BUFFALO, N.Y. - In what is sure to an unforgettable 2020-21 season the Mercyhurst women's basketball team showed grit, a balanced offense and provided a lot of hope of things to come before falling 85-49 to the University of Buffalo on Wednesday afternoon at Alumni Arena.  

After the Lakers brought in the opening tipoff an early miscue led to buckets from Adebola Adeyeye and Keowa Walters for a 4-0 home edge.  Julia Buchman provided the visitors first points of the season by splitting a pair of free throws with 8:19 to play making it 4-1.  Mercyhurst unfortunately would not hit the bottom of the net again until newcomer Paige Woodford delivered from downtown off a feed from Nicolette Arnold to cut the margin to 8-4.  The Bulls closed the frame on a 12-2 run, with the only Mercyhurst bucket coming courtesy of true freshman Grace Centrulla.  

Walters scored the first four points of the second extending the margin to 24-6, before Emily Shopene knocked down a triple at the 1:38 mark.  With the Lakers down 27-9, back-to-back jumpers for Meghan Komendarek and Buchman pulled the deficit to 27-13 still with five minutes to play.  Mercyhurst would get a Shopene free throw and a buzzer-beater from Arnold to give the guests some momentum heading into the halftime break down 42-16.

After a scoreless first minute of the third, Shopene and Komendarek each provided layups to get the Lakers within 42-20.  Mercyhurst continued in the third to find their rhythm as they embarked on a 9-2 charge in a 1:58 span thanks to a triple from Buchman and jumpers by Eliza Oswalt, Lauren Klare and Centrulla making it 49-29 still with 4:41 to play.  Oswalt again tried to provide the spark with an old-fashioned three-point play resulting in another 9-2 push by the guests, with Paige Woodford and Komendarek contributing to the scoring as well.  Buffalo would lead through three however, 63-38.  

The Lakers would go 1:14 into the final period before Shopene took a feed from Arnold for a layup.  The freshmen duo of Brittini Martin and Centrulla made their mark in the game midway into the fourth with each contributing a basket.   A Komendarek layup and a last minute Woodford "three ball" accounted for the remainder of the Lakers scoring.  

Mercyhurst shot 30.6% (19-62) from the floor, while Buffalo went 40.6% (28-69).  The Lakers struggled from beyond knocking down just five of their 30 attempts.  The Bulls held a sizable margin at the foul line going 20-30 to the Lakers 6-10.  Mercyhurst had the edge in bench scoring 24-15.    

Mercyhurst was led in scoring by Komendarek and Woodford who each finished with nine.  Shopene was just off the pace adding eight, followed by six apiece from Centrulla and Buchman.  Oswalt added five with Arnold, Klare and Martin all adding two each.  Transfer Jayde Boyd did not figure in the scoring but led the team in rebounding with six.  Centrulla grabbed five boards, while Arnold and Shopene both hauling in four.     

Buffalo had three players in double-figures paced by Dyaisha Fair with 28.  Fair, Walters and Adeyeye combined for 39 rebounds. 

Mercyhurst returns to action on Monday, November 30th when they visit Niagara University at 2pm.