Colchester, Vt. – The Mercyhurst men's basketball team fell 76-68 to Chestnut Hill Saturday, Nov. 21 during the second day of the DoubleTree Doc Jacobs Classic, hosted by St. Michael's College. The Lakers led by four points at halftime, but a late Chestnut Hill rally led to Mercyhurst's first defeat of the season. Heiden Ratner led the Lakers with 20 points, as the team placed four players in double figures.

Mercyhurst falls to 2-1 on the season, while the Griffins improve their record to 2-2.

The Lakers held a slim 33-29 lead at halftime, but Chestnut Hill tied the game at 35-35 early in the second half. Mercyhurst then went on a 9-0 run, making triples on three straight possessions, as Nnamdi Nnadili connected for his second trey of the half with 15:41 remaining for a 44-35 Laker advantage. CHC then went on an 11-0 rally, capped by a jumper from Francis Ashe, which gave the Griffins a 46-44 lead with slightly under 10 minutes left.

The Lakers took their final lead of the game at 55-54 with 6:28 remaining on a Jordan Armstrong free throw. The Griffins outscored Mercyhurst 17-7 over the ensuing five and a half minutes, taking a 71-61 lead with 1:14 left in the ballgame. A three-point play by Shelton Jackson cut the margin to seven points at 71-64, but CHC iced the game with free throws, claiming a 76-68 victory.

For the game, Mercyhurst shot 48 percent from the field and made 41.2 percent (7-of-17) of its three-point attempts. The Lakers went 13-21 (61.9%) from the foul line, while the Griffins connected on 75 percent (18-for-24) of their free throws. CHC shot just 39.3 percent on field goals and made 10 three-point goals. The Lakers edged the Griffins, 36-35 in rebounds, but turned the ball over 21 times to Chestnut Hill's nine.

Mercyhurst got off to a quick start in the first half, staking a 5-0 lead on two free-throws by Jackson and a Ratner three-pointer. The first 20 minutes of basketball were tightly contested, with a six-point Laker lead serving as the largest margin in the opening session. Mercyhurst closed the first half on a 5-0 run for a 33-29 halftime lead.

Ratner led four Lakers in double-figures with 20 points, making 8-of-14 field goals and 2-of-3 from the foul line. He also led the team with four assists and added six rebounds.

Saturday was the third straight game in which four or more Lakers registered double-figures in points. Armstrong and Nnadili pumped in 13 points apiece, with Armstrong pacing the team with eight boards and Nnadili draining three three-pointers. Jackson netted 12 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Elliot Engelmann recorded six points, while Jeremiah Wise and Christian Cornelius each added a pair.

Mark DiRugeris, Jr. led four Griffins in double-figures with 20 points.

Mercyhurst will host Roberts Wesleyan Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. The Lakers downed RWC 81-67 Nov. 15, 2007 in the last meeting between the two teams.