Box Score Erie, Pa.- Consistency is key when it comes to winning games. Few know this better than Mercyhurst, who earned their 67^th win in the past four years on Saturday when they defeated Houghton University 88-62. The victory also served as the Lakers first home victory since their transition to Division I athletics.
 

How it Happened:
Mercyhurst jumped out to a quick lead thanks to some slick defensive play that saw a pair of steals from Senior Bernie Blunt III and Graduate Student Jeff Planutis in the first minutes of action. Blunt kicked off the scoring as he snuck past the Houghton defense for an easy layup. A Preston Thomas three-pointer put the Highlanders in front. The score gave them their lone lead of the matchup. Senior Aidan Reichert answered quickly seconds later with a three-pointer of his own to give the Lakers 5-3 lead. Three-point shooting was huge in the first half for Mercyhurst as they sank seven of their 11 shots from beyond the arc. Planutis and Blunt each knocked down two in the first half. The Lakers started to pull away early. From the midpoint of the half to the six-minute mark Mercyhurst outscored Houghton 21-8. The run saw the Lakers go 9-11 from the field. Going into the locker rooms, Mercyhurst held a 49-32 lead.


 
The Lakers came out looking to finish things off and protect a large lead. That task proved to be pretty easy as they held the Highlanders to just 30 points in the second 20 minutes of action. In the first five minutes of play in the second, Mercyhurst dominated play, scoring 15 points and allowing just one field goal to be made. Freshman Jake Lemelman led the Lakers in the second half with nine points as they pulled away to secure the blowout win.
 
Highlights:
Mercyhurst continued their solid start to their Division I era, earning their second win in their first three games. Planutis stayed hot and seemed to be able to score at will as he knocked six of his nine shots from the field, including three of four from deep. He ended the game with 17 points and a pair of assists. Reichert, Blunt and Lemelman also had double-digit points in the win. Lemelman, a freshman, shot 8-12 from the field and led the Lakers in points with 19 and minutes played on the court with 28.
 
 Next Game:
Mercyhurst will stay home and welcome Canisius University to Erie for another nonconference battle. The action kicks off at 7:00 p.m. and it can all be caught on the NEC Front Row.