Erie, Pa. - After winning their mid-week matchup with Cal on Wednesday, Mercyhurst Men's Basketball turns their attention to the Gannon Golden Knights as the two teams are set to face off Saturday night. The Lakers come into the matchup riding a three-game winning streak and hope to extend that against their cross-town rivals.
1. Looking Back
Mercyhurst has a slight edge over the Golden Knights in the battle for Erie as they hold a 15-11 record all time. The Lakers have been the better team of late, winning each of the last eight games with an average margin of victory holding at nine points with four of those wins coming by five points or less. The three biggest wins of that stretch have come at home for Mercyhurst, winning 51-35, 83-61, and 87-77.
2. Where They Stand
The two teams find themselves in very different positions so far this season as the Lakers are 12-2 overall and 8-2 in conference play while Gannon has yet to win a game. The Golden Knights have found it tough sledding so far this season, losing seven of their games by 10 points or more with five of those coming in their last six outings. The Lakers have been dominant in that 10 of their wins have come by double-digits with an average margin of victory of 27.2 points per win.
3. Memorable Moments
The recent history between the two rivals has given the Lakers with some big performances. In the most recent matchup between the two teams, MiyKah McIntosh had 28 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor and a 12-15 line from the charity stripe. His scoring effort against the Golden Knights was his career-high while his dozen made free throws were the most he has made in a single game. Other notable 20-point performances are Braden Olsen's coming off the bench in February of 2021, MiyKah McIntosh in 2021, and Jason Massey's back in 2019. The biggest moment for the Lakers of late came courtesy of Trystan Pratapas who hit a game-winner as time expired to give Mercyhurst the 58-55 win in the 2019-20 season.
4. Defense Wins the Day
The games between Mercyhurst and Gannon have been low-scoring affairs as the Lakers have averaged only 60 points a game, their fewest against and PSAC foe they play in the 2022-23 season. They have been held under 60 points in 15 of the 26 games and hold a 6-9 over those games but with wins in each of the last three instances.
5. Scouting Gannon
The Golden Knights come into the game 0-14 with a 0-10 record in the PSAC, losing each of their last five contests by double figures. Their offense has struggled to this point in the year as they rank last in the conference in points per game with 63.5. Their team field goal, three-point, and throw percentages all rank in the bottom three of the PSAC as they haven't found their rhythm from anywhere on the floor. The team's most reliable scorer has proven to be Demetrius Mims who averages 14.2 points per game on 45.8% from the field while also adding seven rebounds to his line and being tied for first for the Golden Knights in steals (18) and second in blocks (10).
