Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst men's basketball gears up for one game in the first full week of action in the month of December with Fredonia on the docket. The Lakers host the Blue Devils in an exhibition game on Saturday, December 9th, with tip-off set for 2:00 p.m.

Looking Back

Mercyhurst competed in their first PSAC competitions of the season this past weekend, going on the road to see both East Stroudsburg and Kutztown. The Lakers ended up splitting the pair of games with a one-point loss to the Warriors before an 82-73 win over the Golden Bears. Before their first taste of conference play, the Lakers had gone on the road for four of their prior five games, going 3-2 in that time with back-to-back wins against Frostburg State and Bluefield State in the second week of November.

Where They Stand

After the first weekend of PSAC play in the books, the Lakers find themselves tied for second in the conference alongside Seton Hill and Edinboro with a record of 1-1. Atop the conference are California (Pa.), Gannon, Clarion, and IUP with each of them having records of 2-0 while Pitt-Johnstown and Slippery Rock each without a win after the first conference contests of the year.

Planutis' Big Day

Graduate guard Jeff Planutis put together a game against Kutztown on Saturday he won't soon forget. The native of Hazleton, Pa. finished with 39 points in the game for the most by a Laker since the 2017-18 season, shooting 10-16 from the floor with six made threes and a perfect 13-13 effort from the charity stripe. His baker's dozen free throws is the most by a Laker in five years, making for a historic effort for Planutis. The game ended up carrying extra weight for Planutis as well with his 39 points helping him eclipse the 1,000 point mark for his career.

Scouting Fredonia

The Blue Devils are 3-4 to this point in the season after a win in their last game as they defeated Buffalo State 69-59 in their SUNYAC opener. The team has played on over exhibition so far this year with them playing Le Moyne on November 29th in a 92-54 final in favor of the Dolphins. Malike Jemison has been the top performer for the team to this point in the season as he averages 15.9 points per game, shooting 47.4% from the field and 38.5% from three. He is followed by Keenan Roberts Jr. who scores 13.4 per game to go along with a team-high 4.1 rebounds per game.

Next Game

Mercyhurst does not play again until Monday, December 18th, when they return to PSAC play with West Chester followed by Millersville the following day. Both of those games will be within the Laker's friendly confines with their matchup with the Golden Rams beginning at 7:30 p.m. followed by a 3:00 p.m. tip with the Marauders.