Erie, Pa – Mercyhurst Women's Basketball defeats Salem in their nonconference match Thursday evening thanks to some solid offense in the second half. The Lakers gained the lead in the third quarter and held onto it for the rest of the game, ultimately winning by a score of 76-61.
How It Happened
The Tigers started the game well, as they jumped out to a six-point lead to begin the first period. The Lakers tied the game a couple of minutes later, as
Lexi Wagner came off the bench and hit a nice three-pointer, tying the score at 7-7.
Salem didn't give up and they finished first quarter with a slight lead at 19-18. The Tigers also recorded a good second quarter, as Nerea Fernandez led the charge for them with 16 first half points. Because of her effort, the Lakers went into the break losing by a score of 36-28.
Mercyhurst came out for the second half full of energy and determination, as
Julia Buchman caught fire and scored eight points in a row for her squad. After a pair of made free throws by
Grace Centrulla, the Lakers got the lead with three minutes left on the clock in the third as they found themselves ahead 41-40 with 3:37 remaining in the third canto.
The Lakers didn't slow down in the fourth as they kept on scoring the ball, thanks to their team-oriented basketball. The gym erupted when
Lauren Klare made a three pointer while
Emma McDermott followed with a long distance shot of her own to make it a 16-point lead for the Lakers, giving them all the momentum. Mercyhurst held onto the lead and eventually won the game by a score of 76-61 as they move to 4-3 on the season with double-digit wins in each of their last two games.
By The Numbers
Julia Buchman led the charge with 18 points on 60% from the field and was helped by
Bailey Kuhns with 14.
Lexi Wagner added 11 points and recorded team-high 10 rebounds, giving the transfer guard her first double-double of the season. The Laker's defense proved to be stout as they forced 22 turnovers and held their opponents to only 40% shooting on the night, tying their second fewest points allowed in a game.
What's Next
Mercyhurst gets back on the road on Saturday, December 10th, as they travel to Painesville, Oh. to take on Lake Erie College with tip-off set for 1:00 p.m.
