The Gannon University women’s basketball team finished the season with a loss to rival Mercyhurst, 73-57, on Feb. 25, at the Hammermill Center.
The loss to the intercity rivals left the Knights with a final overall record of 9-19 and the team finished Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play with a 9-13 mark.
Despite winning five of its last nine conference games, Gannon finished seventh in the PSAC West division and failed to make the conference tournament.
Gannon played hard against Mercyhurst, but the Lakers made a good run in the fourth quarter to take control of the game.
The Knights got off to a good start, pouring in 19 first-quarter points, and they took a three-point lead heading into the second quarter at 19-16.
Mercyhurst, which finished regular-season play at 22-6 overall and 17-5 in the PSAC, pulled to within a point at halftime, as the Knights led 30-29 at intermission.
The Lakers moved in front in the third period and held at 45-41 lead going into the final quarter, and then blew the game open by outscoring the Knights 28-16.
Maggie Mitchell scored 19 points and added two assists for Gannon, and senior Lanise Saunders finished with her 10th double-double of the season, scoring 11 points and pulling down 10 rebounds on Senior Day.
Mitchell capped an outstanding season by being selected to the PSAC All-Conference second team. The junior transfer averaged 17.3 points per game and totaled 485 points, 13th most in school history for a single season.
Her 17.3 point-per-game average marked the first time a Knight player had averaged at least 17 points per game since Christina Jackson did it in 2006-07.
Mitchell also averaged 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Her 87.9 percent mark from the free-throw line is fourth-best in school history and ranked second in the PSAC.
Mitchell also averaged 2.5 three-point field goals per game, which led the PSAC.

STEVEN PITCAIRN
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