Second Half Rally Falls Just Short for Women's Basketball At Mercyhurst

With the game tied at 70-70, Mercyhurst's Alena Fusetti hit a three-point shot, her only field goal of the game, with 49 seconds to play to give the host Lakers a 73-70 lead which they never relinquished on their way to a tight, 76-74, Northeast Conference win over the visiting Central Connecticut State women's basketball team on Thursday evening in Erie, Pennsylvania.   CCSU held a 70-68 lead with 2:18 to play after an Amaya Williams' basket, but the hosts closed the game out on an 8-4 to grab the win in a contest that saw 11 ties and 11 lead changes.  With the loss, the Blue Devils are now 6-17 overall and an even 5-5 in conference play.  Mercyhurst is now 9-14 overall and 6-6 in the NEC, as the Lakers have won five of their last seven games.  Graduate students Meghan Kenefick and Belle Lanpher led CCSU in scoring with 18 points apiece; those 18 points are a career-high for Kenefick.  Selina Monestime finished with 17 points giving Central three players in double figures, and Amaya Williams fell just shy of giving the Blue Devils a quartet of double-digit scorers, as she finished with nine points.  Kenefick led CCSU on the glass pulling down a game-high eight rebounds.  Mercyhurst's Jenna Van Schaik led all scorers in the game with 22 points, and teammate Bailey Kuhns chipped in 20 points for the winners.

GAME INFORMATION |BOX SCORE

Score:  Mercyhurst 76, CCSU 74
Records: CCSU (6-17, 5-5 NEC), Mercyhurst (9-14, 6-6 NEC)
Location: Owen McCormick Court |Erie, Pa.

KEY MOMENTS

• Selina Monestime opened the game by scoring back-to-back baskets to give CCSU a quick 4-0 lead 1:51 into play.
• The first quarter was a high-scoring frame with the host Lakers holding a slim, 22-20, advantage after 10 minutes of action.  Both teams shot the ball well to open the game, as Central hit 10-of-19 field goals (52.6%), and Meryhurst went 7-of-13 from the floor (53.8%) in the opening stanza.  Meghan Kenefick led all players in the contest with 10 first quarter points.
• Mercyhurst outscored CCSU, 19-14, in the second quarter to take a seven-point, 41-34, lead at halftime.  Meghan Kenefick led the Blue Devils with 12 points followed by Belle Lanpher with 11.  Jenna Van Schaik of Mercyhurst led all scorers in the game at the break with 13 points.
• Trailing 51-38 with 5:06 to play in the third quarter, CCSU closed the period on a 17-7 run to make the score 58-55 in favor of the host Lakers heading into the final frame.  Belle Lanpher led the Blue Devils with 15 points after 30 minutes of action.  CCSU outscored the Lakers, 21-17, in the third period
• After Mercyhurst tied the game at 70-70 with 2:04 to play, the host would snap the tie on a three-point shot by Alena Fusetti with 49 seconds to play.
• A pair of Lakers' free throws with 27 seconds remaining upped the host's advantage to 75-70, but a hoop by Meghan Kenefick nine seconds later cut the lead to three at 75-72.
• After a Central foul,  Mercyhurst would split two free throws with 16 seconds to go to make the score, 76-72.
• With 11 seconds to play, Belle Lanpher would make two-of-three free throws to cut the Mercyhurst led to just two, 76-74, and after the Lakers missed two free throws with 10 seconds to play, CCSU had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Lanpher's attempt was off the mark.
• CCSU took the fourth quarter by a one-point margin, 19-18, to outscore the hosts, 40-35, in the second half.
• Free throws played a big factor in Thursday's game, as Mercyhurst went 19-of-23 (82.6%) from the stripe; while the Blue Devils went just  6-of-12 (50.0%) from the foul line.

NUMBER TO KNOW

62–Points in the paint scored by the Blue Devils on Thursday night at Mercyhurst.

NOTES

• With her 18 points on Thursday, Belle Lanpher has now scored a total of 1346 career points heading into Saturday's game at Saint Francis. Lanpher is now 65 points away from moving into the third slot on CCSU's all-time scoring list.   Belle has reached double figures in all 13 games she has played this season and a total of 16 straight outings.  So far in 2024-25, Lanpher is averaging 21.9 points per game.    
• Meghan Kenefick's 18 points at Mercyhurst set a new career-high for the Virginia native; surpassing her previous high of 17 points she notched earlier this season at UMass.
• Selina Monestime has now reached double-digit scoring in nine games with her 17-point performance on Thursday.  Those 17 points are one off her career high.
• CCSU scored 19 points off 19 Lakers' turnovers on Thursday.
• Central won the battle of the boards against the Lakers by a 31-29 margin.
• Both Belle Lanpher and Meghan Kenefick played the full 40 minutes of action on Thursday night.
• The Blue Devils are now 1-10 away from Detrick Gymnasium so far this season.
• CCSU tied a season low by hiting only two three-point shots at Mercyhurst.

UP NEXT

• CCSU wraps up its two-game road trip to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on Saturday, February 15 at Saint Francis University.  Tip-time in Loretto versus the Red Flash is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.