CALIFORNIA, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's basketball team suffered a tough loss Saturday afternoon at California (PA), 76-74. With the loss, the Lakers fall to 9-11 overall and 7-7 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play, while the Vulcans improve to 12-5, 10-4 PSAC.

Mercyhurst was led by junior guard Angela Heintz, who recorded a career-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field. Heintz's late bucket, with 31 seconds to play, tied the game at 74, before Sierra Barrett hit a game-winning jumper with five seconds remaining.

California (PA) opened their largest lead of the game with 1:39 to play in the first half, before Mercyhurst rattled off a 7-2 spurt, to cut the deficit to three, 41-38, heading into the break.

Heintz and Jessica Bell helped propel the Lakers to an early third quarter lead, as Heintz drained one of her three 3-pointers to tie the game at 41, while Bell gave Mercyhurst a two point lead after finishing off a layup in the paint. From there, it was all Cal, until midway through the fourth.

It was Heintz again, who would tie the game at 65 with 5:18 to play. She, then, gave the Lakers the lead, 70-67, with her third 3-pointer of the afternoon. However, the Vulcans would match Heintz's three on their next offensive possession, tying the game for the 10th time.

Miki Glenn, who scored a game-high 36 points, drained two free-throws to regain the lead for the Vulcans, 74-72. Heintz's late heroics, with 30 seconds left, wasn't enough, as Barrett came away with the final bucket, breaking the 12th tie of game.

Mercyhurst finished the game shooting 51.8 percent (29-of-56) from the field and made 8-of-15 (53.3%) 3-pointers. The Laker bench produced 22 points while also converting 12 Vulcan turnovers into 17 points.The Lakers will host Slippery Rock Wednesday, January 27, at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC) for another PSAC Western Division battle. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.