ERIE, Pa. - The No. 1 Gannon women's basketball team put all five starters in double digits and pounded its opponent on the boards for the second straight night en route to an 80-60 victory against Seton Hill in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Semifinals Saturday night at the Hammermill Center. In the process, the Lady Knights set an NCAA Division II record for consecutive victories (35) in one season.

The victory moves Gannon into the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship Game against Millersville Monday, March 15 at the 'Mill. The Marauders posted their second victory of the season at California's Hamer Hall Saturday night with a 74-63 victory. Monday's game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Saturday's decision was Gannon's 17th straight home victory and 50th straight win when leading at halftime. Its 35-game win streak is the fourth-longest overall streak in NCAA Division II history. Washburn (51) owns the longest win streak, while North Dakota State produced streaks of 49 and 42 games.

Gannon placed all five starters in double digits for the first time during the collegiate careers of the current five starting seniors. The Lady Knights wasted little time getting the ball rolling before 2,017 fans. Kim Vargas (Sterling, Va./Broad Run) and Tiffany Crocker (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Coffman) opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers. Kristina Freeman (Yonkers, N.Y./Pelham Memorial) followed with a lay-up, giving Gannon an 8-0 lead and forcing an early time-out by the Griffins.

The lead stretched to 11-0 on a Brittany Tabron (Canton, Ohio/Canton central Catholic) three-point play, before Seton Hill finally converted its first field goal 6:01 into the contest.

Seton Hill battled back within 15-11 after an 11-4 run, but Gannon responded with a 12-3 blitz. Carrie Nolan (Girard, Pa./Girard) scored eight of the 12 points and hit back-to-back three-pointers that spurred the run.

Gannon's advantage increased to 38-21 after a pair of Vargas free throws, before Jordan Burkes' freebie with 54 seconds left sent the Griffins into the break with a 38-22 deficit.

Head coach Cleve Wright's squad put the game away early in the second half. Leading 40-31, five different players helped the Lady Knights score 11 consecutive points. Another three-point play by Tabron pushed the lead to 51-31 with 13:40 remaining. The Griffins were never able to draw closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Vargas and Nolan led the five-headed attack with 17 points each. Tabron and Crocker chipped in 14 markers apiece. Freeman completed the double-digit scoring group with 11 points.
Gannon shot 43.5 percent (27-62) from the field, 29.6 percent (8-27) from three-point range and 78.3 percent (18-23) from the free throw line. The Lady Knights owned a 44-29 edge in rebounding, including a 19-11 difference on the offensive glass.

Burkes headlined the Seton Hill attack with a game-high 19 points, hitting 8-of-9 free throws. Katie Lintner was the only other Griffin in double digits with 15 points.

Seton Hill shot 30.6 percent (15-49) from the floor, 34.4 percent (11-32) from behind the arc and 86.4 percent (19-22) from the charity stripe. The Griffins shot 32 three-pointers and only attempted 17 two-point field goals.

Gannon moved to 35-0 while remaining the only undefeated team in NCAA Division II. The Lady Knights are one of only three undefeated women's basketball team in the NCAA, joining Division I Connecticut (33-0) and Division III Amherst (31-0). Seton Hill's season concluded at 23-8.

The Peach Street kids will now play in their second consecutive NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen Monday, March 15 against sixth-seeded Millersville at the Hammermill Center. Game time is slated for 7 p.m. The winner advances to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight March 23-26 in St. Joseph, Missouri.

For a complete box score from Saturday's Gannon-Seton Hill NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional semifinal game, please click here.