ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team will try and continue their late season push towards the PSAC Tournament when they venture down State Street to crosstown rival Gannon University for the second round of the Porreco Pride of Erie Cup.
Game Information
Opponent - Gannon University Lady Knights
Date - Wednesday, February 12
Time - 5:30 pm
Location - Erie, Pa. (Hammermill Center)
Series History - Gannon leads 61-31, (Gannon won last meeting 61-46 at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on 1/18/19)
Lakers Notes
Live Stats
Watch (Gannon Broadcast)
Audio (Mercyhurst focused broadcast)
Hometown Broadcast
The above audio link will direct you to a Mercyhurst-centered broadcast as you can listen to Jack Angelucci and Mitchell Smith bring you all the action from the Hammermill Center.
Last Meeting - Golden Knights 61, LAKERS 46
Mercyhurst struggled from the field shooting just 32.1%, while allowing the visitors from Gannon University to shoot at a 49% clip to take round one of the Porreco Pride of Erie Cup by a score of 61-46 at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Runs of 8-0 and 9-0 helped the visitors to lead 21-8 after one. They would extend their advantage out to 36-18 at halftime.
Amber Renz,
Kori Sidwell, and
Lauren Lapertosa tried to start a comeback as a 7-2 run brought them back to within 38-25, but a late charge by the Knights in the third would help them push across the finish line for the win.
Emily Shopene led the team with 10 points, while
Nicolete Newman and Renz each dropped nine. Lapertosa added seven, followed by five for Sidwell. Tori Obenrader earned the Game Changer award with a double-double (14 points and 11 boards).
Last Time Out - LAKERS 72, Clarion 65 (2/8/20)
The Lakers used big second and third quarters to outscore the visitors from Clarion during that stretch 42-22 en route to a 72-65 victory on Senior Day at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Prior to the game Mercyhurst honored their five seniors
Stephanie Petery, Lapertosa, Newman, Sidwell, and Renz. The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start leading by double-digits in the first at 16-6, before holding a five-point cushion through 10-minutes 20-15. Charges of 7-2 and 6-0 in the second frame had the home side in front 36-30 at the break. From that point on the Lakers would never trail as they led 57-42 through three, before hanging on for the 72-65 triumph. Renz paced the team with 27 points and six boards, while being joined in double-figures by
Meghan Komendarek with 11.
Julia Buchman and Shopene combined for 15 points. Three Clarion players each dropped 19.
Scouting the Lakers (7-16, 7-10 PSAC)
Team Numbers
Mercyhurst has allowed 70 ppg to their opponents, while only scoring 63.3 for a -6.7 scoring margin. The Lakers have had a slight improvement in their shooting percentage growing from 41.9% to 42.2%. They shoot at a 29.8% clip from beyond the arc and are 69.3% at the charity line. Mercyhurst has been better at holding onto the dropping their average under 17 per game to 16.4. As a unit they possess +0.9 rebound margin grabbing 34.7 giving up just 33.8.
NCAA Ranks
As a team Mercyhurst ranks inside the Top-100 nationally in field goal percentage (85th), assists (69th), assists per game (98th), blocked shots (56th), and blocked shots per game (65th). Individually, Renz is 34th in the country and third in the PSAC shooting 55.3%. Shopene and Lapertosa rank 19th and 88th in minutes per game with 37.01 and 34.03 respectively. Shopene is sixth nationally in total minutes played at 851:14, while Lapertosa sits at 49th with 782:44. Shopene lands just inside the top 100 in assist-turnover ratio at 87th with 1.62.
Protect the Ball
The Lakers continue to get better at holding onto the ball dropping their season average under 17 turnovers per game to 16.4, which is resulting in 16.3 opponents points per game. Conversely, they are forcing 13.6 turnovers and are picking up 13 points off their opponents miscues.
Ball Hogs
Mercyhurst averages 6.6 steals per game and have totaled 151 on the season after nine on Saturday.. Lapertosa has the team lead with 34, while the trio of Shopene, Newman and Sidwell each have over 20.
Vivian Allison, Renz and Buchman also land in double-digits.
Crash the Boards
Mercyhurst is a +0.9 in rebound margin at 34.7 to 33.8. The group of Sidwell, Lapertosa and Renz are all averaging over five rebounds per game. Shopene averages over four per game, with Newman just behind at 3.6.
Balanced Scoring
Renz heads the attack dropping 16.6 ppg. With Shopene (9.6) and Newman (9.1) landing just off the double-digit pace, while the duo of Lapertosa along with
Eliza Oswalt combines for 15. Sidwell also chips in just over five per game.
Block Party
The Lakers season total now sits at 83 after two more against Clarion. They now average almost four a game (3.6). Lapertosa now paces the team with 19, while Renz and Komendarek each have 16. Sidwell and Shopene have combined for 15. Oswalt, Petery, Buchman, Newman, and Allison have all recorded at least one.
Scouting the Golden Knights (18-5, 14-3 PSAC)
Gannon comes into this rivalry game charging ahead having won seven of their previous eight games after knocking off Seton Hill University on the road Saturday afternoon by a 69-54 final. The Golden Knights are shooting better than 45% from the floor at 45.7%. They are 33.3% beyond the arc and a strong 75.6% clip at the charity stripe. Gannon also possesses a positive 6.5 scoring margin netting 68 points per game, while giving up just 61.5 to the competition. The Lakers top priority will be shutting down Tori Obenrader who averages 17.2 ppg and posted a double-double against Mercyhurst earlier this season. Chelsea Rourke also chips in double-figures at 11.7, while the trio of Haley Tewes, Sydney Mitchell, and Sam Pirosko each contribute over seven per contest. Obenrader is also the leading rebounder grabbing 7.9 per game, while Tewes adds six.
Postseason Push
Mercyhurst currently occupies the final playoff spot in the upcoming PSAC Tournament by virtue of a tiebreaker held over Seton Hill. The Lakers sit one game back of Pitt-Johnstown for fifth and are four back of Edinboro and California.
On Deck - A much needed break
Mercyhurst will take the weekend to rest up and get ready for the final push as they will not return to action until Wednesday, February 19 when they welcome Pitt-Johnstown to the Mercyhurst Athletic Center at 5:30 pm.
