FSU Drops Season Opener To Ranked Knights
Erie, Pa. - Nationally 19th-ranked Gannon proved to be too much
for the Ferris State University women's basketball squad in its
season opener on Friday (Nov. 20) evening as the Knights rolled to
a 85-57 triumph over FSU at the Hammermill Center in Erie, Pa.
Gannon jumped out to an early 25-9 edge and held a 49-27 halftime
lead before a crowd of 508 fans. FSU could get no closer the
rest of the way as the Knights outscored the Bulldogs 36-30 in the
final frame.
The Knights, who were a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (GLIAC) until last season, were playing their
sixth game of the year and remained unbeaten (6-0) after previously
winning three games at the Disney Division II Tipoff Classic in
Orlando (Nov. 6-8) and then posting two wins in the Clarion (Pa.)
Classic this past week (Nov. 15-16).
Gannon shot 48.3% (29-60) from the floor in the win and also sank
12-of-26 (46.2%) three-point tries along with 15-of-20 (75%) free
throws. While FSU did shoot 40.8% (20-49) from the field, the
Bulldogs were only 1-of-17 (5.9%) beyond the three-point arc.
Ferris converted 16-of-22 (72.7%) tries from the charity
stripe.
The Bulldogs were led by junior forward Tiara
Adams' team-high 18 points on six-of-eight shooting.
She was also six-of-nine at the free throw line and added seven
rebounds and four steals in the contest.
Besides Adams' 18 points, the Bulldogs also received eight points
apiece from sophomore guard Lindsey Pettit and
freshman forward/center Leah Kebler.
Sophomore guard Tricia Principe chipped in with
seven points and junior guard Becci Houdek added
six points.
Meanwhile, Carrie Nolan paced Gannon with a game-high 19 points
and Kristina Freeman tallied 18 points to go with five assists.
Ferris was hampered by 25 turnovers in the game and the Knights
also owned a 37-29 rebounding edge with 16 coming on the offensive
end. Gannon finished with 18 assists compared to FSU's eight
and both teams had 10 steals.
The Bulldogs did outscore Gannon 38-33 in the paint for the game
and had 17 second-chance points to only 14 for the Knights.
Ferris State continues its season-opening road trip by visiting
Edinboro on Saturday, Nov. 21, for a 5 p.m. (ET) non-league tilt in
Edinboro, Pa. The Bulldogs then return home to host the Lewis
(Ill.) Flyers in their home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 24, with tipoff
scheduled for 6 p.m. (ET) inside FSU's Jim Wink Arena at Big
Rapids, Mich.
Bulldog Bites: Gannon snapped a
six-game series' losing streak to the Bulldogs with the win, but
FSU still owns a commanding 12-4 edge in the all-time series to
date .......... Three Bulldog freshmen saw their first
regular-season action, including Kebler, freshman forward/center
Katy Fox and freshman guard Kylie
Muntz ........... Junior forward Amy
Joostberns also tallied seven rebounds for the Bulldogs
.......... All nine Bulldog players who saw action played at least
13 minutes ...... The contest served as Gannon's home opener this
season ...... Tiara Adams notched her 200th career
point for the Bulldogs in the game ..... FSU dropped to 17-19
all-time in season-opening games with the setback. The
Bulldogs had won eight of their last 11 openers entering the
contest ....... The loss was Ferris' first on opening day in five
years, dating back to the 2004-05 season (11/16/04) when FSU
suffered a 76-71 home setback to Lewis at Jim Wink Arena.