ERIE, Pa. - Trailing by six at halftime 47-41, the Mercyhurst women's basketball team was not deterred by looking across the floor at an unbeaten side as they outscored visiting Shepherd University 43-33 over the final 20-minutes to leave the Mercyhurst Athletic Center with an 84-80 victory in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action on Sunday afternoon.
The Lakers led 7-4, through the opening three minutes thanks to baskets by
Emily Shopene,
Lauren Lapertosa, and
Amber Renz. After a steal for
Kori Sidwell resulted in a Lapertosa layup to make it 9-6. Shepherd came back with Abby Beeman converted on an "and one" to draw even 9-9. A triple by Buchman broke the deadlock at 14-11 with 4:08 remaining. Mercyhurst got the advantage to as many as four when
Vivian Allison made it 17-13, but a Beeman jumper and Madi White three moved the Rams ahead 18-17 with 35-ticks left. Shopene would make good on a three-point play and Marley McLaughlin knocked down a jay at the buzzer for the 20-20 score.
Renz made good on a three-point try 1:11 into the half to make it 23-22 for the good guys. She would bury another one with her team down 24-23 at the 3:03 mark to go ahead 26-24. A McLaughlin score inside the paint brought the score to 26-26. Over the next four minutes the teams exchanged baskets with neither side ever holding more than a one possession lead and with 2:37 remaining the score was level 38-38. Shepherd closed the half on a 9-3 run finished by a Beeman triple to take a 47-41 advantage to the break.
Mercyhurst began the third with a 9-2 charge as
Nicolete Newman, Allison, and Renz posted point to make it 50-49 with 6:26 left.
The visitors came back using a 4-0 push to recapture the advantage 53-50 on a fastbreak bucket for Beeman. The Lakers continued to trail until the 7:46 mark as
Eliza Oswalt teed-up a triple and stuck it to knot things up 57-57. Just under a minute remaining Lapertosa drilled a triple to get the hosts back in front 60-59, but a pair of Sydney Clayton knocked down two on the line to seize the 61-60 edge. However, a buzzer-beating layup for Shopene off a nice dish by Renz had it 62-61 Lakers after three.
With Mercyhurst down 65-64, 2:23 into the fourth, an Allison jumper sparked a 6-0 run that included four free throws by
Meghan Komendarek to grab the 70-65 lead. A three for McLaughlin brought the deficit to two at 72-70, but a Shopene foul shot and two each for Renz and Newman extended the gap to 77-70 with 2:32 to play. Shepherd would close to within three twice on a jumper and triple by Beeman. However, it was not enough as the Lakers saw it out 84-80.
Shepherd attempted seven more shots and went 61% from the floor to Mercyhurst 47.5%. The Lakers got ten more points at the line making 17-24 chances to the Rams 7-13. They also posted a season-best ten turnovers, while Shepherd had 16.
Shopene led the way with 16 points, followed by Renz (13), Lapertosa (12), and Allison (11). Newman and Oswalt each added nine to the cause. Lapertosa and Allison both had a team-high five rebounds.
Beeman and Clayton each posted 20-plus with 23 and 20 respectively. McLaughlin and White each had double-figures as well chipping in 17 and 11. McLaughlin had a game-high seven boards.
Mercyhurst returns home on Wednesday at 2pm when they take on Ursuline in non-conference play.
