CLARION, Pa. - For the second time in the last three game the Mercyhurst men's basketball team led wire-to-wire as they knocked off the Clarion University Golden Eagles by a score of 86-52 at the Tippin Gymnasium in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division play on Wednesday night.  The Lakers rode hot shooting from beyond the arc to the victory as they went 11-16 (68.8%) in the opening 20-minutes en route to finishing 12-20.

Three-pointers from Cameron Gross, Trystan Pratapas, and a two by Michael Bradley staked the Lakers early to a 14-4 lead with not even four minutes gone.  Clarion slowed down the momentum just for a minute thanks to two on the line by Stevan Rodriguez, but Gross responded with five points coupled by a Zach McIntire triple to open the lead to a dozen 23-10 with 13:42 remaining.  Steve Cannady delivered the next four Lakers points on a layup and a floater to extend the advantage out to 27-12.  Another Mercyhurst player would knock down a three in the half as Nicholas Lang buried one from the corner to cap a 5-2 push moving the lead to 32-15 just at the halfway mark.  MiyKah McIntosh and Pratapas continued the three-point barrage to move the advantage over 20, 38-17 just over two minutes later.  Godspower Ogide brought the Golden Eagles to within 38-21, however, Joel Ufele, Andrew Seager, Cannady, Lang, McIntire, and Bradley closed the opening 20-minutes on a 16-6 run to lead 54-27 at the break.   

Mercyhurst exploded out of the halftime with a 6-0 run as Bradley and Lang hit buckets in the paint, while Gross knocked down two on the line to stretch the lead over 30 at 60-27 with 17:55 left.  Jordan Agyemang and Elijah Cottrill cut the deficit under 30 by combining for three three-pointers to make it 62-36 right at the six minute mark.  Rodriguez kept it right at 26, 68-42 with a driving layup, however, the Lakers responded with a 10-2 stampede led by four each from Gross and Seager coupled with two on the line for Lang to recapture the sizable 78-44 cushion with 5:53 to play.  The Lakers let Clarion get no closer as they saw out the 86-52 win.

The Lakers shot 55.6% from the floor, 60% beyond the arc, and 82.4% on the stripe, while the Eagles went 42.6% in the field, 27.3% from deep, and 75% at the line.  Mercyhurst held a 24-6 edge on points off of turnovers.

Gross and Pratapas each had 15 to lead the team, and Lang along with Bradley chipped in 13 and 11 respectively.  McIntire, Cannady, and Ufele each added eight.  Lang led with six boards, while Gross and Ufele combined for ten.

Rodriguez was the only Clarion player in double-digits with 13.  Agyemang netted eight, while Cottrill, Kaison Branch, and Ogide each bagged five.  Rodriguez was also the Golden Eagles leading rebound man with five.  

Mercyhurst returns to play on Saturday, January 11 when they host the Golden Bears of Kutztown University in East/West Crossover play at 3pm.