Shippensburg, Pa.—The Mercyhurst Men's Basketball team won their sixth straight game to start the season as they began PSAC play on the road with an 80-67 crossover win at Shippensburg.
The Lakers got off to a slow start, with the Raiders getting out to a 15-6 lead six minutes into the first half. The teams would exchange leads for another seven minutes before the Lakers took the lead for good with seven minutes to go in the half.
Mercyhurst was able to grow their newfound lead to six points, but Shippensburg reigned them in with a four-point mini-run to make it a 38-36 Mercyhurst lead. Looking to carry their momentum into the second half, the Lakers took the ball away with two seconds left, and MiyKah McIntosh sank a half-court three-pointer to bring his bench out of their seats.
Mercyhurst was helped to their lead by a barrage of shots, taking nearly twice as many shots as their opponents in the first half.
The Lakers remained in control as the second half got rolling, pushing the pedal to the floor as the defense shut down Shippensburg from the floor as well. Shippensburg shot just 40 percent from the floor in the second half, down from 56 in the first, and did not make a single basket from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Mercyhurst shot around 48 percent in both halves and finished the day 9-for-22 in three-pointers. Their main strength came in keeping up the offensive pressure, finishing the game with 19 more shot attempts than Shippensburg.
The Lakers spread the ball around with five different players scoring in the double-digits. The offensive effort was led by freshman Aidan Reichert's 15 points, including a pair of three-pointers. Cameron Gross was next with 14 points, followed by McIntosh and Steve Cannady, who each scored 13 points. Jeff Planutis contributed 12 points as well.
McIntosh led the defensive effort with three steals, and nearly every Laker finished with at least one steal. On the night, the Lakers forced 22 Shippensburg turnovers while turning the ball over only 11 times themselves.
Up Next
The Lakers will look to continue their hot start to conference play as they head to Lock Haven Saturday for another doubleheader with the women. Lock Haven will have a short turnaround after taking Edinboro to overtime Friday night.
