Erie, Pa – Mercyhurst Women's Basketball prepares for their final week of the regular season as they take on Seton Hill on Wednesday, February 22nd, and come back to Erie on Saturday, February 25th to play Gannon at the Highmark Events Center.
 
1. Playoff Picture
After losing to Clarion last Saturday, the Lakers boast a 10-10 conference record and currently sit at the seventh spot in the PSAC West Standings. Slippery Rock has also 10 wins but their head-to-head record against Mercyhurst is 2-0 so they are sixth. Seton Hill is 10-11 on the season and is behind the Lakers in the standings. All these teams are competing for the sixth place and the final spot awarded with a playoff berth. Gannon is currently first, as they boast an impressive 17-3 conference record and together with IUP are the only teams in PSAC West that have already clinched a spot in the PSAC tournament.
 
2. Individual Stats
Grace Centrulla leads the charge with 11.8 points per contest, as she recorded a spectacular game last Wednesday against UPJ. She scored 30 points on 50% from the field, also adding nine rebounds and four blocks. She is followed by Jayde Boyd with 11.3 points per game and Julia Buchman, scorer of 9.6 per contest. Danielle Grim averages 9.5 points while leading her squad in steals and blocks, with 1.7 and 1.1 respectively. Lexi Wagner is also an important player for the Lakers as she scores 7.5 points on average while shooting a spectacular 42% from deep.
 
3. Depth
The Lakers are a well-balanced team with a lot of depth as multiple players can come off the bench and make a difference on the court. 15 players have scored this season for Mercyhurst with four of them averaging more than nine points per contest. You never know who'll have a good night and lead the charge for the Lakers. That depth also allows them to put some pressure on the opponent's guards and make it uncomfortable for them to handle the ball.
 
4. Scouting Seton Hill
The Griffins are led by Christiane Frye, as she averages 16.1 points and 3.3 assists per contest. She is helped by Alie Seto with 12.1 points and six rebounds and Helene Cowan with nine points per game. Stopping these players is key to the victory on Wednesday. Seton Hill is also fighting for survival so they will be determined to leave it all on the court.
 
5. Scouting Gannon
After slow start to their season, the Lady Knights established themselves as one of the best teams in the country and are looking to repeat their success from last year, where they defeated Cal (Pa.) on the way to the PSAC Championship. Samantha Pirosko leads the charge with 20 points and seven rebounds per game, and she is followed by Emma Wright, scorer of 14 per contest. The Lakers are looking for revenge, as they fell to Gannon in their first matchup of the season.