Box Score

ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst women's basketball team lost, 66-62 in overtime, to Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Katie Fischer made a 25-foot three-pointer with three seconds left in regulation, sending the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division contest into overtime.
 
UPJ hit two free throws to take a 55-52 advantage with eight seconds remaining. The Lakers inbounded the ball to Mariah Penascino, who brought the ball into the front court and found Fischer on the left wing, where she caught the pass and dribbled once to her right. She stopped and launched from well beyond the arc on the left wing and drained the trey. The Lady Cats had a final shot at the buzzer, but it was long, forcing OT at the MAC.
 
The visitors scored the first five points of the extra frame before Fischer sank a pair of foul shots with 3:05 to go. After a UPJ layup, Alayna White split two free throws. Mercyhurst made a defensive stop, setting up a Fischer jumper to pull within two points at the 1:09 mark.
 
The Lady Cats made two free throws, but White grabbed two offensive boards and eventually scored with 15 seconds left, making it 64-62. Pitt-Johnstown converted two foul shots with six seconds showing on the clock, sealing the decision.
 
Natalie Piaggesi led the Lakers with 13 points and six rebounds. Fischer recorded 12 points and five boards, while Adrienne Kloecker added 10 points and four rebounds. White put up nine points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and four steals in her final collegiate game. Nicole Carman paced UPJ with 23 points and nine boards.
 
Penascino tied the game at 2 with 17:53 left in the first half. After a Cat hoop, Laura McCauley, Penascino, and Alex Artise each scored, giving the Lakers an 8-4 advantage after four minutes of action. Two Kloecker jump shots made it 12-6 at the 13:42 mark.
 
Pitt-Johnstown rallied, tying the game at 18 with 7:16 remaining in the period. Fischer sank a trey to put the Lakers back ahead. White made a layup and then Kloecker connected on two free throws, making it 25-23 Mercyhurst with 2:53 left.
 
UPJ pulled within 26-25 with less than two minutes left, but the Lakers had a closing kick, as Kloecker, Fischer, and Penascino each scored inside, giving the hosts a 32-25 halftime lead.
 
McCauley, a senior, made it 34-25 in the first minute of the second half. The Cats cut their deficit to 37-31 with 17:27 to play, but the Lakers had an answer, scoring nine straight points to take control of the contest. Piaggesi made a pair of layups and then Kloecker scored on a fast break. Adele Campbell, playing her final game as a Laker, drained a triple for a 46-31 lead at the 13:26 mark.
 
Piaggesi continued her strong play with three more hoops in the lane, giving Mercyhurst a 52-39 advantage with 6:46 left. UPJ made a run from there, forcing Fischer's heroics.
 
The Lakers held a 46-38 advantage on the glass and contained the Cats to 3-23 shooting from three-point range. Mercyhurst outscored UPJ, 40-26, in the paint.
 
Mercyhurst finished the season with a 6-20 record, including a 4-12 mark in the Western Division.