Feb. 28, 2006

Stats

Ashland, OH - Ashland edged Mercyhurst 70-68 Tuesday night in a GLIAC quarterfinal game before 450 fans at Kates Gymnasium. The Eagles (19-9) advance to play the conference's #1 seed, Grand Valley State, who defeated Michigan Tech 67-46 Tuesday, at 8:00pm Friday in Allendale, Mich. Ferris State, a 73-68 winner over Northern Michigan, will meet Findlay, the conference's #2 seed at 3:00pm. Findlay stopped Hillsdale 76-62 in the other quarterfinal. Mercyhurst ended its season at 19-9.

Mercyhurst led 33-31 at halftime, thanks to 56% shooting (13-24) and a combined 25 points from sophomore guard Terry Smith (13) and junior transfer forward Richard Field (12). Ashland countered with 48% efficientcy and 11 points from Greg Emmons, including three of the Eagles' six first-half triples. Ashland had a 15-11 advantage on the boards, but committed seven turnovers to just three for the Lakers. Mercyhurst owned the first half's biggest lead, 23-15, with 8:07 left.

The second half was equally tight with the Eagles' grabbing five-point leads (their largest of the game) twice, the last with just five-seconds left. Junior transfer Avi Fogel hit the Lakers' 8th trey with just a second remaining to produce the final margin.

Mercyhurst, which committed just eight fouls in the first twenty minutes, was assessed 15 in the second half and therein lies part of the story. The Eagles converted 3 of 5 free throws in the opening half before cashing 21 of 24 in the final frame. The Lakers collected 3 of 4 and 7 of 8 respectively to finish 10 of 12 at the charity stripe. Mercyhurst lost Field on personal fouls and had three others (Fogel, Stu Anglum, and Jeff Daisley) saddled with four as the game ended. Emmons was the only Ashland player with four fouls at game's end.

The Eagles used only seven players in the game. And, although the Lakers used nine, Cory Tubo played just seven minutes and Cory Carson saw action for less than one.

Fogel, who scored nine of Mercyhurst's final eleven points, led the Lakers with 23. Smith finished with 20 and Field 18 as the trio combined for 61 of the team's 68 points. Vahn Knight, who scored eight of the Eagles' final ten points, paced Ashland with 23, including 12 fo 12 at the line. Emmons added 17 and Justin Brown contributed 13. Those three totaled 53 of the Eagles' 70. Ashland's bench had a 7-2 (Daisley) scoring advantage.

Ashland has now won the last five games against Mercyhurst. Head coach Gary Manchel's team swept the Eagles in 2003-04, Manchel's first at the helm, but have not won since. Mercyhurst is now 0-5 in GLIAC playoff games since joining the conference in 1995-96. The two-point setback was the second such defeat in a quarterfinal, the Lakers losing at Saginaw Valley State 75-73 in 1996. Other playoff losses came against Michigan Tech (77-67, 1998), Grand Valley State (78-62, 2001), and Findlay (65-54, 2003). Nonetheless, the team won 11 more games in 2005-06 than the prior season and made its second trip to postseason play in the last three years.

On a somber note, Mercyhurst lost its final four games of the season, despite leading at halftime in each contest. The four setbacks kept the Lakers from their first 20-win season since a 20-8 campaign in 1992-93.

Mercyhurst created plenty of excitement this season, finishing 10-3 in games decided by four points-or-less. Unfortunately, two of those tight losses came in the final two games.

The Ashland game marked the final one for seniors Andy Kubinski and Jeff Daisley. After sitting out last Thursday's Gannon game because of a shoulder injury suffered late in the season, Kubinski played but was limited to 23 minutes. A third senior, forward Roberts Jansons, did not see any action.