MERCYHURST (14–16, 9-8 NEC) vs STONEHILL (11–19, 8–9 NEC)
Saturday, February 28 – 2:00 p.m. EST
Easton, Mass.
TV: NECFrontRow

The Matchup
Mercyhurst will finish the regular season on the road in New England as they face Stonehill. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EST. The Lakers will meet the Skyhawks after falling to CCSU on the road Thursday 78-80. The Lakers have met the Skyhawks once this season where they lost 62-57 in overtime. Live coverage will be available on NECFrontRow.

The Opponent
The Skyhawks enter Saturday's matchup 11-19 overall and 8-9 in NEC play. They currently sit at seventh in the conference and have clinched a spot in the NEC post season tournament. Stonehill has won at least one game against every opponent in the NEC other than number one seeded LIU and new NEC foe New Haven. The only team they have beaten twice in conference play is Le Moyne, beating the Dolphins by 11 points in both meetings.

The Skyhawks are led in points by Hermann Koffi who averages 13.1 points per game. Koffi also leads the team in FGA/G averaging 11.1 and shoots 40.4% from the field. Koffi also leads Stonehill in threes, shooting 37.5% from the field and attempting 6.7 threes per game.

Davante Hackett is second in points averaging 12.9 per game. He shoots 43.2% from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc.

Rex Sunderland also sits high on the stat sheet for the Skyhawks, averaging 3.1 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game.

Ridvan Tutic leads the Skyhawks in rebounds averaging a team-high 7.6 per game, while Chas Stinson leads the team in blocks averaging 1.1 per game.

Last Time Out
Mercyhurst most recently met CCSU Thursday, February 26 as they travel to New England to wrap up the regular season and find out where they will sit in the NEC standings. The Lakers and Blue Devils played a competitive matchup, the score being tied 10 times and lead changing 12 times.

Qadir Martin led the Lakers in points and rebounds scoring 18 and grabbing five rebounds. Martin went 7-12 from the field and grabbed two steals in the matchup.

Bernie Blunt III continued to pace the Lakers scoring 16 points, grabbing four rebounds, and going 4-6 from the field and 3-4 from three.

Mykolas Ivanauskas scored 13 points for the Lakers, going 6-9 from the field and recorded one block.

Jake Lemelman and Deshaun Jackson Jr. each scored 10 points in the matchup. Lemelman dished a team-high six assists, while Jackson Jr. grabbed a team-high five rebounds to match Martin and went 5-8 from the field.

Money Martin
Forward Qadir Martin has been on a tear in the last four games for the Lakers. He has scored 18+ points and secured 5+ rebounds in his last three appearances. 

Scoring Spree
Despite the Lakers averaging 65 points per game in scoring, they have found themselves scoring at least 78 points in their last four matchups.

Laker Leaders 
Bernie 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%.

Jake Lemelman is seventh overall in the NEC in FG% shooting 43.9% and seventh in assists averaging 3.1 per game. Lemelman is third in assist/turnover ratio with 1.9.

Qadir Martin is first in the NEC in blocks averaging 2.3 per game and is sixth in rebounds averaging 6.7 per game. He is third in NEC play in FG% shooting 61.0% from the field.

Deshaun Jackson Jr. has also gotten his name on the NEC leaderboard sitting at 10th in assists averaging 2.9 per game.

A Look at the Series
Stonehill is coached by Chris Kraus who is in his 13th season with the Skyhawks and has an overall record of 174-179. He is also a Stonehill basketball alumn, and before graduating in 2006, led the Skyhawks as a senior point guard in the Elite 8.

The Lakers and Skyhawks have met three times in program history, the Lakers are 1-2 all time.