Erie, Pa.—The No. 3/8 Mercyhurst Men's Basketball team will kick off a busy week of conference play with a matchup against Mansfield on Owen McCormick Court at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center Tuesday.

The Matchup

The Lakers are 12-9 all-time against Mansfield. The two met for the first time in 1973, and last met December 19, 2018, when Mercyhurst won 66-44 at home.

Season of Giving (and Taking)

Senior Nicholas Lang has been a menace on the court for the Lakers, and especially at the free-throw line. Lang is one of just two players in the nation that has not missed from the charity stripe this season, having made all 23 of his attempts. He is also averaging 2.5 steals per game, which is second in the PSAC.

Winning Convincingly

Whether playing teams projected to win their own conference or playing PSAC East foes, the Lakers have posted some impressive wins en route to an 8-0 (2-0 PSAC) start to the season. They are outscoring opponents by an average of 27 points per game, good for third across Division II.

Scouting the Mounties

Mansfield got off to a 1-7, 0-2 PSAC, start to their season, but have not played a game since Dec. 4 against Edinboro. They took the Fighting Scots to double overtime before eventually falling, 101-97. The Mounties have two players averaging double-digit points in Justice Smith (16.9) and Eli Alvin (12.9).