NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — The Mercyhurst men's basketball team (14-16, 9-8 NEC) fell to CCSU  (17-11, 11-6 NEC) 80-78 in a closely contested matchup at Detrick Gymnasium. The Lakers' scoring effort was led by their advantage in the paint, where they scored 48 points. The game featured 10 ties and 12 lead changes, highlighting the tense competition throughout. CCSU capitalized on free throws, making 20 of 28 attempts to secure the narrow victory.

The Lakers opened the first half with a balanced offensive approach, matching the Blue Devils stride for stride in the paint, with both teams scoring 24 points inside. Mykolas Ivanauskas contributed early with a layup, while Deshaun Jackson Jr. added a fast-break dunk at 10:43, keeping the scoring tight.

Despite CCSU'S attempts to pull ahead, the Green and Blue maintained pressure through key defensive plays, including five steals—a continuation of their streak of achieving at least six steals in five consecutive games. Qadir Martin's layup at 8:06 briefly gave them a lead. Jake Lemelman remained active in the final minutes, hitting a jumper to reduce the gap to 33-30 with 51 seconds remaining. Notably, Lemelman has recorded at least 10 total points in five consecutive games.

The first half concluded with the Blue Devisls holding a slight lead, 34-30, as both teams entered the break closely matched.

The Lakers opened the second half with a strong offensive push, tying the game at 36–36 with a layup from Martin at 18:22. Ivanauskas and Bernie Blunt III ontributed to a scoring run, helping the Lakers build a 41–36 lead by the 17:28 mark. Consistent scoring and defensive stops kept the Lakers slightly ahead, despite CCSU'S efforts to close the gap.

In the later stages, the Lakers maintained their intensity with key plays from Jackson Jr. and Ivanauskas, although the Blue Devils managed to keep the contest tight. The teams exchanged leads, and Blunt III sank crucial free throws to bring the score to 75–78. Despite a last-second 3-pointer by Blunt, the Green and Blue fell short, concluding the half with a 48–46 score in their favor but trailing 80–78 overall.

Blunt III scored 16 points, including three 3-pointers, marking his fourth consecutive game with at least 16 points. Martin led with 18 points and collected five rebounds, continuing his streak of recording at least 18 points in four consecutive games. Ivanauskas added 13 points and recorded a block. Lemelman contributed 10 points and dished out six assists. The team's total of 80 points was over their season average of 70.04, marking their fourth consecutive game with at least 78 points.

The Lakers will conclude the regular season at Stonehill Saturday, February 28, at 2:00PM.