• Last meeting: March 5, 2013 – No.7 Gannon 77, Cal U 50
• Last NCAA Tournament meeting: March 16, 2009 (Regional Championship) – Cal U 64, Gannon 40
 
This game marks the fourth time these two teams have met this season and the third time at the Hammermill Center. The Vulcans are 1-2 against the Golden Knights this year and 0-2 at the Hammermill Center. This will be the second time this year these two teams will face in the post-season with Gannon defeating Cal U, 77-50, in the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament earlier this month. 
 
These two teams last met on March 5 in the PSAC Tournament with then-No. 8 Gannon earning a 77-50 victory at the Hammermill Center. Sophomore Emma Mahady (Albury, Australia/Xavier) was the only Vulcan to score in double-digits, finishing with 14 points in 31 minutes. Senior Stephanie Michael (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown), Cal U's leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, matched her lowest point total of the season at just five points. Four Golden Knights finished in double figures led by 20 points from Nettie Blake. Jen Papich recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Kelley Sundberg finished with 11 assists in the win. The Vulcans were out-rebounded 41-20 and shot just 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from beyond the arc. The Golden Knights dominated the paint, out-scoring Cal U by a 46-22 margin.

The Vulcans defeated then-No. 6 Gannon, 81-73, on Feb. 9 at the Convocation Center. Mahady and Michael both set career highs scoring 19 points and 25 points, respectively. Junior Kate Seebohm (Millicent, Australia/Millicent) paced the Cal U attack with a season-high eight assists to go along with four points and three steals. Classmate Irina Kukolj (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg)  set a career high with five steals and junior Ryah Gadson (McKeesport, Pa./McKeesport) added 10 points off the bench. Cal U forced 25 turnovers and held Gannon to just 20 percent (2-of-10) shooting from the three-point line. 
 
SCOUTING THE VULCANS
• 22-8 overall, 15-7 PSAC West; seventh seed in the Atlantic Region
Last five games (4-1)
           • Feb. 27, 2013 – Cal U 68, Clarion 64
           • March 2, 2013 – Cal U 72, Clarion 42*
           • March 5, 2013 – No. 7 Gannon 77, Cal U 50*
           • March 15, 2013 – Cal U 80, No. 19 Edinboro 72^
           • March 16, 2013 – Cal U 81, No. 15 Glenville State 79^
                   *PSAC Tournament
                   ^NCAA Tournament
         
Cal U advances to the regional championship after defeating sixth-seeded Glenville State 81-79 on Saturday night.  Michael led the Vulcans with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and five three-pointers. Junior Elena Antonenko (Moscow, Russia/State University of Physical Education) finished with 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds and Kukolj chipped in with 12 points in 21 minutes. Cal U shot 56.3 percent (18-of-32) from the floor and forced the Pioneers into 25 turnovers which were converted into 29 points.

Michael leads the Vulcans in scoring at 14.3 points per game. The senior has scored in double digits 22 times and has eight 20-point games. The 5-7 guard has started all 30 games this year and is averaging 24.0 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. The West Virginia native is averaging 13.0 points per game against Gannon this year and set a career high with 25 points in the upset win in February. Michael is just the second player in program history, and 16th in PSAC history, with over 200 three-pointers in a career (203).
 
Seebohm has recorded at least five assists in four-straight games and is averaging five assists per game during the NCAA Tournament. The 5-7 guard leads the team and ranks among the national leaders with 5.2 assists per game. In three games against the Golden Knights this season, she is averaging 6.3 assists per game including a career-high eight helpers in the Vulcan win on Feb. 2.

In three games against Gannon this year, Mahady is averaging 13.7 points per game. A native of Australia, she has scored in double figures 14 times and ranks second on the team with 9.5 points per game and 1.8 steals per game.
 
The Vulcans will be making their ninth appearance in regional championship game and first since 2009 when they defeated Gannon 64-40 at Hamer Hall.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS
• 30-4 overall, 20-2 PSAC West; first seed in the Atlantic Region
Last five games (4-1)
           • March 5, 2013 – Gannon 77, Cal U 50*
           • March 8, 2013 – Gannon 63, Millersville 62*
           • March 9, 2013 – Bloomsburg 74, Gannon 57*
           • March 15, 2013 – Gannon 66, Fairmont State 40^
           • March 16, 2013 – Gannon 64, IUP 46^
                   *PSAC Tournament
                   ^NCAA Tournament
       
Tournament host and top-seeded Gannon advances to the regional championship after defeating IUP 64-46 at the Hammermill Center on Saturday. Papich led the Golden Knights with 12 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks in 31 minutes. Gannon out-rebounded IUP 35-26 and scored 32 points in the paint compared to just 16 points by the Crimson Hawks. The Golden Knights forced 26 turnovers and shot 46.2 percent (24-of-52) from the floor in the win.

Gannon is led by PSAC West Athlete of the Year Jenn Papich. The junior forward averaged 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game and ranks among the conference leaders in free-throw percentage (.733). The Pittsburgh native has scored in double digits 19 times and has recorded three double-doubles. The 6-1 forward is averaging 16.7 points per game and 8.7 rebounds per game against the Vulcans this year.

Sundberg leads the PSAC and ranks among the national leaders with 5.3 assists per game and ranks second on the team in steals (1.4 per game) and minutes played (941). The 5-6 guard has recorded at least five assists 20 times and has had two double-digit assist games this season. In three games against the Vulcans this year, she is averaging 8.7 assists per game, including a then-career-high 11 assists on March 5.

Forward Nettie Blake leads the team with 7.3 rebounds per game and ranks second with 11.3 points per game. The New Jersey native has scored in double-digits 20 times and has grabbed double-digit rebounds six times. The 6-1 forward has scored in double-digits in the last seven games and is averaging 13.0 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. In the three games against the Vulcans this year, she is averaging 16.3 points per game with two 20-point performances.

The Golden Knights are making their fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last seven seasons and are hosting the tournament for the second time in four years. Gannon advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year where it fell to Shaw 59-64 in Edinboro, Pa. Gannon is a perfect 16-0 at the Hammermill Center this season, with its last loss coming to IUP in last year's PSAC Championship.

The winner of this game will advance to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament on March 26, in San Antonio, Texas, to will face the winner of Ashland-Wayne State (Mich).