ERIE, Pa. - The Mercyhurst women's basketball team will make their longest road trip of the 2020-21 season this weekend as they head to Springfield, Massachusetts for a pair of contests against the Yellow Jackets of American International College on Saturday and Sunday.
Game Information
Opponent - American International College Yellow Jackets
Date - Saturday, January 30 and Sunday, January, 31
Time - 5pm and 12pm
Location - Springfield, Mass. (Henry A. Butova Gymnasium)
Series History - First ever matchup between the Lakers and Yellow Jackets
Fan Statement - Fans will not be allowed inside the Mercyhurst Athletic Center.
Live Stats
Watch
Lakers Notes (PDF)
Last Time Out - No. 23 Gannon 68, LAKERS 44 (1/23/21)
In the first of three meetings between these crosstown rivals it was the team from down State Street that came out on top. Mercyhurst got the early lead thanks to
Emily Shopene, but then the visitors closed the first on a 16-5 run and never looked back holding onto the lead the rest of the way. The Lakers shot a season-low percentage at all three levels going 29.5% from the floor (their worst since 1/22/20 vs. Slippery Rock), 14.3% outside the arc and 62.5% on the charity line.
Julia Buchman led the home team in points with 14, while Shopene joined her in double-figures with 12.
Nicolette Arnold and
Meghan Komendarek each added seven.
Scouting the Lakers (6-2)
Balanced Scoring
Mercyhurst looks to a balanced scoring attack to get back to their winning ways as
Jayde Boyd and Komendarek both put up over 11 points per game. Buchman makes it a terrific trio of double-digit scorers by adding 10.4 points. The quartet of
Grace Centrulla,
Paige Woodford, Arnold and Shopene all chip in six per contest to aid in the cause.
Hitting the Glass
The Lakers struggled on the glass against the taller Lady Knights on Saturday getting out-rebounded 38-26. Now, their team average sits at 43.5, while giving up just 41.1 to their opponent for a +2.4 margin. Komendarek continues to lead the side on the boards grabbing 8.9 per game, with Centrulla behind her in second with 6.4. The group of Arnold, Boyd and Shopene all haul in over five per contest.
Consistency in Starters
Head coach
Brooklyn Kohlheim has gone with the same starting lineup seven of eight games. That group of five has consisted of Boyd, Buchman and Shopene in the backcourt with Arnold along with Komendarek up front. The only exception came on January 9th against Miles when Woodford took over for Shopene as she missed the game with a lower-body injury.
Protect the Ball
Mercyhurst did a better job at holding onto the ball against Gannon even in defeat as they turned it over a season-low 14 times. It was the first time since the regular season finale last year against Slippery Rock where they did not have 15 or more turnovers as that day the Lakers committed just ten. For the season, the team average sits at 17.8 per game.
Block Party
The Green and Blue recorded just one block against Gannon on Saturday. The team is led by a trio of players with ten-plus as Centrulla and Komendarek both have 13, while Boyd has ten. The pair of Arnold and Shopene have combined for eight. As a team, their 6.2 blocks per game ranks fourth in Division II and their 50 total rejections is good for sixth in the nation.
Stat Pack
Mercyhurst through eight games is dropping 64.8 ppg and are allowing the opposition just 57.8. They are shooting 38.8% from the floor, 28.4% outside the arc and 69% on the charity line. They are grabbing 43.5 boards per contest to go along with 15.6 assists. On the defensive end, the Lakers average 5.8 steals and 6.3 blocks each game.
NCAA Leaders
As a team the Lakers are 22nd in rebounds per game (43.5). At the defensive end they are now sixth in field-goal percentage defense (30.5) and defensive rebounds per game (32.8). Individually, Shopene ranks 16th in assists per game (5.4). With their 13 blocks each Centrulla and Komendarek rank 33rd, while Boyd (10) sits at 51st.
In the Polls
Mercyhurst sits at No. 5 in the D2SIDA Regional Rankings.
Inside the Hive (2-0)
American International College will enter this weekend's set with a 2-0 mark after defeating Saint Thomas Aquinas College twice last weekend by scores of 44-41 and 57-35. Through their opening two contests Kayla Robinson leads the team in scoring with 10.0 points per game. The duo of Destine Perry and Nora Young both add 9.5, while Kyla Smith chips in 7.0. At the glass, Asia Turner paces AIC grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game. The combination of Jayla McDuffie and Perry account for 12 boards per contest. McDuffie, Robinson, Smith and Young are ball hogs with each of them recording multiple steals over the first two games. As a unit they are shooting 33.3% from the field, 24.4% beyond the arc and 58.1% on the free throw line. The Yellow Jackets are averaging 41 rebounds per game, while giving up 38. As far as scoring is concerned AIC averaged 50.5 ppg and have allowed just 38 to the opposition. Head coach Kristen Hutchison is in her 14th campaign as "queen bee" for the Yellow Jackets.
On Deck
After this weekend the Lakers will next be on the floor Tuesday night when they welcome Clarion University to the Athletic Center at 6pm.
