Erie, Pa. - The Lakers get set to play their second and third home games in a row this week as they host UPJ on Wednesday, February 15th, with Clarion to follow on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in a game that serves as the team's senior day.
1. Looking Back
Mercyhurst comes off a week in which they played three games, winning two of them. Their first victory came on Monday when they took down the top-ranked IUP Crimson Hawks in a dominant 62-49 victory, helping the Lakers earn their fourth straight win. They made it five straight against Slippery Rock on the road on Wednesday before falling to Cal on Saturday 76-71.
2. Where They Stand
The Lakers are now 18-4 on the season overall and 14-4 in the PSAC. They currently sit tied with UPJ for second place in the PSAC West while IUP still sits out in front with a 3.5 game lead as they're 18-1 in the conference and 24-1 overall. Clarion finds themselves on the other end of the West standings as they're 1-17, holding last place in the conference.
3. Starting A New Streak
With the team's loss to Cal last Saturday, Mercyhurst saw their winning streak on Owen McCormick Court end at 16. Their last loss to an opponent at home came to the Vulcans last season when Cal won 87-71 and just like this year, UPJ was next to come to Erie. That game ended up going the way of the Lakers as they won 90-61 and they hope for similar results this time around, looking to start a new winning streak.
4. Scouting UPJ
The Mountain Cats come into the game tied with the Lakers at 14-4 in the conference and 18-6 overall. Much like the Lakers, they've been stellar at home with an 11-1 record inside their friendly confines, but are much closer to .500 when on the road at 7-5. UPJ did have a three-game win streak on the road, but that was brought to a halt in the 70-60 loss to IUP last Wednesday. They'll look to avoid a losing streak on the road and rely on their top scorer, John Paul Kromka, who averages 16.5 points per game on 68.3% shooting from the field.
5. Scouting Clarion
The Golden Eagles come into the game riding a three-game losing streak with losses to IUP, Seton Hill, and UPJ. They find themselves at the bottom of the conference due in large part to their offensive woes. They average only 65.4 points per game for the second-fewest in the conference while their field goal percentage (38.6%) ranks last, their three-point percentage (32.9%) ranks 12th, and their free throw percentage (70.9%) 14th.
