Gannon Women's Basketball Team Drops to No. 22 Despite 2-0 Weekend

ERIE, Pa. - The Gannon women’s basketball team fell four spots to No. 22 in the latest USA Today ESPN Top 25 Coaches Poll despite finishing last weekend with a 2-0 record. The Lady Knights were picked 18th in the first regular season poll.

Delta State University (Miss.) (5-0) is the new No. 1 team, receiving 21 first-place votes. Lander University (S.C) is second after receiving five first-place votes. Fort Lewis (Colo.) (5-0), Washburn (Kan.) (4-0) and Seattle Pacific (2-0) rounded out the top five teams with Fort Lewis earning the final two first-place votes.

Arkansas Tech (5-1) drops to sixth, followed by Franklin Pierce (N.H.) (6-0), Holy Family (Pa.) (3-1), Clayton State (Ga.) and (8-0), Emporia State (Kan.) (3-1) to complete the top 10.

The Lady Knights are one of three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) teams listed in the top 25. Millersville (4-0) is 16th while California (Pa.) enters the poll in the 24th spot. In addition, six other Atlantic region programs received votes in the poll, but did not appear in the top 25.

Head coach Cleve Wright’s squad improved to 3-1 this season after a pair of wins at the California (Pa.) Tournament this weekend. Gannon earned a 66-51 victory over Molloy before taking care of Wilmington by a 75-50 score. Jennifer Papich (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Fox Chapel) earned her second straight PSAC Western Division Freshman of the Week award after recording the first double-double of her career with 12 rebounds and 17 points against Molloy.

Gannon will play the home opener on Thursday, December 9 against Central State. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m.