ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team upset second-ranked Edinboro, 59-58 in overtime, Wednesday evening, ending the Lady Scots' hopes of an undefeated season. Megan Hoffman's free throw with 13 seconds left in the extra period was the difference in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division contest.


 
An emotional senior night was followed by a competitive game that saw the Lakers hang around throughout, springing the biggest regular season win in program history. Nikki Frederickson led with 25 points, but a number of Lakers put their imprint on the victory.
 
Micki Cerchiaro's jumper with 3:50 to go put Edinboro up 52-46. Abby Allen followed with a free throw and then Hurst forced a turnover. Frederickson converted two free throws of her own. Kiara Brown turned the ball over on the Scots' next possession, allowing Hoffman to make two free throws, cutting the deficit to 52-51 with just under a minute left.
 
Mercyhurst hounded Darche Jackson into a tough jumper, which Hoffman pulled down, allowing the Lakers to call timeout and set up a play. The ball ended up in the hands of Allen, who shot an open three-pointer from the right corner. The shot hit the back of the rim, bouncing straight up and falling through the net, putting the Lakers up 54-52 with 11 seconds to play.
 
Jackson missed another tough shot, but Renee Brown collected the rebound and was fouled with two seconds left. She calmly sank both free throws, sending the contest into overtime.
 
Allen found Frederickson cutting to the hoop on an inbounds play, giving Hurst a two-point edge with 4:27 left in the extra frame. Samantha Blazetic answered with a jumper on the other end. Kaylee Foster split two free throw attempts, making it 57-56 with just over three minutes to play. Raven Metz regained the lead for Edinboro, hitting a layup with 1:58 remaining.
 
Foster split another pair of free throws, tying the score with 1:18 showing on the clock. The teams traded missed shots on their next possessions. Hoffman was then fouled driving to the hoop with 13 seconds to play. The senior drained the first free throw before missing the second. The Scots eventually called timeout with four seconds left. Allen got a hand on the ball and Boro could not recover, with Metz' heave falling short at the buzzer.
 
Frederickson hit 10-16 shots from the field for her 25 points in her final home game as a Laker. She also grabbed five boards and three steals in 43 minutes. Allen totaled nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Banda and Hoffman each had eight points. Blazetic had 14 points and 11 boards for Edinboro.
 
As a team, Mercyhurst shot 34.7 percent (17-49) from the floor, while Boro was 25-66 (37.9 percent). Hurst held the Scots to 6-27 shooting in the second half. The teams combined to hit just 4-30 three-point attempts on the night.
 
The win avenged the Lakers' 71-41 loss at Edinboro on January 25 and snapped the Scots' 33-game regular season winning streak and 31-game PSAC win string. It is Hurst's first win over a ranked team in the Coach Deanna Richard era.
 
Richard's squad improved to 12-13 overall and 10-11 in the conference. They will play their last game Saturday, February 25, at Lock Haven. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m.
 
For a box score of the Edinboro-Mercyhurst game, please click here.