Erie, Pa. - After one game away from their friendly confines, Mercyhurst Men's Basketball returns home for their next two games. The team is set to host Shepherd on Wednesday, January 11th, at 1:30 p.m. while Slippery Rock comes to town on Saturday, January 14th, for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off
1. A Tight Past
The Lakers have not had a clear advantage against either team in the past with them holding a 3-2 record against Shepherd all-time while going 13-15 against Slippery Rock. Mercyhurst won their last matchup with Shepherd by a final of 69-59 during the 2019-20 season in Erie, giving them some confidence going into this one. As for The Rock, the Lakers have found some success recently with them winning each of their last three contests all by seven points or more with their last win coming by 15.
2. Where They Stand
Shepherd is currently tied for third place in the PSAC East alongside Kutztown, Millersville, and West Chester with a record of 4-3 in conference. Slippery Rock and Mercyhurst are currently tied for third place in the PSAC West with 5-2 marks in conference while The Rock holds a record of 11-2 coming into the new week, making Saturday's matchup a big one for both sides.
3. Leading the Way
Mercyhurst has multiple players showing themselves to be at the top of the PSAC in several categories. Jeff Planutis and Nicholas Lang are both in the top 10 in three-point shooting while Planutis has the highest free throw percentage of anyone at 92.1%. Michael Bradley has shown himself to be the top facilitator, averaging a PSAC-best 4.5 assists with an assist/turnover ratio of 3.8 for the best in the conference. On defense, Pipeloluwa Ajayi is second in blocks per game with 1.7 while Lang and MiyKah McIntosh crack the top 10 in steals.
4. Scouting the Rams
Shepherd is 7-6 on the season to this point, going 1-2 in their last three games which includes an overtime loss to Lock Haven, 77-74. Their defense has proved to be solid to this point in the season as they allow the fourth fewest points of any team in the PSAC (66.6). On offense, their work at the charity stripe has been excellent as they are shooting 77.6% on free throws to lead the conference. Shepherd currently has three players scoring in double-digits with Daniel McClain-Corley leading the way with 15.9 points per game to go along with his 5.1 rebounds per game.
5. Scouting Slippery Rock
The Rock is 11-2 so far in the 2022-23 season with them winning five of their last six contests including double-digit wins in each of their last two. Slippery Rock has been impossible to beat at home, but shows vulnerability on the road, going 2-2 when away from their friendly confines. The Rock has a dynamic scoring duo in Amante Britt and Khalid Gates who both average over 15 points per game on a combined 48.2% from the field.
On Wednesday, Mercyhurst University welcomes local middle school students for a day of experiential learning and college campus life exposure! Following the morning educational activities, the students dine on campus and attend the Women's Basketball game at 11:30am. We invite everyone to join us for the Laker's match up against Shepherd at 11:30am and 1:30pm. Tickets for the game are available at hurstathletics.com/tickets
