Nov. 28, 2007

Game Notes in PDF Format

THE MATCHUPS: Mercyhurst opens GLIAC play this week with home games against Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan. On Thursday, the Lakers will take on Michigan Tech at 6 p.m. and will then face Northern Michigan Saturday at 1 p.m.
LAST MEETINGS: The Michigan Tech Huskies pulled out an impressive 74-41 win last year at the SDC Gym in Houghton, Michigan. Julie Anderson led the Lakers with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Lindsay Whipkey tallied a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Mercyhurst has lost all 13 meetings with the Huskies since first playing in 1995. The Northern Michigan Wildcats managed an 80-64 victory last year against the Lakers. Mercyhurst is currently 2-9 against the Wildcats all-time. In the loss, Katlyn Petit scored 16 points, going 4-for-8 on three pointers and 4-for-4 on free throws.
THE COACHES: Mercyhurst head coach Deanna Richard is in her first season at Mercyhurst, currently posting a 1-4 record. She has a career mark of 62-96, including a record of 61-92 in six seasons at Division III Olivet College. Michigan Tech's head coach John Barnes owns a 56-28 career record and enters his fourth season as a Husky after being named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2005-06. Barnes led the Huskies to a second consecutive berth in the NCAA Tournament and 16th straight in the GLIAC Tournament a year ago. Northern Michigan's head coach Troy Mattson is currently in his second year as a Wildcat and has a 15-37 overall record.
THE PRESEASON POLLS: Mercyhurst was picked to finish last in the six-team GLIAC South Division in 2007-08. Michigan Tech, meanwhile, was picked to finish third in the GLIAC North Division, garnering six first-place votes. Northern Michigan was picked to finish last out of seven teams in the GLIAC North Division. All three teams open conference play this week.
SCOUTING MERCYHURST: The Lakers are currently on a four-game slide after winning their season opener against Mansfield. Mercyhurst is led offensively by freshman Amy Achesinski, averaging 18.8 points per game, and junior Stephanie Prischak averaging 15.8. The Lakers have three players shooting better than 50 percent from the field and Prischak is at 71 percent from the three point range.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN TECH: The Huskies are currently 2-2 this season and enter the Mercyhurst contest with two close wins over Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. Michigan Tech is led offensively by Katie Wysocky, who is averaging 13.3 points per game and Catherine Rattier at 12.0 points per game. The Huskies are shooting 41 percent from the field, just 26 percent on three-pointers, and 66 percent from the free throw line.
SCOUTING NORTHERN MICHIGAN: The Wildcats share the same record with the Lakers at 1-4 this season and are coming off of a 70-53 win over Minnesota-Duluth. Allison Carroll is averaging 17.0 points per game for Northern Michigan, followed by Natalie Larocque (8.8 per game), Kelsey Deacon (8.5 points per game), and Steffanie Stoeger (8.3 points per game). Northern Michigan will face Gannon on Thursday before playing the Lakers on Saturday. The Wildcats are shooting just 39 percent from the field but are outrebounding their opponents by 2.5 per game.

QUICK HITS
• Mercyhurst is playing its final season as a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) before moving to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) next year. Mercyhurst is 1-1 against PSAC schools this year, picking up a win over Mansfield before a loss to Slippery Rock.
• Freshman Amy Achesinski was named the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week after averaging 22.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in two games last week.
• Mercyhurst is 4-8 in conference openers since joining the GLIAC. The Lakers have lost six in a row.
• Stephanie Prischak's 85.3 career free-throw percentage ranks third in program history.
• Achesinski is on pace to shatter the single season records for free-throws made and attempted. At her current rate, she would make 194 and attempt 227. The records are 153 made and 204 attempted.
• As a team, the Lakers are on pace to break the single season school records for field goal percentage and three-point percentage. Mercyhurst is shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 36.5 percent from three-point range this year.
• Mercyhurst and Ferris State are the only teams in the GLIAC to have two players averaging at least 15.0 points per game.