Central State opened the second half with a 15-7 run, extending its 39-30 halftime advantage to a game-high 17-point bulge with 14:48 to play. That’s when Gannon slowly started to chip away.
Kelvin Agee (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Niagara Falls) and Travis Brannen (Elmira, N.Y./Elmira Free Academy) hit back-to-back three-pointers to quickly cut the deficit to 56-45.
Central State briefly stopped the run with a jumper by Wesley Jones, before Gannon rolled off another nine points. Four different players scored during the 9-0 blitz. Two free throws by Danard Crouch (Syracuse, N.Y./Anthony Henninger) with 10:10 showing on the clock brought the Golden Knights within 58-54.
Head coach John T. Reilly’s club eventually tied the game at 60 on a pair of Agee free throws with 7:31 left in regulation. In all, it was a 21-4 Gannon run that lasted six minutes and 24 seconds. The Golden Knights held the Marauders to a 1-of-6 shooting chart during the stretch. In addition, the home team turned the ball over three times and went 1-of-5 from the free throw line.
However, the ending was much like Saturday’s when Gannon was unable to grab the lead after forcing four ties late in the second half. On Tuesday, Central State answered with three straight points for a 63-60 lead.
Gannon continued to fight and forged another tie at 71 on two free throws from Steve Piotrowicz (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) with 2:16 to play. After exchanging missed opportunities on the offensive end, Jones gave Central State the lead back for good with a pair of freebies at the 1:25 mark. The Golden Knights missed their next three field goals as the Marauders iced the victory with four free throws in the final 14 seconds. In all, Gannon went 0-for-4 from the field on shots that would have either tied the game or given the Golden Knights a lead in the final three minutes.
The first 20 minutes were back-and-forth for the majority of the half, featuring six ties and 11 lead changes. Central State’s 17-13 lead at the 12:13 mark was the only lead larger than one basket for either team in the first 13 minutes.
Crouch’s jumper with eight minutes on the clock created the sixth tie of the first half, knotting the contest at 22. Central State led 28-26 when its 11-4 run over the final 5:45 proved to be costly for the Golden Knights. Gannon went 1-of-9 from the field during the critical stretch. Gerald Campbell’s jumper near the end of the half sent the Marauders into the break with a nine-point edge.
Five Golden Knights reached double digits in scoring for the first time this season. Agee led the way with 15 points. Stephen Battle (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) and Crouch added 14 and 12 points off the bench. Kareem Brown (New London, Conn./New London) and Brannen chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Gannon shot 44.1 percent (26-59) from the field, including a 50-percent (15-30) clip in the second half. It marked the second consecutive game the Golden Knights shot 50 percent in the second half. The squad shot 29.2 percent (7-24) from three-point range and 71.4 percent (15-21) from the free throw line.
Jones led all scorers with 31 points, hitting 6-of-8 three-pointers and 11-of-13 free throws. Greg Rice and Campbell completed the home team’s double-digit scorers with 18 and 11 points, respectively.
Central State shot 41.1 percent (23-56) from the floor, 45.5 percent (10-22) from behind the arc and 64.7 percent from the charity stripe. The Marauders were 22-of-34 from the free throw line during a game that saw four of Gannon’s five starters foul out.
Gannon dropped to 2-2 with its second consecutive overall loss and seventh straight road setback dating back to last season. Central State, which competed in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional last season, improved to 7-3. The Golden Knights will take 11 days off for final exams, before returning to action Saturday, December 18 against Urbana at the Hammermill Center. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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