ERIE, Pa. — The Mercyhurst men's basketball team (6-9, 1-1 NEC) secured a 74-60 victory over Le Moyne College (6-9, 1-1 NEC) on Sunday at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Lakers broke open a three-point halftime lead with a strong second half, outscoring Le Moyne 40-29. The team capitalized on turnovers, scoring 16 points off Le Moyne's 12 turnovers, while maintaining a balanced attack with 18 points in the paint.

Mercyhurst opened the first half by establishing an early lead with Bernie Blunt III hitting a 3-pointer at 19:11. Mykolas Ivanauskas contributed significantly with both a layup and a steal, which helped the Lakers build a 14–4 advantage by 15:29. Despite some turnovers, the team maintained momentum with effective shooting, including a 3-pointer by Cameron Johnson at 4:24, pushing their lead to 34–21.

The Dolphins responded with a series of baskets, closing the gap to 34–31 by the end of the half. The Lakers' defense, highlighted by a block from Qadir Martin, played a crucial role in maintaining the lead despite the late surge from Le Moyne. The first half ended with Mercyhurst holding a narrow 34–31 lead.

The Lakers capitalized early in the second half, with Ivanauskas scoring a layup at 19:09 to extend their lead. The team maintained momentum through effective defense, with Martin contributing a key block at 15:41 and a layup at 12:36 to regain the lead. The Lakers' defense held Le Moyne to just 29 points in the half.

Midway through the half, Mercyhurst expanded their advantage with a scoring run, highlighted by Christian Gamble's jumper at 10:42 and Martin's layup at 9:50. The Lakers' superior rebounding and defensive play, with James Thomas securing multiple boards, allowed them to close the half strongly.

Mercyhurst sealed the half with a solid shooting performance, featuring Blunt's crucial 3-pointer at 3:45 and Jake Lemelman's long-range shot at 3:03. They finished the half leading 74–60, having outscored the Dolphins by 11 points in the second half.

Blunt scored 18 points, including four 3-pointers, leading the team in scoring. Ivanauskas added 10 points while collecting seven rebounds. Lemelman contributed 15 points with two 3-pointers. Martin recorded a defensive effort with five blocks and two steals.

The Lakers stand at 6-9 overall and 1-1 in NEC competition. Le Moyne holds a 6-9 overall record with a 1-1 mark in NEC play. They will travel to LIU next week as they face the Sharks.