Clarion, Pa. - Mercyhurst Men's Basketball remains undefeated in Wednesday games in their matchup on the road with the Golden Eagles. A career-high in points from Michael Bradley led the charge as his 31 proved crucial in the 96-73 win, moving the Lakers to 14-3 overall and 10-3 in conference play.
How it Happened
First Half
Bradley set the tone in the early going as he scored the first seven points of the game for the Lakers. He didn't slow down from there as he scored 19 in the opening canto with his third three-pointer of the game dropping with just over 11 minutes to go in the opening period.
Mercyhurst's offense did well for itself in the first half from deep, opening up opportunities along the inside, like this layup from Sean Fullerton at the 9:38 mark of the first.
The inside-out game was there for Head Coach Gary Manchel's team throughout the first half, helping them score a season-high for points in a first canto with 50.
Second Half
The final 20 minutes were more of the same for Mercyhurst. Clarion did end up putting up a better fight in the second half, but it ultimately was a moot point as the Lakers held their opponents at arm's length the rest of the way.
One major moment that occurred during the second half of play came for MiyKah McIntosh. The graduate guard drilled his second triple with 14:11 to go in the second stanza, helping him eclipse 1,500 points for his career. McIntosh becomes just the fifth player in school history to do so.
From that point on, the Lakers were able to cruise to the win as their advantage never dipped below 19 points in the 23-point victory.
Highlights
Michael Bradley led the team in points with 31 on 12-13 shooting, going 4-5 from deep for a new career-high. Sean Fullerton had a season-high 13 points with 11 coming in the first half. Nicholas Lang finished with 15 on 3-6 shooting to go along with seven rebounds.
Playoff Picture
Mercyhurst improves to 14-3 on the year overall and 10-3 in the PSAC with this win. They remain tied with UPJ for second place in the West after the Mountain Cats disposed of Edinboro. The Lakers hope to win out the rest of the way and retain their hopes of hosting in the opening round of the PSAC Championships.
Next Game
Mercyhurst plays one more game on the week with the team set to host Seton Hill on Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
