ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team remained winless in non-conference action falling to the visiting Arrows of Ursuline College by a 68-63 final on Wednesday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
The game started out slow for both teams as their were only six total points scored in the opening 2:18 as buckets by
Lauren Lapertosa and
Amber Renz put the home team ahead 4-2. With just under six minutes to go in the first Tamara Mathis made it 4-4, before she committed a foul at the other end of the floor resulting in two makes on the line for
Eliza Oswalt leading to a 6-4 edge. There would be over a two minutes span where neither side scored, but then at the 7:07 mark
Nicolete Newman brought an end to the scoreless drought with a three-pointer for the 9-4 lead. A triple for
Emily Shopene kept the margin at five 12-7. However, that was answered immediately with a three for Ky Crevison to cut it to 12-10. The teams exchanged scores the rest of the way with two Mathis free throws giving the Arrows a slim 16-15 edge through one.
To start the second Ursuline maintained the lead pushing it three one two occassions with a layup by Bekah Green and Sam Jenkins giving the guests the 22-19 lead with 6:15 to go. After a Lakers timeout jumpers for Allison and
Amber Renz helped to put Mercyhurst on top for the first time in frame 23-22. It would be the Arrows who put together the first sustained run of the game going on an 8-0 charge led by four from Mathis to take a seven-point lead 30-23 with under two to play. The Lakers picked up the final four points of the quarter with
Meghan Komendarek hitting a foul shot and Newman knocking down a three to make it 30-27 at half.
Renz cut the gap to one, 30-29 just 21-seconds in, but the Arrows would then take control using a 15-2 charge in a four-minute stretch finished off by a Jennah Taylor layup to make it 45-31.
Stephanie Petery picked up four consecutive points to close within ten at 45-35 with 3:31 left. Ursuline got the momentum right back on their side with a 6-2 run with Alyssa Evans, Julia Cardwell, and Mathis putting up the points to recapture a 51-37 advantage. The Lakers scored eight of the last twelve as
Jenna Kunst drilled a three and Oswalt along with Petery stuck two-pointers to make it 55-45 heading to the final ten minutes.
Crevison came out of the break with a pair of triples opening the gap back out to 61-47 with 1:40 gone. Lapertosa, Newman, Shopene, and Renz put together a 10-4 run cutting the deficit down to 65-57 at the 7:07 mark. After a Mathis hit a jumper and Newman responded a bucket of her own the Lakers were still within reach at 65-59 with 2:41 remaining. Shopene coverted on an offensive rebound opportuity and Newman went coast-to-coast off a defensive board to make it 66-63 with 89-seconds left. Unfortunately, Green netted the only other basket of the game for the 68-63 final.
The Lakers shot 40.6% from the floor compared to the Arrows 39.1%. Where the game was won was at the charity stripe with Ursuline knocking down 76.9% (10-13), while Mercyhurst went 46.7% (7-15).
Newman paced the Lakers with 14 points, three assists, and a pair of steals. Renz tacked on 12 points, while Lapertosa netted eight, followed by seven each for Shopene and Petery. Lapertosa was the leading rebounder with six. Newman and Shopene both ripped down five apiece.
Crevison (19), Mathis (17), and Green (13) led the offensive charge for the Arrows.
Mercyhurst returns to action on Saturday, December 7th when they travel across the state to battle the Golden Rams of West Chester University in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play.
