ERIE, Pa. — The Mercyhurst women's basketball team fell to Youngstown State, 64-50, at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center on Thursday. Lena Walz was the leading scorer for the Lakers once again, posting 16 points in 31 minutes.
 
The Green and Blue opened the quarter with a strong defensive presence and kept pace early with YSU. Erica Hall hit a 3-pointer at 5:28 to tie the game at 3-3. Jenna Van Schaik added another 3-pointer at 3:48, giving the Lakers a brief lead. Despite this effort, Youngstown State pulled ahead with a late surge, ending the quarter with a 16-11 lead.
 
The Lakers gained momentum early in the second quarter with a defensive play by Alena Fusetti leading to a layup by Julia Lewis at 9:18, assisted by Sofia Wilson. Despite a series of turnovers, the Lakers managed to narrow the deficit with a pair of free throws by Lewis, bringing the score to 16-15. The quarter saw Mercyhurst's bench contributing significantly, scoring six points, while Wilson added a layup at 2:09 to keep the team within striking distance. Youngstown State maintained a slight edge, thanks to three successful 3-pointers. A late jumper by the Penguins with 24 seconds remaining extended Youngstown State's lead. The quarter concluded with YSU leading 31-24, with the Lakers trailing by seven points.
 
Mercyhurst (0-4, 0-0 NEC) launched a strong effort in the third quarter, narrowing the gap with a key 3-pointer by Fusetti at 9:24, assisted by Van Schaik. The Lakers capitalized on turnovers, with Van Schaik's steal leading to a fast-break layup at 4:35, cutting Youngstown State's lead to five. Despite a challenging stretch, Walz added a crucial 3-pointer at 1:15, narrowing the deficit further. The quarter ended with Julia Lewis sinking a fast-break jumper just before the buzzer, bringing the score to 47-42 in favor of Youngstown State.
 
The Lakers attempted to close the gap in the fourth quarter with a strong start, including a three-point play by Walz at 8:02, narrowing the deficit to 47-45. Walz also hit a 3-pointer at 6:46 to bring the Lakers within one point, at 49-48. However, Youngstown State responded with a 12-1 run that included fast-break points, extending their lead to 59-49 with 2:48 remaining. Despite Mercyhurst's efforts, Youngstown State's defensive stops and free throws closed out the quarter, and the game ended with the Green and Blue falling 63-50.
 
Mercyhurst is back in action Sunday at Iowa State.