Box Score

INDIANA, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team lost, 62-56, at Indiana (Pa.) in the first round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament Saturday night. Kaylee Foster matched a career high with 21 points in the loss.
 
The Lakers led, 30-25, at halftime, and stayed in the game into the final minute. With the score tied at 53, Sarak Pastorek scored to put IUP ahead by two with 4:12 remaining. Foster split a pair of free throws and then Amy Fairman hit a three-pointer for a 58-54 edge with 2:57 left. A Foster layup cut the deficit to two before Pastorek grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 63 seconds to go.
 
Mercyhurst could not score on its next trip down and it eventually fouled Marita Mathe with 22 seconds showing on the clock. She missed her foul shot, but the Lakers turned the ball over and fouled Mathe again. She missed two more free throws, but Fairman pulled down a key rebound, allowing Mathe to be fouled and hit two free throws to ice the contest.
 
The Lakers used a combination of stellar defense and timely shot-making to take a five-point halftime lead. After IUP went up 4-0, Dana Banda sank a three-pointer and then Kristi Ewanick made one of her own. Foster followed with a layup for an 8-4 lead at the 17:17 mark.
 
Neither team scored in the next three-plus minutes. Marina Wareham broke the drought with a bucket at the 13:49 mark, and after a Laker foul shot, Lindsay Stamp hit a jumper to pull the Hawks within one.
 
Alayna White converted two free throws and then Lindsey Burke got rolling. The senior made a trey to put the Lakers ahead, 14-8, with 11:25 showing on the clock. After two Indiana free throws, Burke drained another triple.
 
IUP scored four points and then the sides traded foul shots. Both teams went almost six minutes without a field goal until Burke nailed another three at the 4:37 mark, breaking a tie at 19. The Lakers held the hosts without a made field goal for 5:28 before Sarak Pastorek hit a lay-in to make it 24-21.
 
Abby Allen, Banda, and Foster each connected on a pair of foul shots late in the half to keep the Lakers ahead. A couple of Stamp baskets allowed the Hawks to stay close.
 
Indiana quickly made up its deficit early in the second half. A Stamp trey and an Ashley Stoner layup made it 33-32 Lakers with 16:40 to go. The teams traded shots from there. Stamp scored and then Burke drained her fourth triple to tie the game. Adrienne Kloecker followed with a three-pointer at the 13:51 mark. Mathe hit a jumper to put the Hawks up, 42-39, with 12:24 remaining.
 
Indiana scored four more points to take a seven-point lead, but Foster responded. She hit a layup and then finished a three-point play to make it a 46-44 deficit with 9:39 left. The Ida, Michigan, native followed with a trey to give the Lakers the lead. After a Hawk hoop, Banda sank two free throws with 7:44 showing on the clock.
 
Fairman hit a three-pointer, but White came back with a pair of foul shots to even the score at 51 with 5:55 left. Stoner made two free throws and then Banda scored inside with just over five minutes to play.
 
Foster finished with 21 points on 6-12 field goal shooting and 8-12 foul shooting. Burke had 12 points on four threes, while Banda added nine points and two steals. 
 
Mercyhurst shot 14-47 (30 percent) from the field, while IUP hit 20-64 (31 percent) of its tries. IUP won the rebound matchup, 48-36.
 
The Lakers ended the season with a 7-20 record. They had seven seniors play their final game Saturday. IUP advanced to the PSAC Tournament Quarterfinals, playing at Edinboro on Tuesday, March 5.