ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team looks to continue their strong start to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play as they visit Bloomsburg (Friday) and East Stroudsburg (Saturday) this weekend in a pair of East-West crossover contests.

Game Information
Opponent - Bloomsburg Huskies 
Date - Friday, December 20
Time - 1 pm
Location - Bloomsburg, Pa. (E.H. Nelson Fieldhouse)
Series History - Bloom leads 9-3, (Huskies won last meeting 70-51 on 12/8/18 in Erie)
Lakers Notes
Live Stats
Live Video
Ticket Info

Opponent - East Stroudsburg Warriors
Date - Saturday, December 21
Time - 5:30 pm
Location - Stroudsburg, Pa. (Koehler Fieldhouse)
Series History - Hurst leads 5-3, (Lakers won last meeting 74-71 on 12/4/16 in Erie)
Live Stats
Live Video
Ticket Info

Last Time Out
After trailing 17-14 through one quarter on Monday at Hillsdale College the Lakers appeared to have control of the game outscoring the Chargers 19-6 in the second to lead 33-23 at half.  Mercyhurst continued to keep the home side at bay only allowing them to trim the deficit by two at the end of three as the visitors held on to an 48-40 edge.  The Lakers would lead 58-47 with just over five minutes to play, but Hillsdale outpaced them 22-6 down the stretch to come back an post the 69-63 victory.  Kori Sidwell led the Lakers with 14 points and seven boards, while Amber Renz tacked on 10 points to go along with six rebounds.

Scouting the Lakers (3-6, 3-0 PSAC)
Team Numbers
Mercyhurst is currently putting up 67.2 points per game, shooting 43.8% from the field, 28.3% outside the arc, and 66.3% on the charity stripe.  They are pulling down 35.2 rebounds per contest and handing out 14.4 assists.  On the defensive end the Lakers record 6.9 steals and 2.4 blocks. 

NCAA Ranks
As a team Mercyhurst ranks inside the Top-100 nationally in field-goal percentage (62nd), assist-turnover ratio (91st), fewest turnovers (92nd), and assists per game (96th).  Individually, Lauren Lapertosa is 19th in assist-turnover ratio at 2.70.  In field-goal percentage Renz is 23rd shooting 60.2%.  The Lakers also have a couple of huge minute eaters as Emily Shopene (35.62) and Lapertosa (34.24) rank 35th and 72nd respectively.  The charity line has been good for Eliza Oswalt as her 83.3% is good for 87th in the nation. 

Protect the Ball
Turnovers were a problem for the Lakers earlier this season, but they have worked hard and have brought their average down from 19 to 15.9 per contest.  However, while the average has dropped they have still committed more turnovers than their opponents in six of their nine games so far.  Mercyhurst holds a -2.6 turnover margin and allow 17.0 ppg off of their turnovers, while converting their opponents 13.3 mistakes into 14.1 ppg. 

Ball Hogs
The Lakers as a team have totaled 62 steals on the season, averaging 6.9 per game.  Shopene (14) and Lapertosa (13) lead the way, followed by Newman with nine.  Kori Sidwell has seven, while Renz and Oswalt each have six.  

Crash the Boards
Mercyhurst continues to hold a slim edge in the rebound margin at a +0.4 (35.2 to 34.8).  Lapertosa is the team leader with 6.1 rpg, followed by 4.3 for Newman.  Renz and Sidwell are both averaging 3.6 per contest.  

Balanced Scoring 
Renz leads the Lakers in scoring with 13.9, followed closely by Shopene with 9.9 and Newman at 9.8.  Lapertosa along with Oswalt each put up over eight points per contest.

Block Party
Komendarek has nine of the Lakers 22 blocks who average 2.4 bpg as a team.  Renz has three and Lapertosa along with Shopene and Sidwell have each recorded two.   

Scouting the Huskies (4-3, 1-2 PSAC)
Bloomsburg comes into Friday having won three of their last four, including a 79-68 victory over Jefferson their last time out.  The Huskies average 66.1 ppg and are giving up 65.1 for a +1 margin.  From the field they shoot 46.5% 29.7% from distance and are 70.5% on the line.  They pull down 34.3 rpg and hand out 12.9 assists,  Defensively, Bloomsburg averages 5.4 steals and 3.4 blocks per game.  The offense is led by three double-digit scorers with Emma Saxton leading the way with 13.6.  Taylor Montana (12.8) and Megan Brandt (10.6) complete the trio.  Montana pulls down a team-high 6.8 rebounds, followed by Lauren Oeth (5.0), Payton Spadaccino (4.4), and Brandt (4.0).  Allison Tagliaferri is in her 12th season as the head coach at Bloomsburg.

Scouting the Warriors (5-4, 1-2 PSAC)
East Stroudsburg enters the weekend having dropped two of their last three, including an overtime setback against No. 21 Adelphi the last time out 82-77.  Before facing the Lakers on Saturday they will welcome in Edinboro University on Friday evening.  At the moment the Warriors have a +5.5 scoring margin averaging 64.4 ppg, while holding the opposition to 58.9.  They are shooting 40.6% from the floor, 30.3% outside the arc, and 72.0% at the line.  They have been beaten on the glass so far this season pulling down 33.7, but allow 36.0 to the competition.  The Warriors average 9.6 steals, 3.2 blocks, and 15.7 helpers.  ESU only turns the ball over 13.1 time and forces the other team into just shy of 18 per game.  Tiffany Lapotsky is the leading scorer with 18.4.  Julia Kutz (9.3), Sadie Cresswell (7.0), and Jordan Hertz (6.8) rounds out the top scoring options.  Hertz paces them on the glass hauling in 5.6 per contest, followed by 4.6 for Kutz.  Four other players pull down more than three per game.  Stephanie Del Preore leads the Warriors for the eighth year.

On Deck
Mercyhurst will take some time off for the Christmas/Holiday break and then return to action on Friday, January 3rd when they welcome Seton Hill to the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.