Jan. 28, 2006

Stats

Erie, Pa. - Gannon broke open a tight game with a 12-0 run over a five-and-a-half minute span in the second half and went on from there to defeat Mercyhurst 83-74 in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) game at the Athletic Center. The Lady Knights improved to 9-11 overall and to 4-6 in the GLIAC South while the Lakers dropped to 6-14 and 2-8.

With the Lakers leading 58-56 and 13:32 to play, the Lady Knights hit four baskets including two triples and a pair of free throws to open a 68-58 advantage and Mercyhurst got no closer than nine points the rest of the way,

Mercyhurst led 46-45 in an exciting first half that saw the Lakers overcome a pair of eight-point deficits. Junior forward Julie Anderson led Mercyhurst with 11 points and five rebounds in the first twenty minutes while junior Casey England led Gannon with a dozen points, which featured three triples. The lady Knights shot nearly 61% from the floor in the opening stanza while the Lakers converted 44% of their shots. Both teams cashed six threes while Mercyhurst owned a 17-14 advantage on the boards.

The contest remained nip-and-tuck for the first six-and-a-half minutes of the second half before things began to unravel for Mercyhurst.

England led a quartet of players in double figures for Gannon with 20. Junior forward Christina Jackson added 17, freshman guard Carrie Nolan came off the bench for 15 and sophomore guard Ashley Lowdermilk finished with a dozen. Gannon shot 59% for the game and converted 15 of 19 at the line.

Anderson had a double-double for the Lakers, her fourth of the season, with game-highs in both points (23) and rebounds (10). Freshman Jena Schafer finished with 15 in a reserve role and senior guard Cassie Seth added 10. Mercyhurst took 13 more shots than Gannon, but shot just 40% from the field. The Lakers made 17 of 21 from the charity stripe, outrebounded GU, 33-28, and had five fewer turnovers, but could not overcome Gannon's 12-point burst.

Gannon snapped a three-game losing streak with the win and extended the Lakers' troubles to six straight. The Lady Knights now lead the all-time series 40-24 and have a 20-15 advantage at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.

The Lakers will continue their three-game homestand next week when Northern Michigan and Michigan tech come calling Thursday night at 6:00 and Saturday afternoon at 1:00.