Long Island Sharks (19-9, 13-2 NEC) at Mercyhurst Lakers (13-15, 8-7 NEC)
Erie, Pennsylvania; Saturday, 2 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Mercyhurst hosts LIU after Jake Lemelman scored 27 points in Mercyhurst’s 83-80 overtime loss to the Wagner Seahawks.
The Lakers have gone 9-3 at home. Mercyhurst scores 68.5 points and has outscored opponents by 1.9 points per game.
The Sharks are 13-2 in conference matchups. LIU is sixth in the NEC with 22.1 defensive rebounds per game led by Jamal Fuller averaging 4.0.
Mercyhurst’s average of 6.1 made 3-pointers per game this season is just 0.2 fewer made shots on average than the 6.3 per game LIU allows. LIU has shot at a 47.4% rate from the field this season, 3.9 percentage points greater than the 43.5% shooting opponents of Mercyhurst have averaged.
The teams square off for the second time in conference play this season. LIU won the last meeting 60-58 on Jan. 9. Malachi Davis scored 18 points to help lead the Sharks to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Bernie Blunt is shooting 34.9% from beyond the arc with 2.1 made 3-pointers per game for the Lakers, while averaging 17.3 points. Lemelman is shooting 48.7% and averaging 15.5 points over the past 10 games.
Fuller is averaging 16 points and 5.4 rebounds for the Sharks. Mason Porter-Brown is averaging 1.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 72.6 points, 29.8 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.0 points per game.
Sharks: 8-2, averaging 72.0 points, 32.9 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 64.1 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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