Box Score

Erie, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's basketball team made a program-record 14 three-pointers in their 66-51 victory over visiting Lake Erie Saturday at the MAC. Sophomore Samantha Loadman scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Lakers.

The Lakers, winners of two in a row, improved to 3-3 with the win. Lake Erie, playing for the second time in as many days, drops to 2-8.

Lake Erie scored the opening basket of the game, and then Mercyhurst went on a 17-3 run over the ensuing four minutes, as Loadman hit three triples, and Janeale Ronai and Stephanie Prischak each added a three-point goal during the early spurt. The Storm scored seven unanswered points to pull within five at 17-12 with 13:40 remaining in the first half.

Mercyhurst built its lead to 12 points with a 7-0 run, capped by a Loadman three-pointer midway through the opening session. Lake Erie scored the next five points, cutting the deficit to seven points at 24-17. Nikki Frederickson made a layup followed by a three-pointer to push the lead to 12 with six and a half minutes left. Lake Erie outscored Mercyhurst 7-6 to finish the first half trailing 35-24.

The Lakers shot 50 percent from the field, including 7-for-16 from behind the arc, in the first half. The Storm shot 37 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three-point range in the first half.

Lake Erie made three-pointers on their first two possessions, with a Prischak three sandwiched in between, to cut the deficit to eight points at 38-30 with 18:32 left in the game. Achesinski then made a layup, followed on the next possession by her first career three-pointer, as the Lakers built a 13-point lead with 16:24 left. After the teams traded baskets, Mercyhurst went on a brief five-point run to take a 15-point lead at 48-33 with 14:34 remaining.

The Storm mounted a comeback in the next eight minutes, posting a 12-2 run to draw to within five points at 50-45. Mercyhurst responded with a 7-0 run to push their advantage to 12 points at 57-45 with 4:28 left in the game. The Lakers didn't look back from then on, as Loadman hit two more threes late and Mercyhurst prevailed 66-51.

Mercyhurst shot 51.1 percent (24-47) from the field, including a season-best 14-of-31 from three-point range. The Lakers outrebounded the Storm 38-26. Lake Erie shot 35.7 percent from the field for the game, including 41.2 percent from behind the arc on 7-for-17 shooting. Turnovers were a problem for both teams, as the Lakers turned the ball over 29 times and Lake Erie committed 20 turnovers.

The Lakers' 14 three-pointers stand as a new program record, breaking the old mark of 13, set Dec. 28, 1994 at Bridgeport in a 76-71 Laker win. Connie Ralston hit a program-record nine three-pointers on 10 attempts that night.

Loadman set a career high with 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting and added a team-high six rebounds. She hit seven of nine three point attempts. Her seven made three-point goals mark her career high. She is the first Mercyhurst women's basketball player to hit seven triples since Katlyn Petit hit seven threes in a 72-67 loss at Florida Southern Dec. 28, 2006.

Prischak scored 13 points, and nailed three three-point goals. She led the team with three steals . Achesinski scored nine points, grabbed five boards and made one rejection.

Frederickson scored eight points while hitting two three-pointers. Lindsay Whipkey scored four points and added a team-high six rebounds. Ronai led the Lakers with five assists, and had three points. Abby Allen scored two points and had five boards. Megan Hoffman and Mara Dreiser evenly split four points.

Britt Busson led the Storm with 17 points, followed by Ashley Christani with 11 points.

The Lakers are back in action Monday at LeMoyne. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. LeMoyne offers live video for a small charge.