Box Score
EDINBORO, Pa. -- Senior forward Amy Achesinski posted her 13th double-double of the year with 16 points and 12 rebounds while sophomore forward Kaylee Foster added 10 markers to pace the Lakers in a 64-47 setback at 23rd-ranked Edinboro University.
In a preview of the Lakers potential quarterfinal matchup on March 1, Mercyhurst looked poised at times to complete the upset of the nationally-ranked Fighting Scots but succumbed to Edinboro's pressure defense throughout the game.
The Lakers now move to 15-13 overall, 7-6 in the PSAC West while Edinboro, the region's top-ranked team, improves to 22-3 overall, 12-1 in the division.
The Fighting Scots opened the game's scoring with a quick 4-0 lead, but Mercyhurst was able to battle back in the opening minutes to take its first lead at 16:01 on a layup by sophomore point guard Dana Banda. Edinboro answered quickly with a layup of its own to knot the score at 8-8, but Mercyhurst would soon take over.
The Lakers went on a scoring burst in the next four minutes, using a 12-4 run to take a 20-12 lead with 9:04 remaining in the opening stanza. Four Lakers combined for points in the blitz, including four each from Achesinski and Banda.
However, Edinboro would respond with 12-5 run of its own in the next four minutes to reclaim the lead, 25-24, with five minutes left to play. Achesinski's basket at 3:30 gave the Lakers the lead for one last time and gave the Lakers their last field goal of the half. Edinboro took advantage of the Lakers dry spell and closed out the half on a 6-0 run for a 31-26 lead at intermission.
In the second, Edinboro opened with baskets in its first two possessions and stretched the advantage to double-digits on Renee Brown's 3-pointer. The Lakers cut the host's lead to single-digits on several occasions, using an 8-2 run midway through the period to get as close as five points on Achesinski's layup with 9:02 remaining. In that stretch, Megan Hoffman ignited the Lakers with a 3-pointer before Achesinski scored the remaining five points.
But that's as close as the Lakers would get, falling cold from the floor in the final minutes while Edinboro increased its lead to back to double-digits where it would remain for the game.
Mercyhurst shot a blistering 52.2 percent (12-of-23) in the first half but cooled to 35 percent in the second (7-for-20) to finish the game at 44.2 percent. Meanwhile, Edinboro started cold at 29.3 percent (12-of-41) but increased to 41.9 percent (13-of-31) in the second.
Mercyhurst returns to action on Saturday in the regular-season finale at Indiana (Pa.). The Lakers look to avenge an earlier season loss to the Crimson Hawks and ensure a winning season in the process.
