Men's Basketball | 11/15/2014 8:25:00 PM
Box Score FAIRMONT, W. Va.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team lost, 72-62, to West Virginia Wesleyan Saturday night at Fairmont State.
Damon Jones scored 16 points to lead the Lakers in the non-conference game at the Joe Retton Classic.
In the first half, the Lakers stayed in the game by getting to the free throw line. Wesleyan went ahead, 7-0, before
Sean Beins hit a pair of foul shots at the 16:30 mark.
Paris Bennett made two baskets later in the period and then Jones split two free throws with 9:56 to go in the half, pulling Mercyhurst within 14-7.
Jones and Beins followed with two made free throws each. A Beins layup made it 17-13 Wesleyan with 6:13 left.
Terrence Ingram was then fouled shooting a three-pointer at the 5:10 mark. He sank all three foul shots and Jones came back with a layup to make it 20-18 with just over four minutes to play in the frame.
Jones made a free throw and then Bennett closed the Lakers' first-half scoring with two foul shots in the last minute. The Bobcats entered halftime with a 31-21 advantage.
Wesleyan held its margin in the second half, eventually taking a 60-42 lead with 7:07 remaining. The Lakers fought back, though, cutting the deficit to six late in the contest. Ingram drained a three-pointer and then Bennett made a jump shot. A
Gerrae Williams trey made it 62-50 with 4:57 left.
After a pair of offensive rebounds,
James Ewing scored inside to pull within ten points. Mercyhurst continued its work on the glass on its next possession, grabbing three O-boards, with Ewing finally scoring with 3:01 showing on the clock. Wesleyan scored on the other end, but Bennett hit two free throws on the Lakers' next trip. A Williams lay-in made it 64-58 with 2:01 to play. The teams traded hoops after that and the Bobcats were able to hit six late foul shots to seal the decision.
Jones led with 16 points on 6-9 shooting. Williams scored 11 points, while Bennett added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Ewing posted eight points and four boards. Mercyhurst held a 28-8 advantage in points in the paint. For the second straight night, the Lakers shot well from the floor in the second half, hitting 16-28 (57.1 percent) from the field Saturday. On Friday, Mercyhurst shot 13-20 (65 percent) from the floor in the final twenty minutes.
Mercyhurst opens Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division action on Wednesday, November 19. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Convocation Center.
