AMHERST, N.Y. - The Mercyhurst men's basketball team held a lead late into the second at 62-59 with 3:55 left on a Joel Ufele jumper, but Daemen would outscore the Lakers 8-3 the rest of the way to hold on for the 67-65 win on Thursday night at Lumsden Gymnasium. 

With the game tied at 64-64 with less than a minute left Damen grabbed a two-point lead on a tough lean-in jumper by Breon Harris to take the 66-64 edge.  After, a missed Trystan Pratapas triple, Ufele pulled in the offensive board and was fouled.  Unfortunately, he split a pair at the line to bring the score to 66-65 with ten seconds to go.  Mercyhurst would foul Jay Sarkis to prolong the contest and he made one of two on the stripe to stretch the advantage to 67-65.  MiyKah McIntosh took the inbounds pass and charged down the floor, but his buzzer-beating three clanged off the rim to end the game.

In the opening four minutes the game was on the seesaw with neither team able to grab bigger than a one-point lead as a layup from Ufele gave Mercyhurst a 7-6 edge.  The Ufele bucket sparked the Lakers to a 9-3 run over a five minute span culminating with a Pratapas three to make it 16-9 with 10:50 left in the first half.  Pratapas continued his scoring by knocking down three free thows to extend the gap to 19-11 at the 9:57 mark.  31-seconds later it would be the Wildcats turn to engage in some offensive fireworks as Joey Wallace hit a three sending the home side on a 12-4 run thanks to baskets from Andrew Sischo and Kyle Harris to draw even at 23-23 with 4:48 left.  There would be two more ties at 26-26 and 27-27, before buckets from Michael Bradley and Ufele had the guests up 32-29 at the break.  

A jumper out of the hands of McIntosh 31-seconds into the second stretched the margin to 34-29, but five points for Sischo helped to pull things level 34-34 with 16:54 remaining.  With the game knotted 37-37, Daemen looked to take control with Harris scoring five consecutive points and Sischo adding a foul shot to take a 45-40 lead at the 7:49 mark.  The Lakers closed the deficit to two on five separate occasions thanks jumpers from Nicholas Lang, Zach McIntire, Cameron Gross, and McIntosh to bring the score to 58-56 with 5:56 remaining.  McIntosh kept the comeback coming by sticking a pair of free throws and a jumper to move the Lakers in front 60-58.  Ufele extended the advantage to 62-59 with four minutes to go, but that lead would dissipate down the stretch as Daemen closed on a 8-3 push to end the game 67-65.

Mercyhurst shot 51.1% from the floor, holding the Wildcats to 46%.  The game was won at the stripe with Daemen making 16 free throws to the Lakers 11.

Ufele led the visitors with 16 points, while McIntosh chipped in ten.  Ufele paced the Lakers in rebounds with six and Lang hauled in five.  Four players recorded two steals apiece.

Four Wildcats hit double-figures led by a double-double for Sischo as he poured in 22 points to go along with 11 boards.  Wallace (18), Harris (11), and Sarkis (10) completed the Daemen players in double-figures.  

Mercyhurst returns to action on Monday night as they welcome Roberts Wesleyan College to the Athletic Center for a 7pm tip.