ERIE, Pa.- The Mercyhurst men's basketball team heads to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Final Four this weekend. The Lakers will face host and second-ranked East Stroudsburg in a tournament semifinal on Saturday, March 8. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at Koehler Fieldhouse.
 
Live stats will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/esu/mbball/. A live video broadcast will be available for a $6.95 fee at http://www.esuwarriors.com/showcase/#mediaarchive. A live audio broadcast will be available at http://tunein.com/radio/WESS-903-s28605/.
 
Mercyhurst won, 67-56, at #10 Indiana (Pa.) on Tuesday. Jean Onana scored 16 points, while Sein Beins posted a career-high 13 off the bench. The Laker reserves outscored IUP's, 37-2. It marked Mercyhurst's first-ever win at Indiana and its first road playoff victory in program history.
 
East Stroudsburg beat Millersville, 78-58, at home on Tuesday. Jamal Nwaniemeka scored 21 points and Matt Tobin put up 11 points and 14 assists to lead the Warriors. With the win, ESU earned hosting rights for this weekend's event.
 
Coach Gary Manchel has guided Mercyhurst to a 17-11 mark in 2013-14. The Lakers will make its second PSAC Final Four appearance in three years. Onana paces the team with 10.8 points per game. Jonathan Ouegnin was selected All-PSAC Western Division Second Team after leading Mercyhurst in rebounding (5.1), assists (3.1), steals (1.7), and assist-to-turnover (1.8) ratio this season.
 
East Stroudsburg is 26-1 this season. It won the regular season Eastern Division title for a second straight year. Whis Grant is averaging 16.9 points while shooting 40.8 percent from three-point range. He and Tobin were both All-PSAC Eastern Division First Team. Rasheed Moore earned PSAC Eastern Division Freshman of the Year after recording 13.7 points and 6.3 boards a game.
 
Mercyhurst has one of the top defenses in the nation, allowing 60.2 points per game, fourth-fewest in Division II. It has held 14 opponents under 60 points this season. The Lakers have also outrebounded eight straight foes; that is their longest such stretch since a nine-game run in the 2006-07 campaign.
 
The Warriors lead the PSAC in scoring at 86.5 points per game. They lead the country in turnover margin at plus-7.4 per game. ESU has scored 80 or more points 18 times this season.
 
On December 21, East Stroudsburg beat Mercyhurst, 60-54, at the Koehler Fieldhouse. The Lakers led, 28-24, at halftime. Mercyhurst contained East Stroudsburg to seven season lows in the contest. The Warriors put up 60 points, made 15 field goals, attempted 53 field goals, shot 28.3 percent from the floor, made two three-pointers, hit 11.1 percent from deep, and blocked one shot in the game.
 
Gannon and West Chester will square off in the other semifinal at 1 p.m. Saturday. The two winners will play in the PSAC Championship Game on Sunday, March 9, at 3:30 p.m.
 
For game notes, please click here.