THE GAME FACTS
Final Score: (#3) Gannon 98, (#7) Oklahoma Baptist 80
Records: Gannon (33-3), OBU (31-4)
Location: UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse – Pittsburgh, Pa. - NCAA DII Men's Final Four
Date: March 27, 2026
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – "How did you stumble into this?"
Said Head Coach Easton Bazzoli, when asked postgame what he would tell his younger self about Friday's accomplishment.
Let's be truthful. There was no stumbling.
This is as real as it gets.
Behind a near capacity crowd at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, most of whom were dressed in Maroon & Gold, the Golden Knights used a second half rally to beat Oklahoma Baptist, 98-80 and secure a spot in their second-ever NCAA DII National Championship game. It will be the first time since 1987 that Gannon has competed for the national title.
Gannon used a strong second half to pull away, outscoring Oklahoma Baptist 53-41 after taking a 45-39 lead into the break. The Golden Knights shot 44.2 percent from the field and knocked down 11 three-pointers, while controlling the glass with a 55-41 rebounding advantage.
The Aussie twins were unstoppable on Friday night. Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) led the way with 28 points and nine rebounds, while Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) added 20 points, including five three-pointers. Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley) and Precious Idiaru (Speyer, Germany/LA Premier Prep) each finished with 17 points as four Golden Knights reached double figures. All four players were in foul trouble at some point during the game but were able to stay away from infractions in the final 20 minutes to help Gannon pull ahead.
With the victory, the Golden Knights also set a program record for wins in a season, with 33. The previous park was set in the 2023-24 season, when Gannon won 32 games and made the Elite Eight.
GU will play Lander, the fifth seed, for the NCAA DII National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday, April 5th at 1:00 pm.
THE KNIGHT CAP
• Balanced Attack: Four Golden Knights scored in double figures and led the way on the evening. Eight different Golden Knights scored in the win. Of note, Pace Prosser (Berlin, Pa./Berlin Brothersvalley), who picked up two fouls in the opening few minutes, had 17 points on 6-18 shooting from the field. Meanwhile, Precious Idiaru (Speyer, Germany/LA Premier Prep) chipped in 17 and dominated 7'2" OBU forward Erik Madrid for the majority of the game. Madrid would foul out in the second half.
• The Aussies Strike Again: When the twins are on, they are a deadly tandem. Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) finished with 28 points and nine rebounds to lead GU in points for the game. Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore) knocked down five three-pointers en route to 20 points
• Second Half Surge: Gannon outscored OBU 53-41 in the second half after trailing for spurts of the opening 20 minutes. There were 10 lead changes in the game, but Gannon never trailed in the second half.
• Inside Presence: Gannon held a 55-41 advantage on the glass.
• Efficiency: Shot 44.2% from the field and 40.7% from three
• History Markers: The Golden Knights set a program record for wins in a season, with 33. The previous park was set in the 2023-24 season, when Gannon won 32 games and made the Elite Eight. GU also advances to their first national title game since 1987 and second overall. Gannon fell to Kentucky Wesleyan in the 1987 NCAA title game.
POSTGAME COMMENTS
Head Coach Easton Bazzoli: "I'm so lucky and proud to coach this team. There is nothing that they cannot overcome. I thought we struggled a bit in the first half with playing our style of game, but the second half was a tremendous 20 minutes offensively. The crowd brought it tonight. It felt like a home game. We're blessed to be in the NCAA title game and are going to put in a huge week of work to hopefully bring home a championship next weekend."
Guard Lucas Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore): "When Mackenzie and I are on, we feed off of each other. We've been playing together essentially since we were born, so we know where each other are at all times. It means everything to be in the National Championship game. I'm so grateful to do this with my brother and my teammates."
Guard Mackenzie Morgan (Sydney, Australia/Marist Catholic College North Shore): "We always have confidence in our game, no matter what the score. It shows the toughness of our group. We continue to stick to what has got us here, and that's been effective."
THE NEXT GAME
The NCAA Championship. Gannon will play Lander, the fifth seed, for the NCAA DII National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday, April 5th at 1:00 pm.
This story was written using the support of AI.
