EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Mercyhurst women's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season at #23 Michigan State Tuesday evening. Sophomores Lena Walz and Cici Hernandez led the way for the Lakers with nine points apiece.
 
The opening quarter saw Michigan State take an early lead. Senior guard Jenna Van Schaik scored the first bucket of the year for Mercyhurst, making a shot from beyond the arc to make it 9-3 in favor of the Spartans.
 
Hernandez added another triple for the Green and Blue in the opening quarter, capitalizing off an offensive rebound.
 
Freshman Imani Frazier scored her first collegiate points in the second quarter. Frazier made four free throws on back-to-back trips to the line in the second stanza.
 
Walz and Hernandez both contributed trey to end the first half for the Lakers. The Spartans took a commanding 66-18 lead into the halftime break.  
 
Frazier was perfect from the line adding another two points from the charity stripe in the third quarter.
 
Van Schaik added another bucket to the Lakers tally, while freshman guard Sophia Wilson knocked down two at the line. The Lakers trailed 98-28 after three quarters.
 
To open the fourth quarter scoring for Mercyhurst, Van Schaik made a three-point play.
 
Alena Fusetti made back-to-back buckets for the Lakers, scoring her first points of the season in the fourth quarter. Fusetti scored the layup on a dish from fellow freshman Shannon Heine, before knocking down a triple on the next possession.
 
Mercyhurst fell to Michigan State 125-39.
 
The Lakers are back in action Thursday at Dayton for a 7 p.m. tipoff.