ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team improved to 4-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with a 70-65 win over East Stroudsburg Sunday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
 
Andrew Rickard matched his career-high, scoring 24 points on 7-11 shooting. The Girard native hit 5-7 three-pointers and all five of his free throw tries. The Lakers battled foul trouble again, compiling 22 team fouls as Luis Leao fouled out in 15 minutes of action.
 
Hurst led 67-56 with 1:15 to go, but East Stroudsburg made for a tense finish at the MAC. Russell Graham III made a layup and then Jamal Turner split two free throws on the other end. Gerald Bridges, Jr. was fouled shooting a three-pointer and was able to convert all three free throws to make it 68-61 with 31 seconds to go.
 
Turner committed a turnover, allowing Terrance King to hit two free throws with 27 seconds left. After a timeout, Rickard fumbled the inbounds pass, leading to a King layup and a 68-65 game. Rickard was fouled on the next possession and the sophomore nailed both, sealing the win for the home team. Rickard has missed just two free throws this season.
 
Matt Lee made a jumper and a trey to open Mercyhurst's scoring, giving it an early 5-3 edge. The teams played evenly for much of the half, with neither squad getting much separation. Rickard connected on two triples in a minute midway through the frame, putting the Lakers ahead 22-18.
 
Freshman Terrence Ingram hit a three and then Lee made another jump shot for a 27-21 advantage with 5:38 to go. ESU fought back, getting a free throw and then a dunk from Duane Johnson to get within three. Lee connected on a jumper with 1:29 left and then Graham made a three-pointer in the final minute to make it 31-29 Hurst at the break.
 
Leao scored 1:02 into the second half, one of just two field goals he made on the day. Leao scored 23 points in his 2011-12 debut Saturday. Rickard drilled another three at the 17:54 mark for a 36-31 edge. A three-point play by freshman Whis Grant tied the contest with 16:44 remaining. A quick 6-0 run allowed Mercyhurst to regain control. Callon Dailey scored four points and then Steven Coleman added a jumper for a 42-36 advantage.
 
Rickard converted a three-point play with 12:17 left for a 47-38 Laker lead, but the Warriors did not quit. A Johnson dunk and a Graham layup cut the deficit to five. Another Rickard triple put the home team up 54-44 with 8:33 to play. Bill Weaver made a lay-in with 2:29 to go for a 65-52 lead and then Johnson's two layups set up the tight finish.
 
Lee scored 15 points, while Weaver added eight points and seven boards. Turner dished out 10 assists with just two turnovers. As a team, the Lakers shot 45.6 percent from the field. ESU was led by Grant, who had 19 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Graham had 12 points and seven boards as the visitors shot 38 percent from the floor. The Warriors were 4-16 from downtown as a group.
 
With the win and the other results in the league, Mercyhurst is now the lone unbeaten Western Division team in PSAC action.
 
The Lakers return to the floor Friday, December 9, at Mansfield. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. in the PSAC contest.
 
For a box score of the East Stroudsburg-Mercyhurst game, please click here.