Indiana, Pa.—No. 21 Men's Basketball slipped to fourth in the PSAC West after a 60-51 loss to Indiana (Pa.) Saturday afternoon in which Armoni Foster scored 30 points for the Crimson Hawks.
How it Happened
Early in the first half, the Lakers received points from MiyKah McIntosh, Steve Cannady, and Aidan Reichert as they spread the ball around to keep Indiana at bay. After closing the gap to 8-6 at 15:24 in the first half, the Lakers missed their next eight shots from the floor before Jeff Planutis sank a three at 6:54 to make the score 25-10.
Mercyhurst tried to cut back into the lead, but their struggles from the floor were just beginning as they finished with a 26.2 field-goal percentage. At the half, IUP led 34-25.
In the second half, the Mercyhurst defense tightened, limiting the Crimson Hawks to 26 points. But they could only match that total, finishing with the same nine-point deficit from halftime.
By the Numbers
In contrast to Foster's 30 points, Planutis led the Lakers with 16 points while no other Mercyhurst player reached double figures. McIntosh finished with just two points – both from free-throws – for his lowest tally since he was held off the scoreboard against Indiana on Feb. 1, 2020.
In keeping with the season trend, Mercyhurst's opponent turned the ball over more times (14) than the Lakers (10), but Mercyhurst's shooting woes limited their ability to capitalize. They turned 14 turnovers into just eight points.
Up Next
The Lakers will return home to Owen McCormick Court Wednesday as they host Seton Hill for a 7:30 p.m. tip.
