Erie, Pa.—The Mercyhurst Women's Basketball team will chase down the final PSAC West playoff spot this week as they travel to NR/RV California (Pa.) Wednesday at 5:30 before hosting Slippery Rock Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Matchups
Mercyhurst and Cal have met 41 times dating back to 1985, with the Vulcans earning wins in 30 of those contests. The two teams met for the first time this season on Feb. 5 in Erie, when the Vulcans won 68-60. They had not begun Receiving Votes in the national polls a that time.
The Lakers and Rock first met in 1983, and the two teams have played to an even 19-19 record in that time. Slippery Rock was also Mercyhurst's final opponent in the 2019-20 season, with the Lakers winning 75-65 on the road. The Lakers took The Rock to overtime when they met earlier this season, but Slippery Rock edged out Mercyhurst for a 75-73 win.
The Hunt for 1,000
Redshirt senior Emily Shopene could become the second Laker to reach 1,000 career points this season after MiyKah McIntosh crossed the threshold earlier this season with the men. Shopene, an Erie native, currently sits at 994 points with two regular-season games left on the schedule. She is averaging 9.0 points per game.
Oh, Boyd!
Junior Jayde Boyd has put together some impressive performances lately, putting up back-to-back double-doubles during the team's wins over Edinboro Saturday and Pitt-Johnstown Monday. On Saturday, she put up a career-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds. On Monday, she tied her previous career-high with 24 points, and also brought down 11 boards.
Playoff Pursuit
The Lakers have a narrow path to making it into the PSAC Tournament, but it requires Mercyhurst to win both of their remaining regular-season games. Additionally, UPJ would have to lose both of their next two games. They are slated to play Seton Hill Wednesday and Indiana (Pa.) Saturday, and both teams have already qualified for the tournament.
Scouting the Vulcans
Cal leads the PSAC West with a 15-4 conference record, and are 20-4 overall. They have Received Votes on at least one of the two major national polls over the past three weeks. The Vulcans are rolling after six straight wins, most recently against Slippery Rock Monday.
Laker Radio
Jack Angelucci will provide live audio-only coverage of Wednesday's doubleheader at Cal. Coverage will begin at 5:20 p.m., and both games will be available to stream at https://mixlr.com/mercyhurst-athletics.
Scouting The Rock
The Rock snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Lakers last Wednesday with a 75-73 overtime win, but have since lost their next two games against Gannon and Cal, eliminating them from playoff contention. They will play Edinboro at home Wednesday before visiting Erie Saturday. Jamiyah Johnson has been a standout for Slippery Rock this season, averaging a double-double with 17.0 points and 13.9 rebounds per game.
