Photo courtesy Gannon Sports Information Gannon freshman Margo Loutzenhiser is looking forward, not backwards, after a memorable freshman season that was cut short.

When the NCAA announced the cancellation of the remainder of the winter championships March 12, it abruptly ended one of the most successful, and eventful, 365-day periods in Gannon women’s basketball history.

While the announcement brought an end to the careers of seniors Chelsea Rourke and Haley Tewes, it left freshmen like former Warren standout Margo Loutzenhiser hungry for more.

“We’re extremely hungry for next year,” Loutzenhiser said. “Lisa (LaVan) always said (my senior year) we had ‘unfinished business.’ It’s like that now. We’re ready for it (next year).”

To understand that hunger requires an understanding of the whirlwind the Golden Knights had between March 29, 2019, and March 12, 2020.

Gannon announced on March 29, 2019, that former coach Jim Brunelli would not be returning for another season as the women’s coach. Less than a week later, on April 5, the Golden Knights welcomed back Cleve Wright, the winningest coach in the program’s history.

The move to Wright was a bit unexpected, but Loutzenhiser said she quickly found his coaching style meshed perfectly with her approach to the game.

“He speaks my language,” she said.

The Golden Knights started the season well, but consecutive losses at Bowie State and at Kutztown dropped their record to 5-3 in early December.

They lost only three more games the rest of the year.

Following the Kutztown defeat, Gannon rattled off six straight wins before dropping a PSAC contest to top-ranked IUP. The Golden Knights came right back to win their next six. Gannon split the next four games, losing PSAC road contests to Edinboro and IUP before coming back to win the final three regular-season games.

Loutzenhiser played in 21 games as a freshman, scoring 25 points while shooting 45 percent from the field.

The Golden Knights rolled past Edinboro and Shippensburg to get to the PSAC Championship. The No. 7 ranked Crimson Hawks were the favorites to win the title and held Gannon to just 10 first-half points in a defensive battle. In the second half, the Golden Knights eventful season took another turn. They scored 40 points in the second half, 20 in each of the third and fourth quarters to knock off IUP and claim their second ever PSAC title (2010). In the process, Gannon defeated a ranked opponent for the first time since 2015.

“History was made this season,” Loutzenhiser said.

The win also pushed the Golden Knights to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Division II tournament, which meant they would host during the first weekend of the tournament.

“We won the PSAC and were on such a high,” Loutzenhiser said. “Then we watched the bidding and saw that we jumped to No. 2 and that we were going to host Cal. It was crazy. To get another game at the ‘Mill’ (Hammermill Center) was just awesome. One senior, Chelsea, ended up crying she was just so happy to get one more game.”

In just four days, those joyful tears turned to tears of sadness as the U.S. began coping with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Rumors were flying,” Loutzenhiser said. “Coach just kept saying we had to keep our focus.”

By that Wednesday, it had been announced that the weekend’s games would be played with limited spectators in attendance.

Late Thursday, the season was over.

“All the teams were there on Thursday,” Loutzenhiser said. “Each team was using the Mill for practice. We had our spot at 5 p.m. Coach wanted us in the team room at 4:30 to watch film. We got to the film room and someone said the Division I tournament had been canceled. Our hearts dropped to the pit of our stomachs. But we continued on. We started stretching, coach’s phone rings and we all just look at each other.”

While Wright took the call in his office, Loutzenhiser and her teammates continued to prepare for practice. They got to the gym and Wright officially gave them the news they all knew was coming.

“‘I just want to let you know that our season’s done,’ he told us,” Loutzenhiser said. “He said, ‘It’s over. We had a good run. I’m just so proud of all of you.’ Our season was remarkable and this was hard. There were lots of tears.”

Despite other events and leagues canceling or postponing their seasons, the Golden Knights were hopeful they would get one more weekend in.

“There were tons of rumors,” Loutzenhiser said. “My phone kept going off, ding-NBA, ding-NHL, ding-MLB, we thought (our tournament) could be next. But we thought we would play that weekend and then they would cancel. As time wore on and the coronavirus started to get more significant, we knew it was coming. But every part of us was wanting it to not come.”

Loutzenhiser compared the way the season ended as akin to suddenly losing a loved one.

“It’s basketball, but I told my parents it’s almost like someone you’re close to passed away,” she said. “You don’t get that grieving experience. We didn’t have the chance to have that last practice, last game. You didn’t get the sad locker room talk after the last game or that bus ride back. We didn’t have the chance to say goodbye.”

Sad ending notwithstanding, Loutzenhiser is grateful for the season she and her teammates had and is ready for the challenge of being the team to beat next season.

“I was just completely blessed throughout the year,” she said. “I’m going to miss my seniors, they were unbelievable seniors and led us well. I’m thankful for them and our coaches. When I got to campus, I had 13 best friends already. We hung out all the time, it was a special situation and I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Well, I just want more,” Loutzenhiser continued. “We’re hungry and we’re ready to have that target on our back.”