Gannon repeats as PSAC women’s champion; Mercyhurst men make NCAAs
3 min readThe Gannon women’s basketball team repeated as the PSAC champion Sunday.
The Golden Knights used tough defense to upset top-seeded Cal U 59-47 in the PSAC championship game at Kutztown’s Keystone Arena.
The Knights repeated titles, albeit in an unconventional way. The first title came in 2020 when the Knights beat IUP in the PSAC title game before the NCAA Division II tournament was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The entire PSAC season was canceled during the 2020-21 school year when Gannon went 13-1 while playing an independent schedule.
Gannon also won the PSAC tournament title during the 2009-10 season when the Knights went 37-0 before losing in overtime in the NCAA Division II semifinals.
This year, the Golden Knights will move on in the postseason. They learned Sunday night that they will be the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional this weekend in Glenville, West Virginia. Gannon was one of five PSAC women’s basketball teams to earn a berth in the tourney. The Knights (24-6) will face No. 5-seeded Shepherd (24-7) in their opener. The regional also includes No. 2 Cal U (24-5), No. 7 IUP (21-8) and No. 3 Kutztown (26-6).
Defense was the key for Gannon on the way to winning the PSAC title. Sunday’s game was the third time in three games that the Knights held a PSAC foe under 50 points. They beat Pitt-Johnstown 70-44 in the quarterfinals and defeated Kutztown 55-47 in the semifinals.
Gannon held Cal scoreless over the last 5 minutes, 49 seconds of the game Sunday as the Knights scored the final seven points.
Gannon graduate student Emma Wright, the daughter of head coach Cleve Wright, capped a memorable weekend with a game-high 19 points. On Saturday, Wright was named the PSAC Women’s Basketball Champion Scholar after maintaining a 4.0 grade-point average through 130 credits in pursuit of a psychology degree. On Sunday, she was named PSAC Tournament MVP.
Family moment:Father-daughter duo savor Gannon’s postseason chance
Sophomore forward Samantha Pirosko led Gannon with 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Pirosko was named to the PSAC West first team on Thursday. Senior Sydney Mitchell was named to the second team.
Emily Poling added 13 points for Gannon on Sunday.
Mercyhurst men advance to NCAAs
The Mercyhurst men’s basketball team claimed a spot in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional on Sunday night.
The Lakers (24-6) will play a familiar foe as the No. 4 seed in the first round of the tournament, which will be hosted by IUP. Mercyhurst will meet No. 5-seeded Millersville (25-6), which defeated the Lakers 59-53 in the PSAC semifinals on Saturday.
Laker update:Mercyhurst University men’s basketball team moves on in PSAC tournament
Top-seeded IUP (29-2), which features Strong Vincent graduate David Morris, beat Millersville 63-52 in the PSAC title game on Sunday. Morris sank five 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 19 points for the Crimson Hawks. He added five rebounds and three steals. IUP will face No. 8 Fayetteville St. in its regional opener.
Morris, a redshirt -junior guard was named to the first-team all-PSAC West team on Thursday along IUP teammates and former District 10 standouts Amani Foster (Meadville) and Ethan Porterfield (Sharon). Foster was named PSAC West Player of the Year, while Porterfield was the PSAC tournament MVP.
Mercyhurst also was well decorated by the PSAC last week.
Sophomore Sean Lang PSAC Men’s Basketball Champion Scholar after maintaining a 4.0 GPA while majoring in sports business management.
Mercyhurst senior guard MiyKah McIntosh was named to the PSAC West first team, while fellow senior guard Stephen Cannady made the second team.
Gannon’s Lance-Amir Paul and Edinboro’s Deontae Robertson were named to the PSAC West second team.
