On Jan. 25, the Mercyhurst Men’s Basketball team ended a three-game losing streak with a 79-59 victory over local PSAC West rival Edinboro University.
The first half saw a close game play out between the Lakers and the Fighting Scots. The Lakers were down 6-9 in the first five minutes of the game, and the score shifted back and forth throughout the half. The Scots’ biggest lead of the half, with seven points, came at the 14:23 mark. At the close of the half, the Lakers were up 34-30.
In the second half, the Lakers tightened their game and cruised past the Scots in the final 10 minutes of the game. The Lakers held a 10- point lead at the 17:03 mark and didn’t give it back to the Scots.
The Lakers took advantage of their own lack of offensive mistakes and were able to build their sizeable lead as a result. Turnovers accounted for 16 Laker points, 14 of which were in the second half. The Scots were only able to produce seven points from turnovers by the Lakers.
Laker junior Lorenzo Collier led the team in scoring with 30 points. Collier was 5-12 from the three-point line, was 10-18 from the field, and went 5-6 at the line.
Juniors Dajuan Dent and Malcolm Walters along with senior Durrell McDonald rounded out the top scorers for the Lakers with 22, eight and 16 points respectively.
“It was a great game. We were ready and very eager to play so that we could come out with a win,” Collier commented on the victory. “We are feeling that we still have a chance to go far in the playoffs but we have a lot of work to do before the playoffs and we still have a long season.”
Collier had his best individual scoring performance against the Scots. “They had one of the best players in the conference so when any team has that, it’s gonna be a tough game,” Collier remarked on the subject of the Fighting Scots, referring to Jaymon Mason of the Scots. Mason accounted for over half of the Scots’ 59 points with 32.
The Lakers rise to 8-10 for the season and 6-8 in conference in the wake of Wednesday’s game. The Fighting Scots fall to 6-12 for the season and 4-10 in within the conference. The Lakers will next face off against Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The two teams previously met on Jan. 9. That contest ended in a 80-69 loss for the Lakers, but Collier is optimistic on the prospects of the game. “We would love to get them back. I think we have a high chance but we have to come to play; they won’t just lay down and roll over for us” Collier said.
The Lakers meet Edinboro again on Feb. 18, this time at home.