MERCYHURST (13–15, 8-7 NEC) vs LIU (19–9, 13–2 NEC)
Saturday, February 21 – 2:00 p.m. EST
Mercyhurst Athletic Center, Erie, Pa.
TV: NECFrontRow
The Mercyhurst men's basketball team will host the LIU Sharks Saturday February, 20 for senior day. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EST. at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Lakers have met the Sharks once this season where they fell 58-60. Live coverage will be available on NECFrontRow.
Last Time Out
The Lakers will meet the Sharks after a tight overtime contest with Wagner where they fell 83-80.
Jake Lemelman led the Lakers scoring a career high 27 points. Lemelman went 10-19 from the field and 4-9 from three. He also picked up four rebounds, three assists and one steal in the matchup.
Bernie Blunt III continued to pace the Lakers offensively scoring 24 points. Blunt III went 3-6 from three and 7-7 at the free throw line. He also grabbed three rebounds, dished two assists, and had three steals against the Seahawks.
Qadir Martin again showed up big for the Lakers on both sides of the court, grabbing his third double-double of the season scoring 19 points and snagging 10 rebounds. Martin went 5-5 at the free throw line, also dishing one assist and having two blocks.
Mykolas Ivanauskas had six rebounds for the Lakers, dishing one assist and grabbing two steals.
Christian Gamble led the Lakers in assists with three. Gamble also recorded two steals.
Laker Leaders
Blunt III is third in the NEC in points per game overall averaging 17.2. He is second in free throws, shooting 85.9%, and is eighth in FG% shooting 42.3%.
Lemelman is seventh overall in the NEC in FG% shooting 44.2% and sixth in assists averaging 3.0 per game. Lemelman is fifth in assist/turnover ratio with 1.8.
Martin is first in the NEC in blocks averaging 2.4 per game and is sixth in rebounds averaging 6.7 per game. He is third in NEC play in FG% shooting 61.1% from the field.
Jackson Jr. has also gotten his name on the NEC leaderboard sitting at 10th in assists averaging 2.9 per game.
The Matchup: LIU
The Sharks enter Saturday's contest 19-9 overall and 13-2 in the NEC. The Sharks have dominated conference play this year, finding at least one win against every NEC team. Le Moyne and New Haven are the only NEC teams who have served the Sharks losses, each game being within six points or less and on the road. The Sharks are 9-1 overall and 7-0 in the NEC at home this season.
Jamal Fuller leads the Sharks in points per game this season averaging 16.0. Fuller shoots 52.5% from the field, 43.4% from three, and averages 5.4 rebounds per game. Fuller also averages 0.9 blocks per game.
Malachi Davis sits behind Fuller in points per game averaging 14.8. Davis shoots 41.6% from the field and 32.8% from beyond the arc. He sits at first in assists averaging 3.4 per game.
Greg Gordon also leads the Sharks averaging 13.8 points per game, shooting a team high 55.8% from the field. Gordon leads LIU in rebounds averaging 5.8 per game, is second in assists averaging 2.7 per game, and first in steals averaging 1.8 per game.
Jomo Goings also stands out for the Sharks, averaging 10.1 points per game, shooting 40.4% from the field, 37.3% from three, and averaging 1.3 steals per game.
The Sharks are coached by Rod Strickland who is in his fourth season. The Lakers are 1-2 overall when facing the Sharks, finding their only win in history at home on January 20, 2025.
