ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team beat East Stroudsburg, 59-43, Sunday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Lakers never trailed and shot 52.6 percent as a team in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) victory.
 
Kaylee Foster scored the game's first basket 14 seconds in and then Nikki Frederickson gave Hurst a 4-2 lead with 16:49 left in the opening half. Cyara Woodridge tied the contest at four seconds later. The Lakers got a layup from Kelsey Trosch on the next possession and never gave up the advantage.
 
A Fayola Moise free throw cut the home team's lead to 8-7 with 14:12, but Hurst would clamp down on defense, holding the Warriors scoreless for the next 6:10, going on an 11-0 run in the process. ESU went 7:39 without a field goal in the first half.
 
Lindsey Burke made a lay-in with 7:17 remaining to expand the Mercyhurst edge to 23-9-its largest lead of the half. Foster hit two free throws and then a layup in the final minutes of the frame, giving the Lakers a 29-20 halftime advantage.
 
After a Woodridge jumper, Foster scored, leading to a Dana Banda trey-the first three-pointer of the game. Banda followed with another triple a few minutes later, opening up the Hurst lead to 37-24.
 
Foster's layup at the 11:48 mark put the home team ahead 41-26, but ESU went on a 10-0 spurt to make things tight. Frederickson sandwiched two field goals around a Foster jump shot to pull Hurst back up 11 with 2:59 left. The Lakers connected on 10 straight free throws to close out the game with a 16-point margin.
 
Play was uneven throughout, as Hurst totaled 31 turnovers to East Stroudsburg's 27. The Lakers posted 19 steals and outrebounded the visitors, 37-26.
 
Foster finished with 13 points and four rebounds, while Frederickson posted 12 points and six boards, along with four steals. Dana Banda hit two three-pointers on her way to 10 points and five steals.
 
Moise was the lone Warrior in double figures, scoring 11 points and grabbing four steals. As a team, ESU shot 32.7 percent from the field, including nine percent (1-11) from long range.
 
Hurst (2-4, 2-2 PSAC) next plays Friday, December 9, at Mansfield in a 5:30 PSAC contest.
 
For a box score of the East Stroudsburg-Mercyhurst game, please click here.