LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — The Bald Eagles fell just short of their championship goals, losing to the Gannon Golden Knights in the PSAC Championship game 80-65. The nationally-ranked Lady Eagles lost their first game at home this season and move to 28-3 on the year.
Despite the loss, Lock Haven head coach Jennifer Smith and her squad should be proud. The Bald Eagles vastly outperformed their preseason rankings, as they were projected to finish sixth in the PSAC East. After the game, Lock Haven received their first PSAC silver medal since 1991. To add a second-place finish on top of the all-time program wins record is an impressive accomplishment and may just make this season the best in Lock Haven women’s basketball history.
“What they were able to do this year was remarkable,” Coach Smith said, “and they did it the right way the whole time. They never got too high, they took everything game by game, they stayed focused and they ultimately wanted to reach our goals at the end of the season, which was to get to this weekend. We got to the weekend, and we got to host the weekend, which was really fun. That was a battle yesterday with Cal [Pa.], it took a lot out of us. I’m just so proud of them and I’m glad that they got to experience this.”
The Haven came out of the game on fire and looked like a team hungry for victory. Lock Haven shot 6-12 from the field in the first quarter, thanks to a stellar performance from Jenadia Jordan. Jordan would go on to score 21 points in the game.
Unfortunately for the Bald Eagles, the Golden Knights matched them at every turn. Gannon made sure the game never got away from them at any point, pulling the game to a 15-15 standstill after the first quarter.
For the first time this season, Jenadia Jordan was outshined by an opponent at home. Gannon’s superstar forward Samantha Pirosko scored 32 points in the victory. This follows a 40-point game she had in the semifinals.
Lock Haven fought the whole way throughout the contest as they outscored their opponent in the fourth in a desperate comeback attempt. In the end, it was the Golden Knights’ three-point shooting that won the day. Gannon shot 5-10 from beyond the arc in the second half and ended up putting the game out of reach.
“I think they [Gannon] tried to gap the game a couple of times, and we were able to come back with some runs,” Coach Smith said. “I think that shows what we are made of. We are never going to back down and we are never afraid of anybody. But Gannon was the better team today; they hit big shots in big moments, and they deserved to win this game.”
The Bald Eagles have had a fantastic season to this point, and all signs point to the historic campaign continuing. Lock Haven was placed as the number 4 seed in the NCAA Atlantic Division Tournament.
“It’s still one game at a time, but now it’s win or go home,” Smith added. “We are up for whoever we get, we are not hoping for anybody. We just want to go out and play some good basketball and have fun.”
UP NEXT:
Lock Haven will have a PSAC Semifinals rematch versus Cal. Pa in round one of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 16. The Bald Eagles’ side of the bracket will be hosted at Gannon University in Erie, Pa. Tip-off time is still to be determined.
Ryan States is in his 3rd year at Lock Haven University, and his second with the Eagle Eye. He is a Journalism major with intentions to minor in Sports Management. With his never-ending passion for all things sports, he wishes to pursue a career as a sports writer for a major outlet. When not watching sports, he can be found playing video games, hanging out with friends at the REC. Or you can find him helping out in the booth during LHU sporting events. His biggest hope while at Lock Haven is to be able to positively contribute to LHU sports in any way he can.
