Gannon quickly asserted its dominance from the opening tip, jumping out to an early lead and never relinquishing it. After a few missed shots by Virginia State, Gannon seized the momentum with back-to-back baskets in the paint from Tasman Goodrick and Ernest Shelton, finishing in traffic and igniting the Golden Knights' fast-break offense.

At 19:39 Goodrick made a key tip-in off an offensive rebound to extend Gannon's lead to 48-28. Virginia State struggled to find a rhythm early, as Gannon's defense suffocated any attempts at offensive flow. Shelton continued his solid play, with an additional layup and a dunk that further highlighted Gannon's transition game and made it clear the Golden Knights were fully in control.

Despite the mounting deficit, Virginia State managed to show signs of resilience, particularly with strong individual performances from Cooper, Owens, and Wright Jr. Owens powered through the paint to score several tough layups, while Wright Jr. hit a timely 3-pointer at 04:24 that momentarily cut Gannon's lead to 73-59. However, Virginia State's offense struggled to maintain any consistency, as turnovers, missed layups, and poor shooting from beyond the arc plagued their efforts.

The Trojan's defense also failed to stifle Gannon's aggressive attack, as the Golden Knights continued to capitalize on turnovers and second-chance opportunities. Gannon's ability to quickly transition the ball and exploit open lanes helped extend their lead steadily throughout the second half.

With the game well in hand, Gannon's bench players came in to finish the job. Pace Prosser and Mason Kemp were among those who continued to contribute, with Prosser hitting a crucial 3-pointer at 00:38 that put the final exclamation mark on an impressive team effort. The Golden Knights defense and rebounding continued to shine as they closed out the game, staving off any late-game rallies by Virginia State.

Virginia State's last-minute push, led by Mackey Jr., saw some late layups and a 3-pointer from Bynum, but it was too little, too late. The Golden Knights' superior shooting, rebounding, and transition play kept the Trojans at bay. 


What's Next 

The Virginia State University will finish out the classic versus the Rams of Shepherd University on Saturday, November 9 at 7:00 pm.