Mercyhurst Tops West Chester, 72-69

Box Score

ERIE, Pa. – Malik Jackson (Lansdowne, Pa./Penn Wood) and Thomas White (Chester, Pa./Penn Wood) each scored 15 points, and Jackson Hyland (Avondale, Pa./Kennett) added 13 points, but host Mercyhurst came from behind in the second half to defeat visiting West Chester, 72-69, in a PSAC men's basketball contest Saturday afternoon.
 
West Chester (4-5, 3-2 PSAC) and Mercyhurst (5-3, 3-2) battled back and forth all afternoon with 10 lead changes in a game that was a rematch of the 2016 PSAC Championship Game last March.
 
The Golden Rams held a 69-66 advantage with 97 seconds remaining. However, the Lakers made a layup and knocked down four straight foul shots in the final minute to steal the win at home.
 
The visitors held a 39-30 lead at halftime. But, Mercyhurst scored the first nine points of the second half to knot things up. From there, the rest of the game was a see-saw battle. The game would be tied four more times the rest of the way, and the lead never reached double figures.
 
West Chester did regain its nine-point advantage at one stage of the half. Jackson made three straight foul shots to be followed up by White's pair of free throws during that stretch. However, Mercyhurst went on a 14-5 run over the following five minutes to tie the game with seven minutes remaining. No advantage ever go larger than four the rest of the game.
 
West Chester shot 41.3 percent from the field (19-for-46), but the Rams' 46 field goal attempts was a season low. The Golden Rams turned the ball over 18 times in the game. Mercyhurst shot an even 40 percent from the floor, but the Lakers took 14 more shots in the game to help their cause.
 
White scored 11 of his 15 from the foul line, finishing 11 of 14 from the charity stripe.
 
West Chester steps out of league play on Monday for a game at Wilmington (Del.).