
Records: Gannon (32-3), Michigan Tech (29-7)
Location: UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse – Pittsburgh, Pa. - NCAA DII Men's Elite Eight
Date: March 25, 2026
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Dominant defense. Timely shooting.
The Final Four.
In the opening game of the DII Men's Basketball Elite Eight, Gannon delivered a dominant performance Wednesday afternoon, defeating sixth seed Michigan Tech 75–49 at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA. The Golden Knights now advance to the Final Four, the first time they will play in said round since 1987.
Gannon controlled the game from the opening tip and never trailed, building a 9-2 lead in the first few minutes, a 38–21 lead at halftime, and outscored Michigan Tech 37–28 in the second half to secure the win.
The Golden Knights shot 43.6 percent from the field and knocked down seven three-pointers, while limiting Michigan Tech to just 29 percent shooting for the game.
Gannon's defense set the tone early and throughout, holding Michigan Tech scoreless for stretches and forcing difficult looks all afternoon.
Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) led the way with 19 points, and Precious Idiaru (Speyer, Germany/LA Premier Prep) had 17 with four boards. Gannon outscored Michigan Tech 28-14 in the paint.
Friday's game will be at 6:00 pm against the winner of Oklahoma Baptist and Cal State East Bay.
THE KNIGHT CAP
• Wire-to-Wire: Gannon never trailed and led for 39:21 of game time.
• Balanced Scoring: Gannon finished with 75 points on 24 made field goals. Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) led the way with 19 points while Precious Idiaru (Speyer, Germany/LA Premier Prep) had 17. Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore), despite being in foul trouble for much of the second half, pitched in 12. Nine different Golden Knights scored in the game.
• Defensive Effort: Held Michigan Tech to 29% shooting from the field.
• Inside Presence: Gannon scored 28 points in the paint, outscoring the Huskies 28-14 in that category.
• Efficiency: Shot 41.2% from three and 62.5% from the free-throw line.
• History: Two pieces of history to speak of in the win for the Golden Knights. With the win, Gannon advances to its first Final Four since 1987 and its second in program history. Also, GU now is 32-3 on the season and ties a program record for wins in a year, which was set in the 2023-24 season, which ended in an Elite Eight appearance.
POSTGAME COMMENTS
Head Coach Easton Bazzoli: "I've been really proud of the way our guys have been able to respond to both adversity and mistakes we make throughout the season. They've paid so much attention to detail, and it helps in games like this one where the margins are so thin. Our defense was tremendous when it needed to be."
Guard Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley): "You come to Gannon to play for coach Bazzoli because he knows how to win. I thought we did a great job starting the game on that 9-2 run and never looked back. When our defense is rolling, we can be hard to score against, and I thought that showed today."
Forward Precious Idiaru (Speyer, Germany/LA Premier Prep): "This team is so much fun to play for. I feel like I've been able to be myself all season. We have such a connection between all of us that is so hard to break. We played so fundamentaly sound on defense today and we'll need that again on Friday."
UP NEXT
The Final Four. Gannon will play the winner of Oklahoma Baptist and Cal State East Bay Friday at 6:00 pm at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, PA.
