MANSFIELD, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team lost, 72-70, at Mansfield Friday night. Chuck Harper hit a three-pointer from just inside the halfcourt line at the buzzer to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) contest.
 
Andrew Rickard made a jumper to put the Lakers ahead 68-67 with 1:20 left and then Matt Lee drilled a jump shot for a three-point edge with 31 seconds to go. Cory Henneghan missed a three-pointer and Steven Coleman grabbed the rebound. Coleman was fouled, but missed both free throws with 11 seconds remaining.
 
Josh Dupuy missed two free throws of his own, but Joe Bell grabbed the offensive board and was fouled with four seconds to play. Bell converted both tries to make it 70-69. Henneghan fouled Luis Leao, but the forward missed both of his free throws with three seconds on the clock. Harper pulled down the rebound and sprinted ahead, nailing the 40-foot game-winner at the horn.
 
Kyle Bradley opened the scoring with a layup in the first minute, but Leao came back with a layup of his own to tie the game. Lee hit a three-pointer for a 5-2 lead and Hurst eventually took a 9-4 lead after a Jonathan Ouegnin layup with 17:23 left. Threes by Charles Becoats and Harper put the home team back up five minutes in. Callon Dailey connected from downtown and then Bill Weaver made a layup followed by a Rickard triple for a 19-12 edge.
 
The Mountaineers stayed close, though, as Henneghan hit a jumper and then a trey to get within one point. Bell gave MU a brief lead before Lee responded with a three-pointer for a 26-24 advantage. Bell regained the lead for the Mountaineers with a pair of layups in the last five minutes of the half.
 
A Harper lay-in followed by three Bradley free throws gave the home team a 35-30 lead with 2:17 left. Becoats extended the lead with a trey, but a Coleman free throw and Weaver jump shot cut the deficit to 38-33 at the break.
 
Weaver converted a three-point play early in the second half to make it 40-38. Mansfield maintained a small lead for a bit, but a Paul Bilbo tip-in and Rickard three gave Hurst a 46-44 lead with 14:32 to go. Coleman continued the spurt with a trey of his own.
 
Dailey connected from deep with 10:11 left for a 52-48 edge and the Lakers used the momentum to take a comfortable margin. Coleman made two free throws and a jumper before Dailey converted a layup for a 58-49 lead with 8:35 to go. Becoats made two free throws, but Leao answered with a jumper to keep the nine-point advantage.
 
Two Bradley free throws, a Harper lay-in, and a three-point play by Bradley cut the lead to two. Bell tied the contest at 60 with 5:48 on the clock. Dupuy gave Mansfield a one-point edge 38 seconds later and then Harper expanded the margin with a jump shot.
 
Leao split a pair of free throws at the 4:28 mark and then connected on two tries from the line to even the score at 63 with 3:37 left. Leao tipped in a Coleman jumper to give Mercyhurst a two-point lead with three minutes to play.
 
Becoats hit a three for a 66-65 edge before Jamal Turner hit a free throw to tie things up again. Dupuy split two free throws with 1:45 remaining, setting up the last minute drama.
 
Five Lakers scored in double figures, led by Leao and Rickard at 13 each. Weaver added 11, while Lee and Coleman totaled 10 apiece. Turner recorded eight assists Bell led the Mountaineers with 18 points and seven boards. Harper had 17 points, while Becoats and Bradley combined for 21.
 
As a team, Hurst shot 46.6 percent (27-58) from the field and Mansfield hit 43.1 percent (25-58).
 
Mercyhurst dropped to 4-1 in conference play with the loss. Mansfield is now 3-3 overall and 2-3 in the league. The Lakers travel to Bloomsburg for a 4 p.m. PSAC game tomorrow.
 
For a box score of the Mercyhurst-Mansfield game, please click here.