Nov. 12, 2005

Athens, Ohio - Avi Fogel scored a game-high 24 points and Richard Field added 16, but it was not enough as Mercyhurst fell to Division I Ohio University, 86-70, in an exhibition contest.

Fogel scored his 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long range. Field went 6-of-9 from the floor and hit 4-of-5 free throws. Andy Kubinski had four steals and Fogel and Kerry Wilkinson notched three each.

Despite being at a size disadvantage and no player grabbing more than four rebounds, the Lakers kept the rebounding numbers virtually even with the Bobcats holding only a slim 31-to-29 edge. Mercyhurst was also strong from the charity stripe, hitting 16-of-19 (84 percent). The Lakers also forced more turnovers than their Division I counterparts, creating 21 and committing 18.

Mercyhurst stayed with Ohio early, trailing just 19-18 before the Bobcats stretched the lead. The Lakers trailed by as many as 24 in the second half before closing the game with a 16-8 run.

The Lakers also shot 46 percent from the field (24-of-52), powered by a 14-of-24 (59 percent) performance in the first half.

Laker head coach Gary Manchel served as an assistant at Ohio before taking over the Mercyhurst squad. His Lakers did well to hang in with the Bobcats. His old team is the preseason favorite in the Mid-American Conference and nearly upset Florida in last season's NCAA Division I Tournament.

Mercyhurst kicks off its regular season on Tuesday, November 15 with a non-conference match-up against Notre Dame (Ohio) College at 8:00 PM at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.