HILLSDALE, Mich. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team led by 11 with 5:25 left in the game, but the host Hillsdale College closed the contest on a 22-6 run to win the game 69-63 on Monday afternoon at the Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena in non-conference action.  

Three-pointers by Amber Renz and Vivian Allison along with a layup for Emily Shopene gave the Lakers the early 8-2 edge 3:20 into the first.  Grace Touchette would hit a pair of layups to close to within 10-6, but four straight by Julia Buchman helped to push the edge back out to 14-6 with 4:24 left.  Macy Berglund hit from beyond the arc to spark an 8-0 charge to finish the frame to lead 17-14.

The second quarter was dominated by Mercyhurst as they outscored the Chargers 19-6 over the ten-minute segment.  Nicolete Newman, Kori Sidwell, and Allison began the frame on a 6-0 run to grab a 20-17 edge still with 7:36 to play.  Amaka Chikwe finally put the hosts on the board with a layup at the 2:51 mark.  Mercyhurst then seized control with an 13-4 run to close the quarter on buckets for Lauren Lapertosa, Sidwell, and Renz for the 33-23 advantage at the break. 

Renz, Lapertosa, and Newman put together an 8-3 push to come out of the locker room to lead by 15 at 41-26 with 6:03 remaining.  The Chargers came galloping back with Sydney Mills, Anna Lomonaco, and a triple for Sydney Anderson trimming the deficit down to 41-35 in a 1:59 span.  The Lakers got the advantage back to nine on a layup by Shopene with 75-seconds remaining and after a three for Anderson made it 46-40 one foul shot each for Lapertosa and Sidwell had the visitors on top 48-40 through three.

The two sides split the opening ten points of the fourth to allow Mercyhurst to stay ahead by eight 53-45 with 8:09 left.  Free throws for Buchman and a layup by Meghan Komendarek brought the Lakers lead to a dozen 57-45.  A jumper from Touchette and another free throw for Komendarek kept the guests ahead 58-47 with 5:25 to go.  However, a 14-3 run from Hillsdale capped off by a Touchette triple brought things even 61-61 with 92-second left.  After Sidwell hit a layup to move Mercyhursts in front 63-61, Lauren Daffenberg would convert an old-school three-point play to take a 64-63 edge and never looked back en route to the 69-63 win. 

Hillsdale shot 45.3% from the floor, 31.8% beyond the arc, and 82.4% on the charity stripe, while Mercyhurst went 41.5% in the field, 31.3% from deep, and 60.9 at the foul line.  The Chargers outscored the Lakers 36-27 off the bench. 

Sidwell led the Lakers with 14 points and seven boards, while Renz chipped in 10 and ripped down six rebounds.  Shopene, Buchman, and Lapertosa combined for 24 points. 

Touchette had a game-high 21 points and Daffenberg also hit double-digits with 12.

Mercyhurst returns to action on Friday when they get back into Pennylvania State Athletic Conference action with a trip to Bloomsburg University for a 1pm.