CLARION, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team stopped their skid as they put four players in double-figures led by a double-double for junior Emily Shopene to edge out the host Clarion University Golden Eagles by a score of 68-65 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action at the Tippin Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

Amber Renz gave the guests the lead 13-seconds in, before a foul shot from Yasmin Lewis and layup by Celeste Ryman put Clarion in front for the first time under 90-seconds into the contest.  Nicolete Newman and Lauren Lapertosa engineered a 6-2 push to jump ahead 8-5 at the 3:04 mark.  The two sides exchanged the next couple of buckets allowing the Lakers to maintain a slim 10-9 edge.  Five consecutive points from Shopene helped the visitors to stretch the lead to 15-11.  A driving layup from Ke'Airah Massiah brought the Golden Eagles to within 17-15, but Lapertosa scored the final basket of the quarter for the 19-15 edge.

Stephanie Petery scored the first five points in the second to move Mercyhurst ahead 24-15 with two minutes gone.  After a triple from Yndiah Bobo trimmed the gap to 24-18, Renz and Petery continued to assert themselves in the paint with back-to-back layups giving the away side their largest lead to that point 28-18 with 6:46 to go.  Baskets from Kori Sidwell, Newman, and Renz helped the Lakers go on an 8-5 charge to extend the advantage to a baker's dozen 36-23 under four minutes left.  Emily Brown drilled a pair of three-pointers late in the frame to help Clarion cut the deficit to 38-31 at the break.  

Mercyhurst got the lead to eight points two-times at 40-32 and 42-34 with 2:04 elapsed.  However, buckets by Emily Hegedus, Jada Smith, and Ryman accounted for a 6-0 flight to make it 42-40 with 5:50 to play.  A finish in the paint by Meghan Komendarek stemmed the tide for a moment at 44-40, but the Golden Eagles responded in a strong way using an 8-0 run finished by a Lewis layup to open up a 48-44 edge at the 6:50 mark.  Komendarek scored the final three Lakers points of the third, unfortunately, they still trailed 50-47.

Back-to-back Golden Eagles jumpers by Lewis and Bobo gave the hosts their biggest lead at 54-47 less than a minute into the fourth.  Newman cut into the margin with a triple from the right wing, however, Massiah came back with a tough finish in the lane to make it 56-50 with 8:15 left.  Komendarek hit on a running layup and Petery drilled a three deep in the left corner to cut the lead to only one 56-55.  A three out of the hands of Brown led to a Lakers timeout at 59-55 with under five to go.  Lapertosa and Shopene led a 9-0 push in a 2:09 span to move the visitors ahead 64-59.  Clarion did not go away quietly as Bobo finished an "and one" to spark a 6-2 charge to get the home side within 66-65, but foul shots for Shopene and Petery closed the game out 68-65.  

Mercyhurst shot over 50% from the floor at 52.9%, 35.7% from beyond, and 45% on the line, while Clarion was 40.3% in the field, 31.6% from deep, and 56.3% at the charity line.  The Lakers were strong in the paint and off the bench outscoring the Golden Eagles in those categories 44-34 and 22-10.

Renz led four Lakers in double-figures with 12, while Shopene, Newman, and Petery all added 11.  Lapertosa and Komendarek chipped in 8 and 7 respectively.  Shopene was the leading rebounder with 11.  

Massiah had 19 to lead the Golden Eagles.  Bobo and Lewis also hit double-digits.  

Mercyhurst returns to action on Saturday, January 11 when they entertain Kutztown University at 1pm inside the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.