Box Score INDIANA, Pa.—The Mercyhurst men's basketball team will advance to the PSAC Championship after the victory over East Stroudsburg 67-64 on Saturday.
 
Patrick Smith led the Lakers with 19 points, while Jason Massey recorded a double-double with 14 points and 14 rebounds.  Nelson Maxwell was the other Laker scoring in double figures with 11. 
 
Edvaldo Ferreira and Patrick Smith were huge on the defensive side today, both recording three blocks each.  Edvaldo also had three steals tying Derrick Ellis Jr. with the most on the team, respectively. 
 
For East Stroudsburg (21-7), Ryan Smith recorded a double-double having game high 25 points and 11 boards.
 
Game Summary
 
In the first half, the Warriors took an early lead over Mercyhurst (23-6)  10-9 before going on a 9-0 run keeping  the Lakers off the scoreboard for over six minutes. Nelson Maxwell took the lid of the rim drilling a three-pointer with just under the halfway point of the first half making the score 19-12 Warriors.  ESU would then extend its largest lead of the half with a three pointer but Miykah McIntosh would answer with one his own making the score 26-18 ESU. The Lakers would go on a 9-2 run to close out the half not allowing the Warriors to score a basket under the 5:39 mark. ESU still led going into the half 28-24.
 
Speeding up into the second, Mercyhurst would cut its deficit to only two after a McIntosh steal and a layup at the other end.  ESU tried keeping its lead but Smith had something else in mind. Smith would hit a three pointer and then make a layup to give the Lakers its first lead of the game since the 18:07 mark of the first, 37-36. The Lakers wouldn't put a stop to its lead there increasing it to five off a 9-0 run. Just under the half way point of the final half, Massey would extend the Lakers lead to 11 giving them their largest lead of the contest. But unfortunately, ESU would not go away and would go on a 13-2 run to eventually tie the game with 1:39 remaining.  
 
Massey would then make a layup to break the tie followed by a Maxwell layup to give MU a 64-60 lead with 39 seconds remaining. ESU would cut the lead back to three with 17 seconds remaining off made free throws making it 65-62. East Stroudsburg's Jakwan Jones would have a chance to tie the game off a three pointer but would miss and would allow Smith to get the rebound and go shoot free throws at the other end to close out the game for the Lakers 67-64.  
 
From the floor, ESU outshot MU 47.9 percent to the Lakers 44.8. MU outrebounded ESU 36-28 and recorded 15 steals compared to their 11.
 
Next Up:The Lakers will play IUP in the grudge match for PSAC Championship on Sunday at 3:00 PM.  Both teams have won at each other's place this year splitting the season series.