ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team will look to stop a three-game losing skid and start 2020 as well as PSAC West play with a bang when they welcome in the Seton Hill University Griffins to the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on Friday evening.
Game Information
Opponent - Seton Hill Griffins
Date - Friday, January 3
Time - 5:30 pm
Location - Erie, Pa. (Mercyhurst Athletic Center)
Series History - SHU leads 8-6, (Lakers won the last meeting 88-66 on 2/16/19 at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center)
Lakers Game Notes
Live Stats
Live Video
Tickets
Last Time Out
Mercyhurst got nine points in the opening frame from
Amber Renz to lead 19-9 after one, and were in front 34-27 at the break on the road at East Stroudsburg their last time out. However, a strong 13-6 run put together by the Warriors coming out of the break had the home side level at 46-46 through-30 minutes. The Lakers would lead 55-53 with just under seven minutes to play in the game, but the Warriors closed the contest outscoring the visitors 24-10 down the stretch to upend the Lakers 77-65 at Koehler Fieldhouse. Renz paced the team with 27 points, while
Emily Shopene tacked on a dozen.
Kori Sidwell was just short of a double-double pulling down 13 boards and chipping in nine points.
Scouting the Lakers (3-8, 3-2 PSAC)
Team Numbers
Mercyhurst averages 65.8 points per game, knocking down 43.5% of their attempts from the field, 27.9% outside the arc, and 68.2% on the charity stripe. They grab 35.2 rebounds per contest and dish out 13.6 assists. On the defensive end the Lakers record 6.6 steals and 3.3 blocks.
NCAA Ranks
As a team Mercyhurst ranks inside the Top-100 nationally in field-goal percentage (64th), blocked shots (89th), and blocked shots per game (96th). Individually, Renz sits at 31st in the country and second in the PSAC shooting 58.0%. She is also 96th in field goals made (65).
Emily Shopene and
Lauren Lapertosa rank 18th and 86th in minutes per game with 36.32 and 34.02 respectively. Shopene and her 399.32 minutes played on the season puts her 58th nationally.
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 16.9 per contest. However, while the average has dropped they have still committed more turnovers than their opponents in eight of their eleven games so far. Mercyhurst holds a -3.2 turnover margin and allow 16.9 ppg off of their turnovers, while converting their opponents 13.7 mistakes into 14.6 ppg.
Ball Hogs
The Lakers as a team have totaled 73 steals on the season, averaging 6.6 per game. Lapertosa (15) and Shopene (14) lead the way, followed by
Nicolete Newman with nine. Sidwell and Renz each have eight, while
Vivian Allison has seven.
Crash the Boards
Mercyhurst has extended their rebound margin to a +1.5 up from +0.4 (35.2 to 33.7). Lapertosa is the team leader with 5.9 rpg, followed by 4.8 for Sidwell. Newman and Renz also average over four per game at 4.3 and 4.0.
Balanced Scoring
Renz leads the Lakers in scoring with 15.2, followed closely by Shopene with 10.5 and Newman at 9.8. Oswalt puts up over eight points per contest, while Lapertosa chips in seven.
Block Party
Komendarek has eleven of the Lakers 36 blocks who average 3.3 bpg as a team. Renz has seven and Lapertosa has five. Shopene and Sidwell have each have four.
Scouting the Griffins (9-1, 4-1 PSAC)
Seton Hill arrives in Erie having won their last three and nine of ten. They brought down conference newcomer Shepherd 102-85 as part of the East/West Crossover. The Griffins hold a +9.6 scoring margin putting up 85.1 ppg to their opponents 75.5. As a unit they shoot 39.9% from the floor, 32.5% from deep, and 75.8% at the foul stripe. Seton Hill brings a very balanced attack to the game with four players in double-figures paced by Cheyenne Trest with 13.8, followed by Lexi Civittolo (13.4), Katie Nolan (12.7), and Courtney Cecere (11.2). Tiana Stewart lands just outside this group scoring 9.9 per contest. Nolan and Cecere are the team's leading rebounders as each player pulls down over seven per game. Head coach Mark Katarski is in his 12th campaign at the helm of the Griffins.
On Deck
Mercyhurst will play their next two games away from Erie when they visit No. 11 Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Monday, before venturing to Clarion two days later on Wednesday night.
