Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst Men's Basketball resumes their schedule this Friday with a game on the road against the Mountaineers. The Lakers come into the game 7-1, riding a five-game win streak with each of those victories being by 20 points or more and look for another over a PSAC foe.
1. One SidedÂ
Mercyhurst has had plenty of success in their series against the Mountaineers, going 6-2 all-time. The Lakers have won each of their last two contests against Mansfield with their last being a 92-63 win in December of 2021 when MiyKah McIntosh scored 22 points. Mercyhurst hasn't fared quite as well on the road as they're 2-2 with their last game in Mansfield ending in a 64-55 loss.
2. Riding High
The Lakers were playing some inspired basketball before the holiday break as they had won five consecutive games by 20 points or more. Coach Manchel's crew had the homecourt advantage working as all five of those victories came on Owen McCormick Court, giving Mercyhurst a 5-0 record at home so far in the 2022-23 season.
3. Where They Stand
Mercyhurst is currently second in the PSAC West with a 3-1 record in conference play, tied with Slippery Rock. So far this season, the Laker's defense has been stout, allowing the second-lowest field goal percentage in the conference (38.4%) while their opponent three-point percentage is third (28.0%). As far as individual marks go, Jeff Planutis is 11th in field goal percentage (49.4%), fourth in free throw percentage (91.4%), and third in three-point percentage (45.7%), making him one of the top scorers in the PSAC.
4. Sharing the Load
The Lakers have used a strong team-oriented brand of offense to help them be as successful as they have been over their five-game win streak. It has not been any one player doing all the heavy lifting as four or more players have scored in double figures in all but one of those games. The bench has proven to be as productive as the starters with one of the reserves scoring 10 or more points six times over the course of that run. Aidan Reichert has accounted for three of those instances, averaging 10.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 57.1% from the floor over the last five games.
5. Scouting Mansfield
The Mountaineers are 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the conference coming into the contest with them dropping each of their last three games. Defense has proven to be a struggle for the team as they allow 80.4 points per game for the second-highest mark in the conference while their opponent field goal and three-point percentages both rank in the bottom four. Idris Ali leads the way for the Mountaineers in scoring as he averages 16 points per game on 51.8% from the field and 38.5% from deep. He is helped by Aaron Satin, Scott Woodring, and Saraj Ali who each shoot 40% or higher from three.
