Erie, Pa. - Mercyhurst Men's Basketball got the win on their home court Wednesday night as they took down UPJ by a final of 85-69. It was a battle between two of the top teams in the PSAC West with the Lakers able to come out on top to improve to 19-4 overall and 15-4 in the conference.
How it Happened
First Half
The game started off with the two teams playing each other even as the score held at 9-8 in favor of the Lakers after three minutes of play with four lead changes and a tie. Mercyhurst began to find their rhythm from the field thanks to their work on the offensive boards, helping them get open shots from deep.
The Laker's strong effort on the glass helped them be able to find their rhythm and establish a lead as they found themselves ahead 29-20 with 9:15 to go in the frame for their largest lead of the first half. UPJ went on a run to cut the lead in the final seven minutes of the canto, coming within one point of the Laker's lead and making things tight once again, but Mercyhurst had a rebuttal late and took a 46-38 lead into halftime.
Second Half
Mercyhurst came out from the break as the aggressors and they were able to take the double-digit lead. It was an 8-3 run to begin the second half while MiyKah McIntosh scored the first four and Michael Bradley scored the next four. McIntosh's second make made it a 50-40 game, giving Mercyhurst their first double-digit lead of the game.
That strong play continued as Bradley got hot and began to light it up. He scored his 25th point of the night to help give the Lakers a 15-point lead going into the under-eight timeout.
From that point on, Mercyhurst had control as their advantage lingered around 10 for the remainder of the game on their way to the 85-69 victory.
Highlights
Michael Bradley was the offensive catalyst in this one with 27 points on 9-16 shooting and a trio of made treys. His efforts help him move closer to 1,000 career points as he needs just eight points to become the 16th player in Laker history to do so. MiyKah McIntosh had a great night shooting as well, going 8-12 for 21 points, matching Bradley's mark from deep.
Playoff Picture
Mercyhurst moves to 19-4 on the season overall and 15-4 in the conference with this win looming large as it keeps UPJ from owning the tiebreaker for seeding. The Lakers now have sole possession of second place in the PSAC while the Mountain Cats are now third as both teams still find themselves looking up at IUP in first with a 19-1 record in conference play.
Next Game
The Lakers now turn their attention to Clarion as they are set to host the Golden Eagles this Saturday at 3:00 p.m. This game closes out the home portion of the team's 2022-23 schedule and serves as Mercyhurst's senior as they're set to honor five individuals.
