Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst men's basketball plays one more game in 2023 as they go on the road to see the Rams on Saturday, December 30th. After splitting their last two games before the holiday break, the Lakers looks to get back above .500 and end the year on a high note.
Looking Back
Mercyhurst is 6-6 to this point in the season while going 2-2 in conference play to be tied for third in the PSAC West alongside Seton Hill and Slippery Rock. Coach Manchel's crew began their season in Florid Ian the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic where they played a pair of top 25 teams. From there, they grabbed their first two wins of the season over Frostburg State and Bluefield State. Of late, the team has found their rhythm as they have won three of their last four including an 83-24 victory over Fredonia, setting a new program record for fewest points allowed in a game.
Laker Leaders
To this point in the season, Jeff Planutis has been the team's leading scorer with 17.1 points per game, good enough for ninth in the conference. He is followed by Aidan Riechert with 12 even and Season Fullerton with 11.7 per game. Reichert has been best on the boards, averaging 5.6 rebounds per game while Planutis once again is the team leader in both assists (2.8) and steals (1.4) per game. Sean Fullerton has been the top shooter on the team, recording a team-high in field goal percentage (56.0) and three-point percentage (47.2) while Christian Gamble 18-19 effort from the line has his 94.7% free throw percentage in the lead.
Fullerton Finds His Rhythm
Sean Fullerton has been a consist threat for Mercyhurst all season long and has continually seen his game grow. Two weeks ago in a pair of PSAC games the sophomore combined for 34 points in two games, shooting 12-19 (63.2) from the field. His best effort came against West Chester on December 18th when he had a career-high 22 points on 7-11 shooting, knocking down a career-high five three point shots. The native of Danbury, Ct. has been one of the more efficient players in the conference to this point in the year as his field goal percentage is sixth in the conference while his clip from deep is tied for second, making him one of only two players in the conference to be top 10 in both categories.
Scouting Shepherd
The Rams are 4-5 to this point in the season, going 1-3 in the PSAC. They were able to get a win in their last time out, defeating Edinboro on December 19th, 78-61, to help them snap a three-game losing streak. The team's friendly confines have not been as friendly as they had hopes with Shepherd 1-3 on their home floor to this point in the year, giving the Lakers hope they cane come in and steal one away. It looks like a potential battle of defense as Shepherd has allowed the fewest points per game of any team in the conference so far (63.9) while Mercyhurst comes in right behind with 65.3 per game.
Next Game
Mercyhurst opens 2024 off at home for their first two games as they are scheduled to take on Bloomsburg on Wednesday, January 3rd at 3:00 p.m. before Pitt-Johnstown makes their way to Erie on the 6th for a 3:00 p.m. tip-off.
