Gannon wins PSAC Tournament 2015 - Mar 9, 2015

Gannon defeated IUP 69-66 to claim the 2015 PSAC Men's Basketball Championship title in the Hammermill Center in Erie, Pa. on Sunday afternoon.
With the victory, Gannon earns an automatic bid into the 2015 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship tournament.
Gannon's Girbran Smith (6'3''-G) sunk the game winning 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in the contest. He compiled 37 points over the tournament weekend, including 27 against the Crimson Hawks, and was named the PSAC championship's Most Valuable Player.
Gannon took a 42-35 lead into halftime after shooting a blistering .591 from the field, including a 5-of-8 performance from distance led by Smith's 4-of-5 3-point showing in the first 20 minutes. The Hawks shot .500 from the floor hitting 12-of-24 attempts in the first stanza.
IUP chipped away at the Gannon lead and tied the contest at 53 apiece on a 3-pointer from Devante Chance (5'11''-PG) at the 9:09 mark. The final nine minutes of the contest saw four ties and as many lead changes. Chance put IUP up by five, 66-61, with 3:32 left on the clock, but an A''Darius Porter layup followed by an IUP turnover and Smith jumper pulled the Knights to within one, 66-65, with 2:20 to play.
Gannon's Adam Blazek (6'1''-G) drew contact from Brandon Norfleet (6'5''-G) at the 1:36 mark and sunk one of his free throw attempts to knot the game at 66 apiece. On the ensuing IUP possession, Smith blocked Shawn Dyer (6'0''-PG)'s layup attempt to get the ball back into Gannon's hands. Smith missed two 3-point attempts during that possession, but following a Chance turnover, Smith worked for one last scoring opportunity and certainly made it count. Smith notched the game-winning shot with 2.4 seconds left on the game clock and cemented the PSAC title for the Golden Knights.
Blazek finished the night with 12 points, five assists, and three steals, while Porter contributed 11 points, a pair of blocks and as many steals. Off the bench, Rich Austin (6'7''-F) was 4-of-4 from the floor and sunk a pair of free throws for 10 points, while Raphell Thomas-Edwards (6'6''-G/F-93) and Jean Yves Toupane (6'7''-G/F) each pulled down six rebounds.
Chance and Dyer each capped the game with 22 points each, while Norfleet led the Hawks with six rebounds. Chance was 6-of-9 from 3-point range, while Dyer shot 6-of-9 from the field and sunk three treys.
The league title marks Gannon's second since joining the league prior to the 2008-09 season. The Golden Knights also won the 2009 crown.

PSAC Tournament Final: Gannon - IUP 69-66
PSAC Tournament Semifinals:
Gannon - Kutztown 69-56
IUP - E.Strasbourg 76-60

Courtesy of PSACSports