ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team faces a must-win game when they travel to Slippery Rock for the regular season finale inside Morrow Field House on Saturday with tipoff set for 1pm.  

Game Information
Opponent - The Rock of Slippery Rock University
Date - Saturday, February 29
Time - 1 pm
Location - Slippery Rock, Pa. (Morrow Field House)
Series History - Hurst leads 20-17 (Rock won last meeting 69-64 in Erie on 1/22/20)
Lakers Notes
Live Stats
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Last Meeting - Rock 69, Lakers 64 (1/22/20)
Mercyhurst led early in the first 6-2 and 13-4, before Slippery Rock ended on a 12-4 charge to have the score tied 19-19 after one.  The Rock used a 9-0 push to help them take a 37-31 lead at the half.  Another strong run from Slippery Rock put them ahead 47-35 at the halfway point of the third, but Amber Renz netted six of the final nine Lakers points of the period to cut the margin to 51-47 through 30-minutes.  In the fourth, Vivian Allison kept the Lakers around thanks to a four-point play making it 56-53.  An 8-2 Rock push would get the lead to 64-55, and even though the Lakers finished with a 9-4 charge it was not enough.  Renz had a team-high 18 points, and was joined in double-figures by Lauren Lapertosa (12) and Meghan Komendarek (10).  

Last Time Out - Vulcans 63, Lakers 47 (2/26/20)
Mercyhurst never led as California (Pa.) got up early 8-2.  The Lakers came back to tie twice 8-8 and 10-10, but never got on top as Cal led 17-10 through one.  Nicolete Newman and Renz hit early three-pointers in the second to make it 20-16.  The margin stayed at four 28-24 later into the frame, but six straight from the visitors had them up 34-24 at half.  Cal would build on their advantage the rest of the way leading 48-37 after three, before finishing off the 63-47 win.  Lapertosa had a team-high 11 and six rebounds.  Renz added nine, with Kori Sidwell and Komendarek each earning seven.  

Scouting the Lakers (7-20, 7-14 PSAC)
Team Numbers
Mercyhurst has allowed just over 70 ppg to their opponents (70.4), but only score 62.5 for a -7.9 scoring margin.  The Lakers shoot 42.2% from the floor as a team.  They are sitting at a 30.3% clip from beyond the arc, but are only 68.9% at the charity line.  As a unit they possess -0.1 rebound margin grabbing 34.1 giving up 34.2.    

NCAA Ranks
As a team Mercyhurst ranks inside the Top-100 nationally in field goal percentage (83rd), assists (94th), blocked shots (60th), and blocked shots per game (67th).  Individually, Renz is 44th in the country and fifth in the PSAC shooting 53.9%.  Shopene ranks 11th in minutes per game with 37.71.  Shopene is 7th nationally in total minutes played at 1018:08.  Shopene also ranks 99th in assist-turnover ratio at 1.50.     

Protect the Ball
The Lakers continue to get better at holding onto the ball dropping their season average under 17 turnovers per game to 16.7, which is resulting in 17 opposition points.  On the other side of the ball, they are forcing 13.6 turnovers and are picking up 12.4 points off their opponents mistakes.   

Ball Hogs
Mercyhurst averages 6.7 steals per game and have totaled 180 on the season after having five against the Vulcans on Wednesday.  Lapertosa has the team lead with 39, while the trio of Shopene (30), Sidwell (29) and Newman (26) are also having good seasons.  Allison, Renz and Buchman also land in double-figures.

Crash the Boards
Mercyhurst is a -0.1 in rebound margin at 34.1 to 34.2.  The duo of Sidwell and Renz are averaging over five rebounds per game.  Lapertosa and Shopene each haul in at least four per game, with Newman just behind at 3.6.  

Balanced Scoring 
Renz heads the attack dropping 16.0 ppg, while Newman falls just off the mark with 9.8.  Shopene puts up 9.4 per game, followed by Lapertosa (6.8) and Sidwell (5.5).  Komendarek, Buchman, and Allison all average over three apiece.  

Block Party
The Lakers added four more blocks to their season total on Saturday which now sits at 98, which has them averaging 3.6 per game.  Renz now paces the team with 22, while Lapertosa (19), Komendarek (19) and Sidwell (11) join her in double-figures.  Buchman and Shopene have combined for 15.  Stephanie Petery, Newman, and Allison have all recorded at least one.

Congrats Amber!
With her layup at the 7:46 mark of the second quarter against Gannon on February 12th, Renz became the 20th player in Mercyhurst women's basketball history to eclipse 1,000 points for her career. 

Postseason Charge
The Lakers playoff fate is not in their own control as they must win and get help

Scouting the Rock (8-19, 6-15 PSAC)
Slippery Rock comes into the game having dropped their last two contests to Edinboro and Gannon as they fell to the Fighting Scots on Wednesday night 86-68.  The Rock still have an outside shot at a playoff birth needing a win and a Seton Hill loss.  For the season they are getting outscored by ten points netting 65.1 and allowing 75.1.  As a unit SRU is shooting 37.9% from the field, 26.7% beyond the arc, and 72.5% on the charity line.  Turnovers have been an issue for the Rock coughing it up 14.9 times per game, leading to 14 opposition points.  Brooke Hinderliter leads their team dropping 19.5 ppg, followed in double-figures by Madison Johnson (14.0) and Daeja Quick (10.6).  LeeAnn Gibson puts up 9.1 and is the leading rebounder hauling in 8.2 per contest.  Johnson and Hinderliter both grab more than five.