Feb. 17, 2007

Box Score

ASHLAND, Ohio - Priscila Nascimento scored a career-high 15 points, but Ashland scored the first 21 points of the second half to claim a 78-60 win over Mercyhurst in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action.

Mercyhurst (6-20, 2-24 GLIAC) trailed by just four at the half, 39-35, but the Lakers failed to score in the second half until a Lindsay Whipkey baseline jumper with 12:04 left as the Eagles built a 60-37 lead. Mercyhurst missed its first nine shots of the half and committed seven turnovers before getting onto the scoreboard.

Ashland (13-13, 6-10 GLIAC) would build the lead to as many as 26, 71-45, with 6:47 to play, but Mercyhurst scored 11 straight to cut it to 15. A jumper by Julie Anderson got Mercyhurst as close as it would get, 71-56, with 3:47 left.

In the first half, the two teams were tied at 14-14 after a pair of Anderson free throws. Ashland then went on a 13-4 run and claimed a 27-18 lead with 6:08 left in the first half before Mercyhurst mounted a run of its own. The Lakers whittled the lead down to just two after a three by Nascimento, but Ashland's Amber Rall hit a twisting jumper in the lane for the 39-35 halftime score.

In addtion to Nascimento's career-high 15 points, which included a perfect 6-of-6 mark at the line, Anderson and Mara Dreiser also reached double figures in scoring for the Lakers. Anderson scored 14, snagged a game-high nine boards and led all players with five steals. Dreiser added 10 points.

Rall and Catherine Portyrata scored 19 apiece to lead Ashland. Lacy Romine added 13. Alethea Lamberson dished out seven assists.

Mercyhurst shot just 31 percent in the contest, while the Eagles hit for 49 percent from the field.

The Lakers forced Ashland into 21 turnovers, while committing just 17.

Mercyhurst is idle for one week until the Lakers travel crosstown to face rival Gannon on Saturday, February 24 at 5:30 PM.