GANNON Golden Knights (9-7, 4-2 PSAC West) AT EDINBORO Fighting Scots (7-8, 0-5 PSAC West)

DATE: Saturday, January 18, 2013
TIPOFF: 3:00 p.m.
SITE: McComb Fieldhouse
RADIO: WFSE 88.9 FM
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/edinboro/mbball/
 
Edinboro Game Notes - Gannon Game Notes
Edinboro Season Stats - Gannon Season Stats


SERIES RECORD
Gannon leads 61-35

LAST MEETING
2013-14:  February  13, 2013- Edinboro 67, #17 Gannon 64
Edinboro earned a come-from-behind 67-64 win at 17th-ranked Gannon at the Hammermill Center, marking the third straight year the Scots have won at Gannon. The contest featured seven lead changes and seven ties. Trailing 30-24 at the half, Edinboro opened the second half on a 28-14 run to take its largest lead of the night at 52-44 with 9:23 left. Gannon regained its lead at 57-56 with 3:58 to play, before Bryan Theriot's short jumper in the paint gave Edinboro the lead for good 16 seconds later. The Knights pulled within two at 66-64 with 14 seconds left. On the next Scot possession, Will Marrow was fouled and sent to the free throw line. The redshirt freshman made one of two free throws to extend the Scot lead to 67-64. Gannon's Adam Blazek launched a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, but the shot was off the mark. Edinboro ended with four players in double figures, led by Theriot's 20 markers.  The 6'9" junior made 8 of 12 field goals and added 10 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. Johnathan Logan and Isaiah Prince added 15 points apiece, with Logan making 5 of 11 3-pointers and Prince 3 of 6. Marrow enjoyed his finest game of the season, scoring a season-high 10 points with six rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal in 20 minutes. Darrell Blanton led Gannon with 21 points, adding eight rebounds, but the only other Knight to reach double figures was Oscar Macias with 16 points. Turnovers proved a huge difference, as Edinboro outscored Gannon 21-5 on turnovers. The Golden Knights surrendered 14 turnovers for the game.


 PROBABLE STARTERS

Edinboro	Gannon
#2 Henri Wade-Chatman (G, 6-2, So.)	#0 Raphell Thomas-Edwards (F, 6-6, Jr.)
#5 Alex Moore  (F, 6-4, Sr.)	#3 C.J. Oldham (F, 6-8, Sr.)
#11 Johnathan Logan (F, 6-8, Sr.)	#5 Adam Blazek (G, 6-1, Jr.)
#15 Jonny Marsh (G, 6-0, Jr.)	#25 Girbran Smith (G, 6-3, Jr.)
#55 Bryan Theriot (C, 6-9, Sr)	#32 A'Darius Porter  (F, 6-6, Jr.)

HEAD COACHES
Pat Cleary (Edinboro '99)
Record at Edinboro: 7-8, (1st year)
Career Record: 7-8, (1st year)

Pat Cleary (Edinboro '99) is in his first year as head coach of the Fighting Scots, taking over for his predecessor Greg Walcavich, who spent 24 years at the helm of the Edinboro program. Cleary previously worked as an assistant under Walcavich for 16 years, first as a student aide before becoming a full-time assistant coach. He is credited for recruiting many of Edinboro's top contributors in recent years. The first-year head coach takes over a team that finished 18-10 a year ago and reached the PSAC Tournament Semifinals. Cleary has led the Fighting Scots to a 7-8 record so far this season.

Gannon: John Reilly (Bowie State '86)
Record at Mercyhurst: 150-93, (9th year)
Career Record: 382-238, (21st year)

John Reilly (Bowie State '86) is in his 21st year as a head coach and ninth season as the head coach at Gannon, showing a career record of 382-238 and a 150-93 mark at Gannon. Reilly earned his 150th win in Gannon's upset victory over fifth-ranked IUP in the last game. He entered the 2013-14 campaign ranking 43rd among all NCAA Division II coaches in victories (373) and 68th in winning percentage (.618). At Gannon, he ranks second all-time in wins (150), trailing only Jerry Slocum (1996-05) as the program's all-time winningest coach. He enjoyed his finest season at Gannon in 2008­09, as the Golden Knights set a school record for wins, finishing 30­-4, capturing a PSAC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. As a result, Reilly was named NABC Atlantic Region Coach of the Year. He previously served as the head coach at Brecia University for 12 seasons, compiling a 232-­145 record. He led the NAIA program to five twenty­-win seasons.
 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Edinboro
Bryan Theriot (C, 6-9, Sr.) – earned first team All-PSAC West accolades a year ago after averaging 18.1 ppg. and 8.9 rpg. Was named a preseason All-PSAC choice. Shot 55.4 percent from the floor and 87.2 percent at the line. He was named the PSAC West Men's Basketball Player of the Week after averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in two contests last week. He posted his fourth double-double of the season and 22nd of his career with a 25-point, 10-rebound performance to lead Edinboro past visiting Shippensburg. He leads the team in scoring at 18.7 points per contest, also ranks sixth in scoring average in the PSAC. He is fifth in the league in rebounding average at 8.1 boards per game, and second in the conference in field goal percentage at 61.9 percent (96 of 155). The senior ranks 17th in school history with 1,187 career points and 21st with 588 career rebounds. He also sits at second all-time in career field goal percentage, shooting 59.4 percent from the field for his career (416-700).
 
Jonny Marsh (G, 6-0, Jr.)  – is a first-year player for the Fighting Scots after transferring from Niagara County Comm. College. Earned PSAC West Player of the Week honors after posting back-to-back 30-plus point games earlier this season. The junior poured in a season-high 34 points in Edinboro's win at Urbana on Nov. 18, before recording 30 markers in the Scots' loss at Pitt-Johnstown on Nov. 23. Marsh paces the PSAC in 3-pt. field goal percentage at 43.3  percent (39 of 90) and 3-pt. field goals made per game with 2.6.The Bronx, NY native is third in the conference averaging 3.9 assists per contest. He also ranks seventh in the PSAC in scoring average at 17.3 points per contest.


Gannon
Adam Blazek (G, 6-1, Jr.) is a preseason All-PSAC West selection, pacing the Golden Knights and ranking 15th in the league in scoring average at 14.9 points per game. He earned All-PSAC West honors as a freshman in 2011-12. The junior guard is coming off a 13-point performance against #5 IUP, and poured in a season-high 26 points in Gannon's 68-61 win over Slippery Rock on December 4. Blazek leads the PSAC in free throw percentage at 87.0 percent for the season. He is also sixth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (.394) and 3-point field goals made per game (2.4).
 
A'Darius Porter (F, 6-6, Jr.) – comes in as Gannon's leading rebounder and third-leading scorer at 7.0 rebounds and 8.5 points per contest. The junior ranks 15th in the PSAC at 7.0 boards per game. Porter had 14 points  on six of seven shooting, while grabbing eight rebounds in Gannon's win over #5 IUP. He registered a double-double of 11 marks and 11 boards against Lock Haven on December 18.
 

THE GAME STORIES
• Edinboro remains in search of its first conference victory of the 2013-14 campaign following a 77-65 overtime defeat at the hands of Mercyhurst on Wednesday that left the Fighting Scots at 0-5 in the PSAC West. Edinboro allowed an Mercyhurst offensive rebound and put-back with five seconds to play in regulation to send the game to overtime. The Lakers then outscored the Scots, 17-5 in the bonus period fueled by a 9-0 run to start the session to defeat Edinboro, 77-65. Gannon is sporting a 9-7 overall mark and a 4-2 ledger in PSAC West action. The Golden Knights are coming off a 67-61 overtime upset victory over fifth-ranked Indiana (Pa.) on Wednesday night.
 
•The Fighting Scots are in the thick of a very difficult four-game stretch. Starting with Slippery Rock, Edinboro faces the four best scoring defenses in the PSAC in a row, three of which rank in the top six in Division II. Mercyhurst came into Wednesday's matchup as the sixth-ranked scoring defense in the country at 61.3 ppg. Gannon enters the game against Edinboro as the fourth-best scoring defense in Division II at 60.6 ppg, while Indiana (Pa.), the Scots' opponent on January 22, is the top-ranked scoring defense in the country and the PSAC at 57.3 ppg. Slippery Rock, who the Scots faced on January 11, ranks fourth in the conference, limiting opponents to an average of 64.8 points per game at the time. Gannon is also the top rebounding team in the conference, with a rebounding margin of +12.4.
 
• Bryan Theriot was named the PSAC West Men's Basketball Player of the Week after averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in two contests last week. He posted his fourth double-double of the season and 22nd of his career with a 25-point, 10-rebound performance to lead Edinboro past visiting Shippensburg.
 
• Edinboro was picked to finish eighth in the Western Division while the Golden Kngihts were picked to finish second in the conference preseason poll. At this point in the season, Edinboro's prediction has held true, as the Scots sit in eighth place in the division. Gannon is currently in fourth place in the division with a 4-2 record in conference play.
 
NEXT FOR THE FIGHTING SCOTS
Wednesday, January 22 vs. #5 IUP – 7:30 p.m.