Dec. 17, 2007

Box Score

Erie, Pa. - The Mercyhurst men's basketball team had its best shooting night in three years, erupting for a season-high 92 points against Ohio Valley in the Mercyhurst Classic finale Monday afternoon, extending its winning streak to a season-best three games and improving to 7-5 on the season.

As a team, the Lakers torched the nets for 60 percent shooting from the field, including 14-of-25 shooting from behind the arc. It was the highest shooting percentage by a Laker squad since hitting 64 percent on Nov. 23, 2004 against Bloomsburg.

The last time the Lakers were two games above .500, they were 3-1 on Nov. 20. The offensive output was the most by a Laker team since Jan. 21, 2006 against Lake Superior State and the 92-61 final score proved the largest winning margin by the Lakers since a 75-43 win over Slippery Rock on Dec. 15, 2005.

Senior Terry Smith paced the Lakers with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting, giving him three 20-point performances on the season. Freshman Srdjan Popovic added a career-high 17 points and hit 5-of-6 3-point attempts.

During the team's three-game winning streak, it has shot 46 percent or better from the floor in all three. But as good as the offense has been the defense has been just as impressive, surrendering just 60.3 points per game.

On Monday, the Lakers pieced together its most complete performance of the season, and it started at the tip, as the home team raced out to a 10-2 advantage and never looked back. The Lakers hit 7-of-11 3-pointers in the first half alone and its lead grew to as many as 20 on a layup by Brian McTear with 3:37 remaining.

Ohio Valley chipped the lead back to 41-24 at the mid-way point thanks to two three in the closing minutes from Omar Campbell.

But any momentum that the Fighting Scots took into the half was quickly squashed with a 14-0 Laker run to start the second period that saw Smith score nine points and senior Luke Handley make his second career 3-point field goal. Handley would go on to finish with a career-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting. He also recorded three boards and two assists, which were also career highs.

T.J. Mathis helped extend the lead, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the second half. Mathis entered the game ranked second in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in steals per game and totaled four of his five steals in the second period, giving him 30 on the season.

While Smith led the team in scoring, he also played a factor on the defensive end, recording a career-high six steals, increasing his season total to 28. As a team, the Lakers recorded a season-high 15 steals and forced the Fighting Scots into 23 turnovers.

The Lakers will look to extend their winning streak on Thursday at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center against Shepherd. Game time is scheduled for 3 p.m.