ERIE, Pa. — Mercyhurst rolled past Bethany (WV) 80–51 on Saturday afternoon at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Lakers built a 23-point halftime lead and never looked back, dominating the paint with 54 points and turning 19 Bison turnovers into 33 points.

Mercyhurst opened with efficient shooting and an up-tempo attack, highlighted by a three-pointer from Bernie Blunt III at the 15-minute mark. Blunt's early impact extended beyond scoring, as he facilitated the offense with multiple assists to fuel the Lakers' momentum. Their defensive pressure set the tone as well, forcing 12 first-half turnovers and generating transition chances, including a Jake Lemelman layup at the four-minute mark. Mercyhurst carried a commanding 45–22 lead into the break.

The Lakers continued to control the pace in the second half, asserting themselves inside with 24 points in the paint. Mykolas Ivanauskas and Blunt each provided key early baskets, and Blunt buried back-to-back threes to stretch the lead and force a Bethany timeout at the 15-minute mark.

Christian Gamble and Deshaun Jackson Jr. added to the push, with Gamble distributing five assists and Jackson Jr. contributing on both ends, including a block at the eight minute mark.

Mercyhurst outshot the Bison 16–10 from the field in the half and closed out an 80–51 victory.

Blunt finished with 23 points, including four three-pointers, and added four assists. Gamble totaled three steals and five assists, while Jackson Jr. tallied two blocks and six points. Cameron Johnson posted eight points and five rebounds.