ERIE, PA – The Elizabeth City State University women's basketball team fought back from a seven-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining to force overtime but eventually fell, 91-89, to Gannon University in the first day of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference/Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Challenge hosted by Gannon.
 
ECSU (0-1) played the brand of basketball that Coach Antonio O. Davis had promised Viking fans that they would see as they forced 30 Gannon turnovers and turned them into 25 points. Outside of defensive pressure, Coach Davis and his staff spoke of the high tempo that they expected the team to play as well and the Vikings did not disappoint with 90 field goal attempts in the contest, averaging over two per minute.
 
The Vikings helped to pace the tempo of the contest in the first half as ECSU led by as many as five before ending the first quarter with a 24-21 lead. The second stanza was when Gannon came out firing on all cylinders offensively taking the lead and pushing that lead to nine at halftime, 47-38.
 
After halftime ECSU and Gannon would trade blows but ECSU was only able to trim the third quarter Gannon lead to six before gaining traction in the fourth quarter going on a 12-3 run over the last three and a half minutes of the fourth quarter to take an 81-79 lead with just seven seconds to go in the quarter. However, Gannon senior Nicole LaCava took the ball the length of the court and laid it in as time expired to push the contest into overtime.
 
In the extra stanza, ECSU led for over four minutes of game time but would give up a Gannon layup as time expired to garner the win for the host team.
 
Gannon (1-0) was led offensively by six players scoring in double figures and were paced by junior guard Chelsea Rourke who scored 16 points for the Golden Knights. Sydney Mitchells, Boston McKinney, Nicole LaCava, Sam Pirosko and Tori Obenrader also scored more than ten in the win for Gannon.
 
ECSU offensively was led by junior forward Naterria Luster who poured in 29 points in the effort. The Richmond, VA product garnered those 29 points off of 12-for-19 shooting from the field. Jalyn Brown (18 points), Asia Deal (15 points), and Jaliyuah Giggetts (11 points) also had great outings offensively for the Vikings.
 
The Vikings will be back in action inside of the Hammermill Center at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday as they will face off against Slippery Rock.