Box Score

ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team lost, 65-59, to Edinboro in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division game Wednesday night. Luis Leao scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds in the defeat at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
 
The Lakers led by as many as 11 points in the second half before Edinboro came roaring back behind Isaiah Prince. A Jonathan Ouegnin three-pointer gave Mercyhurst a 44-38 lead with 12:26 left. Prince followed with four made free throws and then Jay Fletcher hit a trey to give the Fighting Scots a 45-44 edge with 8:03 to play.
 
A Prince three-point play expanded the margin before Callon Dailey made a jump shot to slow the momentum. Fletcher answered with another triple, though. Prince split a pair from the foul line and then Leao made two free throws. A three by Xavier Churnac made it 55-48 with 3:18 left and then Prince hit a dagger trey to go up 10. A three by Terrence Ingram and a Leao three-point play were too late as the Scots escaped with a road victory.
 
Edinboro made just four two-point field goals in the game, but showed stellar accuracy from long range and the foul line. The visitors hit 13-25 tries from deep and converted 18-21 free throws-all in the second half.
 
Fletcher and Prince each hit threes to start the night before Leao drained a trey of his own. Baskets by Ouegnin and Andy Hoying eventually gave the hosts a 10-8 edge with 15:55 left in the first half. Prince hit one of his seven threes to regain the advantage, though.
 
Lay-ins by Leao and Paul Bilbo put the Lakers ahead by four, but it was Prince hitting another trey to keep Edinboro close. Johnathan Logan got in on the action with a three-pointer, but Leao tied the game at 17 with 10:47 to go. Prince had a steal and dunk, but Dailey responded with a jumper for a 20-19 edge midway through the period.
 
An Ingram triple stretched the lead and then Ouegnin had a steal and threw down a monstrous two-hand jam as Mercyhurst took a 25-19 lead. Two Bilbo foul shots put the hosts up by 8 and then Ingram sank a shot from downtown for a 30-19 margin. Mercyhurst took a 32-21 lead into the half.
 
Prince began the second half with another three, but Ingram finished a three-point play for a 35-24 lead. Fletcher and Prince both connected from deep again, and then Prince's trey at the 13:37 mark made it 41-36 Lakers.
 
Leao hit 7-13 from the field and 5-6 at the line for 20 points. He had six boards, three blocked shots and two steals in 34 minutes. Ingram posted 14 points on three threes. Ouegnin added seven points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals, while Dailey had eight points and seven boards. Prince dropped a career-high 37 points on 10-17 shooting, including 7-10 accuracy from deep. He also made 10-11 free throws. Fletched contributed 16 points, five boards, and four helpers.
 
Mercyhurst hit 21-50 (42 percent) from the floor and the Scots went 17-52 (32.7 percent). Edinboro hit 13-25 from long range, compared to 6-21 for the home team.
 
The Lakers are now 11-9 overall and 7-7 in the conference. Edinboro takes the edge for fourth place in the Western Division at 8-6 in the PSAC.
 
Mercyhurst hosts California (Pa.) in another key league contest Saturday, February 2. Tip-off is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the MAC.