Boxscore

MANSFIELD, Pa. - Mercyhurst (4-2) posted its best performance on the year from the free-throw line while adding a season-high 10 3-pointers to erase an 18-point deficit and complete the come-from-behind victory at Mansfield, 90-87. 

The Lakers fueled their comeback over the previously undefeated Mountaineers (4-1) by hitting 25-of-33 free throws in the second half while adding seven 3-pointers. Trailing 63-50 with 9:46 remaining, Mercyhurst embarked on an 18-0 run punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers by Elliot Engelmann to give the Lakers a 68-65 advantage with just over six minutes to play. 

Free-throw shooting played a pivotal role in the game as the two teams were a combined 13-for-16 from the charity stripe in the final minute of the game. Mercyhurst held the edge as the Lakers went 8-for-10 while the Mountaineers were 5-of-6. 

Five different players scored in double-figures for the Lakers, led by a team-high 15 points from Heiden Ratner, who finished 10-of-12 from the charity stripe, including 5-for-6 in the final 1:09. All told, the Lakers hit 12-of-14 free throws during that time to seal the victory. 

Shelton Jackson added 14 markers, including a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line, while a pair of Lakers in Christian Cornelius and Engelmann contributed 13 tallies each. Jeremiah Wise rounded out the scorers in double-figures with 11 points. 

While the first half may have belonged to Mansfield, the Lakers scratched their way back into the game in the second half as they forced the Mountaineers into foul trouble while maintaining defensive intensity of their own. 

After the Lakers took their first lead with 6:04 remaining, a resilient Mansfield squad kept trading buckets with Mercyhurst and stayed within seven points for the next 4 ½ minutes. The Mountaineers cut the lead to two with 1:30 left to play on a 3-pointer by Ryan Callahan to give the Lakers a 77-75 advantage before Jason Snow hit 1-of-2 at the charity stripe to stretch the lead back to 78-75. 

After a foul by Stu Anglum with 1:14 remaining, Mansfield's Yuseff Carr nailed his two free-throws to cut Mercyhurst's lead to one. 

Host Mansfield continued to press for the lead until the final buzzer, cutting the deficit to one once more with two seconds left on the clock as Callahan hit a 3-pointer to make the score 88-87 in favor of the visitors. However, Ratner went to the line as time expired and drained two free-throws for the game's final score. 

Callahan finished a game-high 24 points to lead four Mountaineer starters in double-figures. 

Mercyhurst returns to action on Saturday, December 12 when they take on Virginia Union in the first game of the Mercyhurst Holiday Tournament. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.