ERIE, Pa. – The Gannon women's basketball team held a seven-point lead at the half against the second-ranked team in the country, but couldn't hold off Edinboro's defensive pressure during the final 20 minutes falling by a 74-57 final Wednesday night. 

During the first half, Gannon turned the ball over just six times while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, holding a 39-32 lead at the break. However, Gannon couldn't carry the momentum into the second half, shooting just 25 percent (5-of-20) during the second half. The Fighting Scots finished with a 42-18 scoring advantage in the final 20 minutes.

Edinboro jumped out to a five-point lead in the first four minutes of the game, thanks to a 9-4 run. The Lady Knights slowly chipped away with a pair of lay-ups from Jen Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel), bringing the lead down to two at the 12:42 mark.

Moments later Gannon would take its first lead of the game on a three-pointer from Caitlyn Lowe (Gettysburg, Pa. / Gettysburg). Edinboro added scores on each of their next two trips down the court before Lowe sunk her second three in less than a minute to tie the game at 16 with 10:55 left in the half.

Gannon's next six points came from free throws, while Edinboro added a pair of lay-ups. The score would tie three more times over the next four minutes before Gannon used a 7-1 run during the final 1:13 of the half to take control of the lead. 

Kelley Sundberg (Mansfield, Conn / E.O. Smith) drove for two points before Gannon converted an Edinboro turnover into another deep three from Lowe. Edinboro hit one free throw with 18 seconds left, but Sundberg sunk both of her attempts with just two seconds left on the clock to give the Lady Knights the 39-32 edge at the half.

However, Edinboro made quick work of erasing the deficit in the second half, opening with a 10-2 run that tied the game at the 14:16 mark. The score tied for the eighth time with 11:18 to play after a lay-up from Renee' Brown. The bucket was the start of a 7-0 run for the Fighting Scots that gave them a 52-47 edge.

Gannon answered with a jumper from Brittany Batts (Leesburg, Va. / Loudoun County) but Edinboro answered right back with a scores from Blazetic and Renee' Brown. From there the Fighting Scots went on a 16-2 scoring run that opened up a 17-point lead. The Lady Knights turned the ball over five times and missed three shots during the five-minute span.

With just four minutes remaining in the game, the Lady Knights were never able to overcome the Edinboro scoring surge, falling by the 74-57 final score.

After committing just six turnovers in the first half, Gannon finished with 20 for the game, compared to just 10 for the Fighting Scots. Edinboro scored 21 points off Gannon turnovers and held a 34-18 edge in points scored in the paint.

For the Fighting Scots, Blazetic and Brown combined for 50 of Edinboro's 74 points on 21-of-26 shooting. Blazetic finished 11-of-13 from the floor with 23 points while Brown was 10-of-13 for 26 points. Each also pulled down seven rebounds.

Gannon was led by Papich's 18 points. The sophomore forward was 6-of-10 from the floor with seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. 

Lowe and Sundberg each finished in double digits with 13 and 10 points respectively. Lowe was a perfect 3-of-3 from long range while grabbing three rebounds. Sundberg was a reliable 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Doriyon Glass (Boardman, Ohio / Boardman) added six points, two rebounds and two assists.

The loss drops the Lady Knights to 17-4 overall with a 14-3 record in conference action. Edinboro remains perfect on the season at 21-0 with a 17-0 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Gannon will stay on the road for a 5:30 game Saturday, February 11 against Clarion.