ERIE, Pa. – The Mercyhurst University women's basketball team will travel to Johnstown to take on UPJ at the Sports Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday night. The Lakers are 9-17 overall and 6-14 in the PSAC West, while the Mountain Cats, under head coach Mike Drahos, are 9-14 overall and 6-13 in the PSAC West.
Live stats will be available for you to follow along during the game at the link provided.
Live Stats.
Mercyhurst defeated Clarion Saturday, 70-50, at home, breaking their five game losing streak.
Natalie Piaggesi scored a game high 23 points and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds. With Piaggesi's performance Saturday, she now has recorded eight double-doubles this season and has scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games.
Angela Heintz and
Adrienne Kloecker also scored in double figures for Mercyhurst, adding 12 and 11.
Pitt-Johnstown enters Wednesday dropping their ninth straight game of the season Saturday, 69-58, at Gannon.
This is the second meeting this season between the teams. Mercyhurst prevailed on the January 17 meeting at the MAC, 87-72 behind a career-high 34 points from Piaggesi on 12-18 shooting from the floor. All five starters finished in double figures, as the Lakers went on to win their fourth straight.
Piaggesi leads the Lakers in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.2 points and 7.3 rebounds. She has recorded eight doubles-doubles and one triple-double thus far this season. Piaggesi is one of 11 who has accomplished the feat. Last week, she averaged 22.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2 blocked shots in a week that saw the Lakers split a pair of PSAC West contests.
Kloecker also adds 11.8 points per game, while Artise provides 7.9 points per contest and 4.4 rebounds – second highest on the team for the Lakers.
Kayla DeCriscio made four-of-six three pointers and finished with a game-high 18 points in a loss to Gannon Saturday. Jasmine Harper, the team's leader in points and rebounds, finished the game with five points and 14 rebounds. As a team, the Lady Cats are sixth in the country in 3-point field goals per game (9.0), 20th in scoring offense (76.4 ppg.), and 30th in assists per game (15.8). Kelsey Sleighter also averages 15.2 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Mountain Cats.
After Wednesday, Mercyhurst is on the road again at Seton Hill to conclude the regular season. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. Saturday.
