Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Malik Jackson (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood) scored 24 points as host West Chester defeated visiting Gannon, 73-63, in a PSAC men's basketball contest inside Hollinger Field House Saturday.
West Chester (1-2, 1-0 PSAC) earned the win in its home opener as well as its conference opener while Gannon (0-1, 0-1) was playing its first game of the 2016-17 season.
Jackson scored nine of his 24 points in the first nine minutes of the second half as the Golden Rams opened up their largest lead of the game at 13 (53-40). That spurt came during a 17-6 run that pushed a two-point advantage at the break to an insurmountable 13.
Thomas White (Chester, Pa./Penn Wood) added six points and a blocked shot during the decisive run as well.
Gannon never got any closer than seven points the rest of the way.
Mike Jolaoso (Philadelphia, Pa./Episcopal Academy) hit all six of his foul shots down the stretch to keep the Golden Knights at bay.
Jackson's 24 was a season high – one more than he had against No. 1 West Liberty – while both White and Jolaoso each added 11 points. White grabbed six rebounds, and Jolaoso dished out four assists.
West Chester shot 75.9 percent from the foul line in the win (22 of 29) and 23-for-50 (46.0 percent) from the floor in the game. Gannon shot 35.4 percent from the field, including a lowly 1-for-12 from beyond the 3-point arc.
The Golden Knights were paced by Evan Phoenix's game-high 25 points. Damon Miraud pulled down 11 boards as well.
West Chester hosts Clarion Sunday inside Hollinger at 3 p.m.
NOTES: West Chester evened the all-time series with Gannon at 5-5 … the 10-point margin of victory was one more point than the last five combined encounters between the two schools … Malik Jackson has now eclipsed 20 points in each of the two games in which he has played this year … Mike Jolaoso posted double-figures in the scoring column for the third straight game.
