PSAC basketball observations: 'Hurst men tough to stop,'Boro women relying on depth, more
The weekly routine of playing PSAC games on Wednesdays and Saturdays for local college basketball teams began this past Wednesday and runs through the end of February. The schedule makers put together some interesting matchups right away as Mercyhurst hosted rival Edinboro on Wednesday before Mercyhurst heads to IUP on Saturday and IUP comes to Gannon next week.
Mercyhurst and Edinboro split the doubleheader on Wednesday at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center as the Fighting Scots won 60-49 in the women's game and the Lakers won the men's game 81-48.
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Here are five observations from the doubleheader:
Lakers are hot heading into showdown
The Mercyhurst men's basketball team (9-1, 5-1) is on fire since an early-December loss at West Chester. The Lakers won their seventh game in a row on Wednesday and they've won all seven games by at least 22 points. Mercyhurst has four players averaging double digits in scoring with Jeff Planutis (15.4 points per game), Michael Bradley (13.7), Nicholas Lang (11.8) and Aidan Reichert (10.6). Mercyhurst also has 1,000-point scorer MiyKah McIntosh scoring 9.2 ppg.
Mercyhurst will need to keep up their strong play Saturday as the Lakers travel to IUP, the No. 1 team in the country.
“It's an opportunity,” said Mercyhurst coach Gary Manchel. “Our guys are looking forward to it, but so is IUP. We're the team IUP circles on their schedule over the last seven, eight years. They are No. 1 in the country and undefeated, and it's not the end of the world if we lose and not the end of the world in a good way if we win, it's a game. It will show us where we are at in terms of the rest of the year and you don't get a lot of opportunities to say you played the No. 1 team in the country.”
Edinboro's depth will be key all season
The Edinboro women's basketball team (8-3, 5-1) wasn't shy about putting in subs throughout the game on Wednesday. The Fighting Scots played intense defense for all 40 minutes and kept subbing in new players every few minutes to give players rest and make sure rested players continued that defensive effort. Edinboro entered the game as the top team in all of Division II with a turnover margin of 12.90.
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Not only is depth important for Edinboro to keep up its intense defense, but it's important in finding new players to step up. The Scots have one of the best guard combinations in the PSAC with Rana Elhuseini and Hayley Sims. Both are in the top 10 in scoring in the PSAC as Elhusseini is third with 18.6 points per game and Sims is 10th with 16 ppg.
On Wednesday, Edinboro received help from Sharpsville graduate Gillian Fisher, who scored 13 points, including several key 3-pointers. Fisher started her career at Mercyhurst before transferring to Edinboro.
“This was definitely personal for me. I've been through a lot the past three years and I would have never imagined being in this position three years ago as a freshman,” Fisher said. “I never felt sorry for myself. I kept working and working, waiting for my turn and I couldn't have done this without my teammates and coaches by my side.”
Fisher and the rest of the Scots will need to keep stepping up as teams try to take away the Edinboro guards.
Mercyhurst women on brink of breakthrough
The Mercyhurst women's basketball team (8-5, 3-3) continues to be on the brink of becoming a top team in the PSAC West. The Lakers showed on Wednesday that they can compete with Edinboro, which is projected to be one of the top finishers in the PSAC West. Mercyhurst has put together an interesting season as the Lakers went to West Virginia and almost knocked off two strong MEC teams in Charleston (78-74 loss) and West Liberty (108-107 loss). Mercyhurst beat Division I Buffalo 70-68 on its home floor and the Lakers have several big PSAC crossover wins as well.
The veterans have led the way, including Julia Buchman (11 points per game), Grace Centrulla (10.8) and Jayde Boyd (9.4), while Villa Maria graduate Ava Waid has filled in for the loss of Emily Shopene to graduation.
Mercyhurst stayed with Edinboro throughout the game but gave up a late-game run in the loss. The Lakers will continue to get opportunities to prove themselves over the next few weeks. Mercyhurst heads to traditional power IUP on Saturday before hosting Shepherd and Slippery Rock next week.
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Familiar faces at Edinboro
The Edinboro men's basketball team (4-7, 2-4) is still figuring out its identity as PSAC West play starts to heat up. The Scots have talented players to lean on, including four scoring in double digits. Naim Miller leads Edinboro with 13.6 points per game, followed by Kierell Green (12.3), Dominique Keyes (12.1) and Will Taylor (11.8).
The Scots are also loaded with former District 10 stars looking to contribute this season. McDowell graduate Jack Gallagher is the starting point guard for the Scots, while McDowell graduate Jayden Harper and Sharpsville graduate Ryan Ladjevich are regular reserves off the bench. Former Franklin sharpshooter Easton Fulmer has played in all 11 games this year, while Fairview grad James Sitter has played in four games and General McLane grad Logan Donahue has played in two games.
Defensive dominance
The Edinboro women's basketball team and the Mercyhurst men's basketball team both achieved something on Wednesday that they hadn't done in seven years. Both teams kept their opponents under 50 points. The last time Edinboro held Mercyhurst under 50 points in a women's basketball game was a 61-42 win on Feb, 27, 2016, in Edinboro during a PSAC playoff game. The last time Mercyhurst held Edinboro under 50 points in a men's basketball game was Jan. 30, 2016, at Edinboro.
On Wednesday, the Edinboro women held Mercyhurst to shooting 29.7 percent from the field and 16 turnovers, while the Mercyhurst men held Edinboro to shooting 30.6 percent from the field and 11 turnovers.
Contact Tom Reisenweber at treisenweber@timesnews.com and on Twitter @ETNReisenweber.
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This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: PSAC basketball: Mercyhurst men, Edinboro women stand out in rivalry
