Box Score Shepherdstown, WV - Mercyhurst men's basketball found themselves in the middle of tough fight on the road to finish out the 2023 portion of their season schedule. The Lakers held an early lead against Shepherd in the opening half of play, but a defensive battle through the final 20 minutes went the Rams way, 61-57.
How it Happened
Offense was the name of the game through the first five minutes with the score standing at 10-9 in favor of the Rams. Aidan Reichert came out hot for the Lakers as he scored the first four points of the game with a pair of layups. From there, Sean Fullerton followed up with a made shot from deep while Max Jusianiec managed to make the third Laker layup of the game. Mercyhurst then went on to scored seven unanswered points after a timeout to help them begin to take control with a pair of made free throws from Jeff Planutis followed by a made triple from Alexander Parks and a layup Luke Triggs making it 16-10 with 13:17 to go in the opening half of play.
The two teams continued to fight as the first half wore on with the Rams able to keep things close before reclaiming the lead late in the frame. Shepherd went on a 9-3 run to help them take a 29-28 with just over four minutes to go in the first half. The Lakers fought hard to stay with their counterparts for the remainder of the canto with a layup from Fullerton in the last second to make it 37-35 going into the locker room.
The two teams opened up the second half with the two teams finding themselves tied 43-43 with 14:12 to go in the game before Shepherd went on a 5-0 run to make it a 48-43 game thanks to a pair of made outside shots. A made three from Jusianiec made it 48-46 in favor of the Rams before a nearly five-minute scoring drought that finally came to an end after a made triple from Fullerton before Jeff Planutis made a mid-range jumper to make it 51-50.
Shepherd managed to reclaim the lead after the made shot form Planutis, making for an exciting final few minutes. The Rams made a three at the 3:49 mark with a pair of made free throws to follow, 57-52. A made three from Christian Gamble helped cut it to a two-point deficit, but that was as close as the Lakers could make it as Shepherd made it a four-point final.
Highlights
Sean Fullerton and Christian Gamble tied for the team lead in points with 13 apiece with Fullerton shooting 6-12 while Gamble hit five of his eight shots. Planutis joined them in double figures with 10 point, hitting two shots in the second half. The Lakers put together one of their better performances in taking care of the ball as they turned the ball over two times for the fewest since joining the PSAC.
Next Game
The Lakers look ahead to 2024 for their next game as they take on Bloomsburg on the 3rd in a 3:00 p.m. tip-off inside the Mercyhurst Athletic Center followed by Pitt-Johnstown coming to town on the 6th.
