Box Score

ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team won, 69-55, over Lock Haven Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Laker defense held the Eagles to 30.6 percent shooting from the field in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division win.


 
LHU scored on the game's opening possession, but that was not a harbinger of things to come. Dana Banda came back on the other end and hit a three-pointer. The Lakers would not trail the rest of the way.
 
Kelsey Trosch made two free throws and then a layup for a 7-5 edge. Kaylee Foster followed with a bucket at the 13:51 mark. After an Eagle basket, Trosch hit a short jumper on a putback for an 11-7 advantage.
 
Alayna White converted an old-fashioned three-point play for a 15-7 lead with 11:23 to go in the first frame. Kelley McBroom's lay-in at the 10:04 mark capped an 8-0 Laker run. The spurt was fueled by the defense, as Lock Haven went 7:21 without making a field goal midway through the half.
 
Paris Thomas had a steal and a layup and then Banda drained a triple for a 23-9 advantage. Emily Daugherty finally ended the Eagles' drought with 6:01 left in the period.
 
Foster's layup and Abby Allen's three stretched the hosts' margin to 17 and then Lindsey Burke connected from long range for a 35-15 lead late in the half. LHU scored with two seconds left to make it 35-17 at the break.
 
In the first twenty minutes, the Eagles hit 5-30 shots from the floor, including 0-9 on three-point tries.
 
In the second half, Adrienne Kloecker scored twice and then Foster made a free throw for a 42-21 Laker lead with 16:31 to play. The visitors never got closer than nine after that.
 
Banda led with 18 points, while Foster had 14 points. Trosch scored a career-high 10 points in 13 minutes. Allen grabbed 10 rebounds. J.J. Hilliard paced the Eagles with 18 points.
 
As a team, the Lakers went to the free throw line 42 times. That is the most free throw attempts for a Mercyhurst group since December 3, 2005, when the Lakers shot 42 against Wayne State.
 
Mercyhurst (2-3, 2-1 PSAC) held LHU to 19-62 shooting (30.6 percent) from the field and 3-17 accuracy from long range. The host also forced 20 turnovers.
 
The Lakers next travel to Shippensburg and Millersville for a pair of PSAC crossover contests. Mercyhurst plays at Ship December 18 and then at Millersville the next day. Both games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. starts.