Box Score

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Senior guard Heiden Ratner erupted for 26 second-half points to ignite an 18-point rally and lift #25 Mercyhurst College to an 80-77 win at county-rival Edinboro University.

The thrilling come-from-behind win moves the Lakers to 20-5 overall, 11-2 in the PSAC West. Most importantly, it sets up a showdown on Saturday at Indiana (Pa.) in the regular-season finale for the divisional championship and the top playoff seed. Meanwhile, Edinboro is eliminated from the playoff race and falls to 13-14 overall, 5-8 in the PSAC West.

Trailing 60-42, Mercyhurst started the comeback effort with a 7-0 run behind four points from senior guard Shelton Jackson and two points each from Luis Leao and Pat McLain.

Down by 11, that's when Ratner took control and shook off a shooting slump in a big way. Held to four points in the first 31 minutes of play, he caught fire and scored 26 markers in the final 8:49 to finish with a game-high 30 points.

His back-to-back 3-pointers cut the Fighting Scots deficit to six with 5:38 to play. Then he brought the Lakers to within two on another 3-pointer before Edinboro answered with one of its own for a 71-66 advantage. Not to be outdone, a hot-shooting Ratner came back down the court and fired another three-ball for a two-point deficit, 71-69, with 2:37 left to play.

With momentum building for Mercyhurst and frustration mounting for Edinboro, the Fighting Scots held a 72-69 lead with two minutes left before a technical foul on Danny Walsh allowed the Lakers to move within one, 72-71, following a pair of Ratner free throws. Just four seconds later an alert Ratner led Bill Weaver to a powerful dunk for a 73-72 lead.

The two squads traded baskets, then each hit 1-of-2 free throws for a 76-75 Mercyhurst lead with 13 seconds left to play. The Lakers rebounded well in the final minutes and point guard Jamal Turner came down with a big one after a missed Edinboro free throw. He alertly passed it to the team's best free-throw shooter in Ratner. Ratner was fouled and iced two free throws with eight seconds left to give Mercyhurst a three-point lead, 78-75.

Edinboro then connected on a pair of free throws after a Mercyhurst foul with five seconds left to make it a one-point game, 78-77. Then, with four seconds on the clock, Ratner provided the final heroics as he sunk both free throws for the final margin and Danny Walsh's desperation 3-pointer for Edinboro fell well short of the mark.

Ratner paced three Lakers in double-figures, including a steady double-double performance by Leao with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Jackson also added 14 points.

Edinboro had four starters in double-figures, led by Walsh with (17), Bryan Theriot (16), Anthony Lytle (12) and Nicholson (10).