ERIE, Pa. – IUP got off to a slow start and never recovered, falling to No. 20/14 Gannon by a 84-58 count on Saturday in Erie.
Gannon (13-2, 7-2) used its pressing style to force 25 IUP (9-5, 6-2) turnovers on the day, taking control of the contest early. The Knights jump IUP in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West standings, using an 18-0 surge early in the contest with several baskets spurred by the aggressive style.
Ethan Porterfield led IUP with 18 points (7-13 FG), while
Jaylen Stewart,
KJ Rhodes and
Josh Petteno posted eight points each.
Garvin Clarke posted six points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals for an IUP team that was behind early and often.
Gannon shot 52.9% for the game, placing three players in double figures. The Knights played 12 total players in the blowout victory, receiving a game-high 21 points each from Lyle Tipton and Josh Omojafo. Zach Hobbs added 12 points for GU, which posted 14 steals as a team. The Knights held a 30-15 edge in points off turnovers with each team finishing with 76 total possessions.
Capitalizing on some early IUP miscues, Gannon took an early 18-2 edge with consecutive triples showcasing the quick-strike ability. Firing on all cylinders, Gannon forced seven IUP turnovers in the opening six minutes of the matchup.
IUP responded with a pair of triples of its own, coming from Porterfield and Petteno, whittling the GU lead to 18-8.
Sarp Furtun posted five straight points on a driving basket and three, bringing IUP within 22-15 as the Hawks settled into the pressing style presented by Gannon.
Rhodes dropped in a jumper out of a media timeout, bringing the Hawks within single digits at 27-19. The Knights later widened their margin back to double figures following a 19-4 surge that spanned over seven minutes to finish out the opening half. The Knights shot 62.1% from the floor in the opening half, leading 46-23 at the intermission.
The Hawks committed 13 first half turnovers, receiving seven points early in the frame. Lyle Tipton poured in 15 points for the Knights, with Omajofo adding 12 more for the Knights in the opening half. For IUP, the trio of Furtun, Petteno and Rhodes accounted for 13 of 23 first half points.
Struggling from distance, IUP could never narrowed the gap in the second half with Gannon maintaining a 20+ point advantage. Both teams endured a slight scoreless stretch ahead of the under-12 media timeout with Gannon firmly in control at 59-34. The Golden Knights continued keeping IUP at bay in a slow moving second half, eventually extending their lead to 30.
GU captured just its third win in the series over the last 17 meetings. The Knights entered the game leading the nation in scoring with over 111 points per contest.
Up Next
IUP visits Pitt-Johnstown on the road on Wednesday, January 17 at 7:30 p.m.
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