Junior Tiara Adams had a team-high 18 points for FSU in the season opener
Junior Tiara Adams had a team-high 18 points for FSU in the season opener

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.