Box Score
Indiana, Pa. – The Mercyhurst College women’s basketball team trailed by just seven points at halftime, but Indiana (Pa.) pulled away for a 62-36 victory Saturday, Feb. 13 at Memorial Field House. Samantha Loadman led the Lakers with 11 points.
The Lakers dropped to 12-10, 4-6 in PSAC West play with their fifth setback in a row, while IUP is now 14-7, 7-2 in divisional contests. Indiana is in second place, and Mercyhurst fifth in the PSAC West.
After IUP made the first basket of the game, the Lakers went on an 11-4 run to take an 11-6 lead with 13:54 remaining in the first half.
Jackie Artise made two three-pointers in a row in her return to the lineup, sparking the Laker rally.
Samantha Loadman added a three and
Lindsay Whipkey hit a jumper during the skein.
Whipkey exploited a mismatch for two more buckets, and Mercyhurst led 20-14 after another Loadman triple at 9:19. IUP reclaimed the lead at 21-20 with a 7-0 surge over the next few minutes.
Dana Banda gave the Lakers their last lead of the game with a layup at 4:53, and the Crimson Hawks outscored Mercyhurst 9-1 over the remainder of the half to lead 30-23 at halftime.
IUP’s Brianna Johnson paced all first-half scorers with 12 points. Mercyhurst shot 45 percent from the field in the first half, but attempted 12 fewer shots than IUP due to turnovers.
The second half began with Johnson hitting a layup, but a Loadman triple cut the deficit to six points at 32-26 with 17:59 remaining. She then brought the Lakers to within four points at 32-28 with a jumper on the next possession. The teams traded baskets, and IUP led 36-30 at the 15:29 mark, a score which stuck for nearly five minutes as each team went cold.
IUP made a three-pointer to go up by nine points at 39-30 with 11:36 left in the game, and Whipkey answered with a jumper to draw to within seven points. The Crimson Hawks closed the game on a 23-6 run, making six three-pointers during the stretch while holding the Lakers scoreless for long stretches. Mercyhurst’s
Jenna Krause netted her first collegiate field goal in the final minutes of a 62-36 defeat.
For the game, the Lakers shot 38.5 percent from the field and made 5-of-19 three-point attempts. Each team registered 29 rebounds, with IUP hitting the offensive glass for 13 caroms. Indiana (Pa.) shot 40.4 percent from the field, 42.1 percent (8-for-19) from three-point range, and made all eight foul shots. The Lakers turned the ball over 30 times to IUP’s 14.
Loadman led the way for Mercyhurst with 11 points and seven rebounds in her ninth straight game in double-digits. Whipkey added 10 points, making all five of her field goal attempts. Artise scored six in her first game since early Jan. All five starters registered two assists.
Amy Achesinski scored two points and grabbed a team-high-tying seven rebounds. Krause, Kelsey Gordon and Banda evenly split six points, and
Megan Hoffman had one tally.
IUP was led by Johnson with 16 points, one of three Crimson Hawks in double-figures.
The Lakers next play host to Clarion Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday’s game will be Mercyhurst’s Pink Zone game, as the team will wear pink uniforms and encourage fans to wear pink as well in support of breast cancer awareness. Mercyhurst will also honor its three senior women's basketball players in a pregame ceremony before facing Clarion.