The Gannon men’s basketball team clawed to keep up with the Huskies of Bloomsburg but came up short in a 79-70 loss, making Bloomsburg the third consecutive team to shoot over 53 percent against Gannon. It was Gannon’s fourth straight loss.
The Huskies came for the throats of Gannon early scoring the first seven points in the first 79 seconds.
Marcus Jones and Cyril Clarke answered the call with a three from Jones and two-pointer by Clarke to make the score 7-5.
Bloomsburg responded rapidly with 13 straight points to boast a 20-5 lead with 11 minutes, 44 seconds left in the first half.
Gannon needed to get out of the hole they had dug in the first nine minutes and 30 seconds after shooting 2-of-10 from the field and turning the ball over seven times.
With the score at 34-21, the Knights catalyzed a 9-2 run. Junior Kevin Kuteyi followed a lay-up by Clarke with six straight points. Sophomore Isaiah Eisendorf’s freethrow closed the gap to 36-30 with 51 seconds left.
Bloomsburg then snuck a two-pointer passed Gannon’s defense and headed into half with a 38-30 lead.
With 14:14 remaining in the second half, Gannon created a 9-0 blitz to a 43-43 tie started by junior Emmanuel Matey’s lay-up before senior Jean Yves Toupane scored consecutive baskets, followed by a three from Kuteyi.
Once Malik Sneed of Bloomsburg scored a lay-up during the Huskies next possession, the Knights could never catch up.
With a 55-51 lead, Bloomsburg’s Alex Prislupsky hit one from beyond the arc and Garner had yet another lay-up for a nine-point lead with 8:33 left.
The Knights were never able to stay within a six-point range with the Huskies the rest of the game.
Friday
■ Lock Haven 68, Gannon 60:
The Knights 38-20 edge in rebounds wasn’t enough in the loss to Lock Haven Friday. This is Lock Haven’s first win in 25 attempts against Gannon.
The game was back and forth all night but the stars aligned in favor of the Bald Eagles as Blount of Lock Haven etched out a double digits in the points column with 15, as he lit up the three-point line with three of the four three pointers for Lock Haven.
Lock Haven finally ended Gannon’s 24-0 record against them but their 20 rebounds were the lowest Gannon has allowed an opponent since Clarion’s 18 in February.
Coming up next the Knights hit Wheeling W. Va as they take on the Cardinals of Wheeling Jesuit on Saturday at 3 p.m.
BRANDON JACES
