The Gannon University men’s basketball team split its first two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference games over the weekend after dropping its final nonconference tuneup last week.
The Knights’ lone victory came in a 70-62 overtime decision at Mansfield Sunday, one day after falling 66-62 on the road to Bloomsburg in the PSAC opener.
Gannon also lost 56-47 to Bowie State at the Hammermill Center on Nov. 28.
The Knights now stand 3-4 overall and 1-1 in PSAC play going into Saturday’s 3 p.m. PSAC game against Lock Haven at the Hammermill Center.
Against Mansfield, Gannon needed a 3-pointer from Jovante Lee with 2 seconds to play in regulation to force overtime, and there Lee again played a key role as his 3-pointer with 2 minutes, 29 seconds to play in the extra session snapped a 60-60 tie and put the Knights ahead for good.
Mansfield was in command in the early going, leading by seven at one point in the first half, but the two teams were tied at halftime, 25-25, as Gannon held the Mountaineers to 0-of-5 from the floor and forced six turnovers in the final eight minutes of the half.
The Knights owned the first five minutes of the second half and used a 14-3 run to earn a 39-31 lead at 13:32.
Mansfield responded with great 3-point shooting, going 5-of-7 from deep over a stretch of five minutes to make the score 47-46.
From that point on, neither team led by more than three, with Mansfield owning a 57-54 margin before Lee nailed his tying 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining.
DeAnte Cisero opened the extra period with a turnaround jumper.
Lee then sank another three-pointer to put the Knights up 63-60 midway through the period.
The Knights closed the final 30 seconds of play by going 6-for-6 at the line to lock up the win.
Lee finished with 18 points to lead the Knights while Cisero totaled 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Victor Olawoye added 11 points while Kofi Mills grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds as Gannon owned a 52-32 edge on the boards.
Against Bloomsburg, the Knights got off to a poor start, going down 10-0 in the first three minutes, and they trailed by 12 at 31-19 with less than five minutes to play in the half.
But a 10-3 run to close out the half left Gannon with a 34-29 halftime deficit.
Olawoye scored four points at the start of the second half followed by a layup from Mills to give the Knights their first lead.
Daryl Porter netted two straight baskets and Eric Gonzalez’s pull-up three gave the Knights a 46-38 advantage, and they maintained an eight-point lead with 12:30 to play.
Bloomsburg chipped away, however, and a 3-pointer by Ethan Bloom with 4:53 to play gave the Huskies a 59-57 lead.
The game remained tight the rest of the way, with Gannon’s last lead coming at 62-61 on a layup by Olawoye with 1:42 remaining.
A free throw by Bloomsburg’s Travis Elmore tied the game at 62-62 and Elmore’s fast-break layup with 10 seconds left put the Huskies in front for good.
Porter led Gannon with 15 points while Olawoye added 14.
Following Saturday’s game against Lock Haven, the Knights will next see action Saturday, Dec. 15, against Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio.
keefer gregoire
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