Feb. 14, 2007

Erie, Pa. -

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Mercyhurst plays both games on the road this week against GLIAC South opponents Findlay and Ashland. The Lakers are coming off of two heart-breaking losses against Wayne State and Hillsdale, in which both games were decided in the final minutes. The Hurst women may be out of the playoff race, but they will be playing for pride.

Scouting Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst's season has been plagued by injuries and bad breaks. Despite that fact, the Lakers have never given in. Although Mecyhurst lost to Wayne State and Hillsdale by a total of 45 points early in the season, the Lakers lost to those two squads by a total of just 10 points during the past weekend. Senior leaders Julie Anderson, Katlyn Petit, Priscila Nascimento and Erica Elliott can be credited with keeping the Lakers focused despite an eight game losing streak.

Sophomore Stephanie Prischak has battled through injuries late in the season and scored a team-high 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Wayne State.

Anderson led all scorers with 24 points and 14 rebounds, while getting the 21st double-double of her career against Hillsdale. Petit added 12 points and seven boards to help on the perimeter.

While the upperclassmen are contributing in their final games for the Lakers, head coach Karin Nicholls is also getting the opportunity to develop the future of the program. Freshman Mara Dreiser has started each of the past six games and 6-foot-3 freshman center Lindsay Whipkey has been the Lakers' most consistent contributor off the bench.

Scouting Findlay
Findlay ranks near the bottom of the GLIAC in most statistical categories, but the Oilers live and die by the three-pointer. The Lady Oilers are a very good rebounding team, lead the GLIAC in blocks and rank third in steals, so they can be a surprisingly good defensive squad. The team used that defensive intensity to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year last weekend, defeating Grand Valley State 66-65.

Findlay is a balanced team with Audra Mihalic leading the team in scoring with 10 points a game, Katie Greisiger grabbing five boards and two blocks, and Brittany Wells leading the offense with almost four assists and three steals per contest.

Last Game Vs. Findlay
When Findlay's Nanette Cox knocked down a three-pointer to give Findlay an 18 point lead with 8:24 to play in the first half, things looked bleak for the Mercyhurst women's basketball team. But the Lakers cut the deficit to single digits by halftime and used an explosive second half to blow out Findlay 75-59 Thursday.

Although the Lakers trailed 38-29 at the half, it did not take long for Mercyhurst to take over the contest. Julie Anderson scored eight consecutive Laker points started by a three-pointer that tied the game at 40-40 with 15:37 to play in the game. Findlay would take one more lead, at 47-45 with 12:35 to play, but Lindsay Whipkey knotted the game and Anderson hit her fourth three-pointer of the contest to give the Lakers a lead it would never relinquish.

Mercyhurst was able to get to the free-throw line down the stretch and convert on its attempts, making 18-of-22 (82 percent) in the second half. Those conversions kept Findlay from making a run in the final five minutes of play.

Julie Anderson led four Mercyhurst double-figure scorers with 24 points. She added nine rebounds and canned 4-of-8 three-pointers. Katlyn Petit ended with 14 points, making 4-of-10 three-pointers, and had five rebounds, three assists and three steals. Lindsay Whipkey and Stephanie Prischak each had 12 points and Paris Pugliese came off the bench to tally eight points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Mercyhurst held a 47-38 rebounding advantage and finished with 18 offensive rebounds, a stat in which the Lakers lead the GLIAC. The Lakers shot 48 percent from the field in the second half to make up the deficit after shooting only 27 percent in the first 20 minutes.

Scouting Ashland
Ashland is still in the hunt for the last playoff spot in the GLIAC, even though the Eagles have been up and down all year. The Lady Eagles lead the GLIAC in field goal percentage and are third in scoring offense.

The Lady Eagles are led by Amber Rall's 23.3 points per game, tops in the GLIAC, and she is also seventh in field-goal percentage. Catherine Portyata is first in the conference in field goal percentage (59 percent), fourth in rebounds (8.4), and sixth in scoring (16.7). Alethea Lamberson runs the offense, averaging 4.5 assists per game.

Last Game Vs. Ashland
Mercyhurst's Julie Anderson had a career high 29 points in Saturday's game against Ashland at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center, but the Lakers were unable to overcome a large halftime deficit in a 94-82 loss. Anderson notched a double-double by adding 12 rebounds.

Ashland began the game with an 8-0 run in the first two minutes, but Mercyhurst closed to within three at 15:27 to play on a Lindsay Whipkey lay-up to make it 11-8. Ashland continued to increase its lead throughout the half, building its advantage to as many as 16 at 39-23 with 4:29 to go. Four more times Ashland would hold a 16 point lead in the first half but Mercyhurst cut the deficit to 12 on a Katlyn Petit three-pointer as the half ran out, 47-35.

The Lakers came out of halftime with a 17-7 run to cut the deficit to two, 54-52 at 16:52. The Eagles answered with a 9-2 run to increase their lead to nine, 63-54 with 14:05 left in the game. A 9-3 run by the Lakers put closed to gap again making it 66-65 with over 11 minutes to play. However, Ashland answered once final time with a 9-0 run to take a 10 point lead with 7:52 to play.

The Eagles led by as much as 14 points late, but a layup by Mercyhurst's Stephanie Prischak ended the game 94-82.

Scoring in double digits for the Lakers included Anderson, Prischak with 16 (7-of-14 from the floor), Petit with 15 (5-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-9 from beyond the arc), and Whipkey with 10 (5-of-9 from the floor). Prishak pulled down six boards and Petit five. Nascimento and Petit each had five assists.

Ashland's Amber Rall had a career high and Ashland record 42 points (16-of-22 from the floor, 4-of-6 beyond the arc, and 6-of-6 from the charity strip). Catherine Portyrata scored 14 points (4-of-11 shooting). Betsy Morrison led the Eagles with 13 total boards.

Mercyhurst was outshot from the floor 44.1 percent to 54.5 percent. The Lakers outrebounded the Eagles 39-34.