CALIFORNIA, Pa. - The California (Pa.) men’s basketball team used 20 Gannon miscues to created a 25-9 edge in points off turnovers and earned a season split against the Golden Knights with a 59-56 victory Sunday afternoon at Hamer Hall.
Sunday’s game was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but was postponed due to inclement weather in southern Pennsylvania. And it didn’t take long to realize the contest was going to be a battle of defensive teams.
Both teams shot under 41 percent in the first half as California (Pa.) took a 27-24 lead into halftime. The first 20 minutes featured four ties and two lead changes. Gannon’s largest lead came at 14-10 after
Larry Swann (Columbus, Ohio/Brookhaven) drained a three-pointer with 11:09 left in the first half.
California (Pa.) answered with 13 consecutive points, assuming a 23-14 lead with 3:46 to play in the first half. The Golden Knights went seven minutes and 37 seconds without a point until
Steve Piotrowicz (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) hit a three-pointer at the 3:32 mark. In all, the Golden Knights missed seven shots and turned the ball over five times during the scoreless stretch. Meanwhile, California (Pa.) pulled down six offensive rebounds.
Head coach John T. Reilly’s squad battled back with eight straight points.
Travis Brannen (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) followed Piotrowicz’s three with a pair of free throws, before Swann’s second three-pointer of the half brought Gannon within 23-22. Rashawd Hatten’s tip-in at the buzzer sent the Vulcans into the break with a 27-24 advantage.
California (Pa.) ambushed Gannon in the opening minute of the second half, scoring the first seven points. Jerial Nixon’s three-pointer 1:06 into the final stanza gave the Vulcans their biggest lead of the afternoon at 34-24.
Gannon rallied again with a 12-4 run, cutting the deficit to 38-36 on
Danard Crouch’s (Syracuse, N.Y./Anthony Henninger) triple with 14:07 to play.
The second half was dominated by runs. Seven straight points put Cal back up 47-38, before Gannon cut the lead back to 49-46 with an 8-2 blitz. The Golden Knights trailed 54-51 and had the ball with under a minute to play. However, Brannen fouled out with an offensive charge. Travon Vann made the ensuing free throws, bumping the lead to 56-51.
Piotrowicz hit his second long-range bomb with six seconds left, bringing the Golden Knights within 57-56. Two Andrew Young free throws with four seconds left gave Cal a 59-56 lead, which turned out to be the final score after Gannon failed to get a shot off during its last possession.
Brannen led all scorers with 19 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. The junior forward finished 6-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Piotrowicz and Crouch added 10 points each. Piotrowicz’s scoring output represented a season-high.
Gannon shot 39.2 percent (20-51) from the field, 35 percent (7-20) from three-point range and 90 percent (9-10) from the free throw line.
Kelsey Williams headlined the Cal attack with 17 points on perfect 7-of-7 shooting. Nixon chipped in 14 markers.
California (Pa.) shot 43.1 percent (22-51) from the floor, 22.2 percent (2-9) from behind the arc and 54.2 percent (13-24) from the charity stripe.
Gannon dropped to 9-11 overall and 4-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. California (Pa.) improved to 14-9 overall and 2-6 in conference play. The Golden Knights return to action Wednesday, February 10 against Slippery Rock at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
For a complete box score from Sunday’s Gannon-Cal men’s basketball game, please
click here.