Box ScoreERIE - East Stroudsburg University overcame a seven-point deficit late in the first overtime, but came up just short in the second extra period as Gannon outlasted the Warriors for an 83-79 (2OT) win in PSAC men's basketball on Tuesday night at the Hammermill Center.
In a match-up of the final two unbeaten teams in PSAC play, the Golden Knights (6-4, 5-0) prevailed in a back-and-forth game that featured 15 lead changes. ESU falls to 5-3 (4-1 PSAC). The Warriors had won six straight in the series, including a 66-58 win in the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament last March.
ESU put six players in double figures in senior guard
Whis Grant (13 points, six assists), sophomore forward
Rasheed Moore (13 points, 11 rebounds), redshirt senior guard
Will Brown (12 points), senior guard
Matt Tobin (11), junior guard
Jamal Nwaniemeka (11) and sophomore forward
Steve Harris (10).
Girbran Smith scored 23 points for Gannon and Adam Blazek, last year's PSAC West Player of the Year, had 14 of his 22 points in the final five minutes of regulation plus overtime. Raphell Thomas-Edwards had 16 points and 17 rebounds before fouling out early in the first overtime.
Grant forced overtime with a game-tying jumper with 41.1 seconds left in regulation, forging a 64-64 tie. Senior forward
Lamont Tillery's three-pointer at the buzzer was just long.
Gannon surged to a 72-65 lead with 2:06 left in the first overtime before ESU scored eight straight points in a span of 15 seconds, on a three-pointer by Grant, a steal and layup by Tobin and a three by Brown after another Gannon turnover.
Smith put Gannon back in front, 74-73, with two free throws with 1:33 left. Grant tied it, splitting a pair of free throws, with 1:16 remaining. Smith missed a stepback three-pointer at the buzzer for Gannon to force a second OT period at 74-74.
Moore gave ESU a 76-74 lead with a putback with 3:25 left, then Blazek tied it with a jumper at 3:16 and Smith scored to give Gannon a 78-76 lead with 1:55 remaining.
Brown's three-pointer put the Warriors back in front, 79-78, with 1:38 remaining. A'Darius Porter (9 points, 9 rebounds) gave Gannon an 80-79 lead with 1:11 left, then Blazek split two free throws for an 81-79 edge with 26.2 seconds left.
ESU was whistled for a travel with six seconds left as Grant appeared to score the tying basket, and Smith made two free throws to seal it with 4.2 seconds left.
The Warriors led 35-34 at halftime and took a seven-point lead (42-35), their biggest of the game, early in the second half. Gannon answered with an 8-0 run, and neither team led by more than four points over the final 16 minutes of regulation.
Moore gave ESU a 60-57 lead with two free throws with 3:36 left before Blazek hit a three-pointer for Gannon to set up the finish to regulation. Smith gave Gannon a 64-62 lead with 57.6 seconds left, then Grant tied it for ESU with 41.1 seconds on the clock. The Warriors got a defensive stop and Tillery's look at the game-winning three was just long.
Gannon held a 55-32 rebounding advantage led by Thomas-Edwards' 17 boards, including seven offensive.
ESU had a 17-13 edge in turnovers. The Warriors were 12-for-27 from the three-point line, with Brown (4), Grant (2), Tillery (2) and Tobin (2) all hitting multiple three's.
ESU travels to Clarion (4-3, 2-2) on Wednesday with the Golden Eagles coming off an 86-76 win over Bloomsburg.
GAME NOTES* ESU played its 9th multiple-overtime game under 13th-year head coach
Jeff Wilson, who coached his 350th career game.
* The Warriors are 5-4 in multiple-OT games under Wilson.
* ESU is 14-11 in OT games under Wilson.
* This was ESU's first OT game since a 99-91 (OT) win at Kutztown in the PSAC quarterfinals in 2012. The Warriors went on to win their 2nd PSAC championship in program history (and have now won 2 of the last 3 PSAC titles).
* Grant moved into ESU's career top 10 in assists (280). He also ranks 3rd in career points (1,593).
* Grant is the only player in program history to rank in the career top 10 in both points and assists.
* Brown moved into 5th at ESU with 127 career 3-pointers, coming in 65 career games.
* ESU put all 5 starters in double figures for the first time since an 87-77 win at West Chester on February 2, 2013.
* ESU put all 5 starters in double figures for the 5th time under Wilson.
* at Gannon - Grant 13, Moore 13, Nwaniemeka 11, Tobin 11, Harris 10
* at West Chester (2013) - Grant 23, Terrance King 17, Gerald Bridges 15,
Zechariah Runkle 11, Tobin 10
* ESU had 6 players score in double figures against PSAC team for the 2nd straight game, and the 5th time under Wilson.
2014-15 at Gannon - Grant 13, Moore 13, Brown 12, Nwaniemeka 11, Tobin 11, Harris 10
2014-15 vs. Bloomsburg - Brown 16, Grant 16, Tillery 14, Harris 13, Jones 11, Tobin 10
2013-14 at Mansfield - Aminu 18, Moore 17, Grant 14, Tobin 13, Brown 12, Tillery 10
2010-11 vs. Bloomsburg - Covert 14, DeMarco 13, Johnson 13, King 12, Brown 11, Tobin 11
2002-03 vs. Cheyney - Majeski 17, Mohiuddin 16, Jones 12, Bishop 11, Fedorka 11, Taylor 11
