ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team heads to Slippery Rock for a key Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division matchup Saturday, February 4. The contest is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Morrow Field House.


 
Live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/sru/mbball/index.htm and a live audio broadcast will be available at http://www.msasports.net/game/mercyhurst-womens-basketball-slippery-rock-mens-basketball.
 
Hurst enters Saturday on a six-game winning streak, having beaten Lock Haven, 95-68, February 1. Nine Lakers scored at least seven points and Jamal Turner dished out 10 assists as the team shot a season-high 66.1 percent from the floor. Mercyhurst handed out 30 assists as a group, the most in at least 15 seasons. Freshman Terrence Ingram led with a career-high 15 points on 6-6 shooting.
 
The Rock lost, 88-75, at Clarion Wednesday. The 88 points allowed by the Rock defense is the most given up in 2011-12. John Bayardelle scored 25 points, hitting 7-12 shots from the field. Clarion outrebounded the Rock, 41-34. SRU leads the PSAC in rebounding margin this season.
 
On January 14, the Lakers beat the Rock, 64-62, at the MAC. Hurst led 48-31 midway through the second half, but the visitors made a run, getting within a point in the final seconds before Andrew Rickard made a free throw and the Lakers made a defensive stop to escape with a win. Steven Coleman scored 18 points, while Matt Lee added 15 and Paul Bilbo scored 13 points and pulled down seven boards.
 
SRU is second in the league in scoring defense, allowing just 62.6 points per game. It leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (36.9 percent) and three-point field goal defense (25.7 percent). Its +11.1 rebounding margin is by far the best in the PSAC and ranks second nationally. Devin Taylor is putting up 13.2 points and 10.6 boards per game (first in the PSAC).
 
Coach Gary Manchel's squad is first in the league in three-point field goal percentage (37.9 percent) and second in three-point defense (28.6 percent). It paces the conference in assists (17.2) and is second in steals (9.1). The Lakers rank first in the turnover margin (+3.79) and assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). Their 7.7 made treys per contest lead the PSAC. Lee is scoring 15.9 points per game, while Luis Leao, Bill Weaver, and Rickard also score in double figures. Turner averages 5.2 assists a contest, good for third in the conference.
 
For game notes, please click here.