ERIE, Pa. – Too close for comfort, maybe. But a trip to the PSAC title game has been secured.
The No. 5 Gannon women's basketball team advanced to the PSAC Championship game with a 79–73 victory over Seton Hill Saturday afternoon in the PSAC Semifinals at the Highmark Events Center.
With the win, the Golden Knights improved to 28–3 overall and will now play for the PSAC title on Sunday against IUP.
Seton Hill jumped out to an early lead and held a narrow 24–23 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Gannon responded in the second period, outscoring the Griffins 29–12 to take a 52–36 lead into halftime.
The Golden Knights pushed the lead to as many as 22 points during the third quarter before Seton Hill mounted a late rally in the fourth. The Griffins trimmed the deficit to single digits in the final minutes, but Gannon held on down the stretch to secure the win.
Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) led the Golden Knights with 22 points while knocking down two three-pointers. Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) added a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds, while Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi) contributed 12 points and six rebounds, and Taylor Ethridge (Chesapeake, Va./Catholic) added 10 points off the bench to help power the Gannon offense.
THE KNIGHT CAP
• Claxon Leads the Way: Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster) scored a team-high 22 points to pace the Golden Knights. She was 9-19 from the field and added a pair of three pointers. She played 34:48 of 40 minutes in the win.
• Double-Double & A Record: Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) recorded 14 points and 15 rebounds in the victory but left the game with an injury later in the fourth quarter. In the process, she also set a Gannon program record for career games played with 144. That passes Sam Pirosko's mark previously set in 2023-24.
• Inside Presence: Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, another GU player with a double double in the victory.
• Holding the Line: The Golden Knights jumped out to a 22 point second half lead, but a furious comeback from the Griffins left GU up by just three. The Golden Knights would hold on late thanks to important made free throws from Taylor Ethridge (Chesapeake, Va./Catholic), Ratliff, and Claxon.
• Strong Second Quarter: Gannon outscored Seton Hill 29–12 in the second period to take control of the game
• Championship Bound: The Golden Knights advanced to the PSAC Championship game with the win and will take on IUP on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Gannon will play for the PSAC Championship on Sunday, March 8th at 12:30 pm against IUP. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season; IUP won at the Highmark Events Center on January 17th while Gannon returned the favor on the road on the last day of the regular season.
In all likelihood, the winner of Sunday's game will earn the right to host the 2025 NCAA DII Women's Atlantic Regional next week.
This story was written with the support of AI.
