ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's basketball team dropped a 63-57 decision to unbeaten West Chester Tuesday night at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Adrienne Kloecker a game-high 21 points and Natalie Piaggesi led the Lakers with her second double-double of the season, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Mercyhurst would battle with the Golden Rams all game, making their up-tempo offense look sluggish at times. The Lakers defense held West Chester to 26-60 shooting from the field and forced them to 16 turnovers.
The Lakers would take their first lead of the game early in the first half off a steal from Alex Artise. Artise was able to find Piaggesi open on the fast break for a layup that put Mercyhurst up 7-6. After the made basket, West Chester would regain the lead with a three ball from Jasmen Clark.
West Chester would earn their largest lead of the half, 22-15, at the 8:20 mark before Kelley McBroom's and-one finish inside cut the lead to four. Mercyhurst would go on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 22-22 with 5:12 remaining in the half. Kloecker drained a jumper as Piaggesi followed with a made layup to finish off the spurt. The Golden Rams closed out the half on 16-8 run over the last five minutes to take a 38-30 lead into the break.
Piaggesi opened up their scoring in the second for the Lakers while Jessica Bell finished off a layup off another Artise steal and assist. Two Piaggesi made free-throws cut the West Chester lead to four, 42-38, with 16:22 to play. Mercyhurst would get as close as four points twice throughout the second half.
With the Golden Rams back up eight, Piaggesi and Kloecker answered the bell again, making back-to-back field goals to pull within four, 46-42, at the 12:36 mark. West Chester would, then, go on a 16-5 run over a nine minute span to put them in control, 62-49, with 3:37 remaining in the game.
Mercyhurst wouldn't quite, as held the Golden Rams to one point the rest of the way, outscoring West Chester 8-1 the final three and half minutes. However, time ran out on the Laker comeback.
The Lakers shot 20-49 from the field and just 4-18 from three-point range, one of their lowest outputs of the season.
With the loss, the Lakers fall to 2-8 overall and 0-5 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Play. West Chester improves to 8-0, 5-0 PSAC.
Mercyhurst will be back in action tomorrow night in another PSAC crossover battle with Cheyney. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
