EDINBORO, Pa. –
Adam Blazek's (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) game-tying jumper with 21 seconds left in regulation capped a furious second-half rally, before the Gannon men's basketball team captured an intense 77-73 overtime victory at Edinboro to keep its postseason hopes alive Wednesday night at the McComb Fieldhouse.
The Gannon-Edinboro rivalry game went to overtime for the ninth time in 95 all-time meetings, but for the first time since the 1994-95 campaign. The Golden Knights are now 6-3 all-time against the Fighting Scots during contests that need an extra session, including four straight victories under those circumstances. Gannon also improved to 6-2 all-time under head coach
John T. Reilly in overtime games.
The victory snapped a four-game losing streak against Edinboro and represented Gannon's first win at the McComb Fieldhouse since the 2008-09 NCAA Division II Elite Eight team posted a 66-65 win. It also kept the Golden Knights' playoff hopes alive as the squad sits only one game behind California (Pa.) and Clarion for the final Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division postseason spot with five games remaining.
Edinboro controlled most of the first half, leading by as many as 16 points (28-12) with 3:47 left in the half. The large lead was the result of a 21-7 run over the span of 11 minutes and 54 seconds. The deficit stood at 30-18 when the two teams headed for the halftime locker rooms.
Gannon seemed to grab a little momentum early in the second half, scoring nine consecutive points to pull within 32-27 on
T.J. Wilson's (Lorton, Va./Hayfield Secondary) lay-up 3:04 into the stanza.
Edinboro built its lead back to 39-32 when Gannon made another monster run. A Blazek three-pointer ignited a run of 10 consecutive points. Four different players scored during the blitz, capped by
Darrell Blanton's (Cleveland, Ohio/Euclid) jumper that gave the Golden Knights a 42-39 lead with 9:52 remaining.
Neither team was able to pull away after that. Edinboro led by as many as six points while Gannon led by as many as five points in the final 10 minutes of regulation. The Fighting Scots came down the stretch with a 59-53 lead, but were unable to hold on in the final three minutes.
Blazek hit another three-pointer to pull the Golden Knights within 59-56 at the 2:51 mark. Trailing by five, Blanton inched Gannon within 61-59 with an old-fashion three-point play as 1:15 showed on the clock.
Edinboro turned the ball over during its next possession, before Blazek drained a jumper to tie the game at 61 with 21 seconds left. He then stole a pass with one second left to force overtime.
Gannon rode the momentum into the extra session, racing to a 69-64 advantage 1:39 into the overtime period. Wilson and
Oscar Macias (Cicero, Ill./Morton) converted back-to-back drives to the hoop while being fouled. Both hit their free throws to account for a quick 6-0 run.
The home squad rallied one more time, tying the contest at 71 on Alex Moore's triple with 1:02 left on the clock. But Blazek answered with two clutch free throws to put the Golden Knights back in front with 49 ticks left. It was the beginning of a 6-for-6 showing by Blazek from the free throw line in the final 49 seconds. His last two with 12 seconds left iced the 77-73 victory as the Gannon bench celebrated after one last Edinboro three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Blazek led all scorers with a career-high 26 points and seven rebounds, hitting all four three-point attempts and all six free throw attempts.
Wilson and Blanton both recorded double-doubles, becoming the second Gannon duo to perform the feat in the same game this season. Blanton and
Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) produced the trick against Seton Hill during the Porreco Cup finals. Wilson had 15 points and 16 rebounds, shattering his previous career-high in rebounds by seven. Blanton posted his ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Gannon shot 35.6 percent (26-73) from the field, 36.4 percent (4-11) from three-point range and 75 percent (21-28) from the free throw line. The Golden Knights were 10-of-12 from the free throw line in overtime and dominated the glass with a 55-38 overall rebounding average. The difference included a 17-4 edge on the offensive glass.
Isaiah Prince led the Edinboro attack with 26 points, going 10-of-28 from the field. Jay Fletcher and Cory Somerville added 20 and 14 points, respectively.
Edinboro shot 40 percent (26-65) from the floor, 40.7 percent (11-27) from behind the arc and 58.8 percent (10-17) from the charity stripe.
Gannon improved to 11-10 overall and 9-8 in the PSAC Western Division. Edinboro dropped to 11-10 overall and 9-8 in conference action. The Golden Knights remain on the road Saturday, February 11 for a rematch with Clarion. The contest at W.S. Tippin Gymnasium begins at 7:30 p.m. Gannon posted an 81-63 victory against the Golden Eagles January 21 at the Hammermill Center.
