Erie, PA- The Mercyhurst Women's Basketball team continues to ride an eight-game winning streak as they finish up the month of December and head into the new year. On December 30th, the Lakers will head to Shepherdstown, WV to take on Shepherd University, before returning home on January 3rd and 6th, as they play host to Bloomsburg University and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. All games are scheduled to tip off at 1:00 PM.  

Scouting Shepherd 

Shepherd is currently 3-6 on the year but come into Saturday's matchup winning two of their last three games. Led by a solid back court, which features Peyton Grant and Leila Copeland, Shepherd averages nearly 60 points per game. Despite the offensive success, the team's defensive production has been their Achilles heel, as they give up over 70 points per game to the opposition. In two of the team's 9 games this season, opposing offenses have scored over 90 points against the Shepherd defense. The young squad will need to put it all together this week as they face one of the top teams in the PSAC in Mercyhurst. 

Scouting Bloomsburg 

The Lakers matchup with another PSAC foe on January 3rd, as they welcome Bloomsburg to town. Bloomsburg is currently 3-7 on the year and have dropped their last two conference games. Shooting over 40% from the field as a team, the Huskies are led by Katie Starr, who averages over 20 points per game. The Junior forward has scored over 20 points in every game but 2 so far this year. Starr also averages 10 rebounds a game. The Lakers will aim to keep Starr in check, knowing she is their primary option offensively.  

Scouting UPJ 

The Lakers then welcome UPJ to the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on January 6th, as they host another PSAC West opponent. UPJ is currently 8-2 on the year and are ranked 4th in the West with a 3-1 record in conference. The Panthers are currently on a 4-game winning streak but will face Kutztown and Shippensburg before making the trip to Erie, PA. UPJ displays a high-powered offense, averaging over 70 points game and shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. Led by Cassidy Crawford and Peyton Alazaus who both average 16.2 and 14.9 points per game respectively, the Panthers are a tough team to stop. With two similar squads on paper, this early January matchup should be a good one.  

Laker Leaders 

Mercyhurst can come at you from all different directions as many have the ability to impact a game. On the offensive end, the Lakers are led by Bailey Kuhns who's shooting 51% from the field and averaging 16.4 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. Danielle Grim is also a main contributor averaging a near double double with 12.9 points and 8.6 rebounds a game. Lauren Klare, Paige Woodford, and Julia Buchman add production on both ends of the floor and also bring a strong sense of leadership to the squad which has played a major role in the team's successful start.  

Up Next 

Mercyhurst will travel to Indiana University of Pennsylvania on January 10th before hosting Edinboro on January 17th.