Johnstown, Pa. - Mercyhurst Women's Basketball hit the road for the first of three games on the week Monday night. They traveled to take on UPJ with the Mountain Cats using a strong second half to take the game 70-60.
How it Happened
First Quarter
The two teams played even in the early going as the score held at 15-15 at the end of the first frame. Danielle Grim and Grace Centrulla handled the majority of the scoring for Mercyhurst as they accounted for nine of the team's points. Grim helped the Lakers grab a three-point late in the frame off a three-point make, making it 15-12.
Second Quarter
The remainder of the first half was more of the same as the Lakers could only muster a one-point lead at halftime. There were eight lead changes in the stanza and three ties with the lead for either team never being more than two. The Lakers had the final swing of the opening half as Julia Buchman nailed a three-pointer to give Mercyhurst a 31-30 lead going into the break.
Third Quarter
The third quarter ended up going the way of the Mountain Cats as they outscored Mercyhurst 16-10 to take a 46-41 lead into the final frame.
Fourth Quarter
The Lakers continued to struggle from the floor in the fourth quarter as they made only three baskets over the final 10 minutes. Two of those makes came courtesy of Buchman who cut the lead to five with just two minutes left in the game.
Mercyhurst's free throw shooting was strong in the fourth, going 11-14, but it was not enough as they ultimately fell 70-60.
Highlights
Julia Buchman led the team in points with 18. She was followed by Danielle Grim who had 17 while the pairing combined to shoot 12-21 from the floor. Grace Centrulla finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Playoff Picture
The Lakers are now 10-8 on the season and 6-6 in conference, sitting tied for fifth alongside Seton Hill. Mercyhurst has a chance to gain a game on last place Clarion on Wednesday before looking to leapfrog the Griffins on Saturday. The first round of PSAC play is scheduled for Monday, February 27th.
Next Game
The Lakers stay on the road as they play Clarion next. Mercyhurst meets the Golden Eagles on Wednesday, January 25th at 5:30 p.m.
