Feb. 21, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

GAME INFORMATION
Mercyhurst (15-11, 9-7) at #13 Gannon (23-3, 14-2)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008
Game Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Hammermill Center, Erie, Pa.
Coverage: WMCE 88.5 and 104.9 FM, WMCE Online, Live Stats

ABOUT THE GAMES
• Rivals Mercyhurst and Gannon tangle at the Hammermill Center in the regular season finale Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Both teams have already clinched GLIAC Tournament berths, but Saturday's contest will determine seeding and host sites for the opening round.
• Mercyhurst is 15-11 overall and has now won at least 15 games in three-straight seasons and in four of the last five. The Lakers have posted a 9-7 GLIAC mark and are assured their third-straight season of a winning conference record. It is the first time in the 13-year affiliation with the GLIAC that the Lakers have had three-straight seasons of at least nine conference wins.
• The Lakers enter the game having won seven of the last eight games and are coming off a record-setting performance at Ashland where they made 17 3-pointers and Terry Smith scored 37 points en route to an 81-69 victory.
• Gannon notched an 82-61 non-conference win at Tiffin Tuesday evening and have now won eight of its last nine. The Golden Knights' lone loss during that stretch was a 90-61 defeat at Findlay on Feb. 16. Gannon is 14-1 at home this year and its only loss was a 64-60 defeat to Edinboro.

PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
• Should Mercyhurst knock off Gannon and Findlay defeat Hillsdale and Ashland, Findlay will become the GLIAC South Division champs by virtue of a tiebreaker over Gannon. Mercyhurst would remain the No. 3 seed from the South Division and travel back to Gannon for the first round of the playoffs. If Gannon wins Saturday's meeting, the Golden Knights would clinch the South Division and earn the right to host the No. 4 seed from the South. Mercyhurst would then travel to Findlay for the first round of the GLIAC Tournament.

SCOUTING GANNON
• Gannon is ranked 13th in Division II and has raced to a 14-2 GLIAC record. The 23 wins this season is more than each of the previous two seasons combined. The Golden Knights are outscoring opponents by an average margin of 14.4 points per game, which ranks third in the GLIAC.
• As a team, Gannon is hitting 48.8 percent of its field goal attempts, while ranking second in the conference in field goal percentage defense (39.7). Kyle Goldcamp ranks first in the conference in field goal percentage as he is hitting 66.5 percent of his attempts. He is also a key on defense, ranking first with 2.96 blocked shots per game. Goldcamp is averaging 15.2 points and 8.2 boards per outing. Leading Gannon in scoring is Vince Mosley. He is tied for fourth with Mercyhurst's Terry Smith with a 16.9 point per game average.
• Gannon is the top rebounding team in the GLIAC, as well. The Golden Knights have out-rebounded opponents by an average margin of 8.1 per game.
• Gannon is fourth in the conference with 531 free throw attempts and has converted at 72 percent clip. Gannon has shot 148 more free throws than its opponents this year and holds a staggering 352-232 differential in home games. At the Hammermill Center, Gannon is attempting 23.5 free throws per game while its opponents have averaged just 15.5. On the road, Gannon is averaging 17.9 free throws per game to its opponents 15.1.

ABOUT THE SERIES
• While Gannon owns a 41-14 advantage in the series, the Lakers have had the upper hand in recent years, winning three of the last five meetings, including a sweep by scores of 79-74 and 64-53 in 2006-07. With 55 meetings, the Lakers have faced only Edinboro more times in the history of the program.
• Gannon earned a 66-57 win over the Lakers at The MAC on Jan. 5, 2008 to snap Mercyhurst's winning streak in the series.
• Mercyhurst started its basketball program in 1971-72, but the local rivals did not face until Dec. 22, 1974. Gannon took the first meeting 70-66. After the first game, the teams took a three-year hiatus and did not play again until Feb. 13, 1977. Gannon earned an 81-77 overtime victory. Since then, the two teams have met at least once every season.
• Laker head coach Gary Manchel took over the program in 2003-04 and made an immediate impact on the rivalry, knocking off Gannon 47-42 at The MAC on Jan. 26, 2004. Manchel is 4-5 in nine games against the Golden Knights.
• Gannon holds a 22-5 edge in games played at the Hammermill Center.
• Since Manchel's arrival in 2003, the rivalry has consistently been contested in low scoring games. Gannon has averaged 61 points per game and the Lakers have averaged 57 points per game in the nine meetings. Only once (Feb. 24, 2007) have both teams scored in the 70's (79-74).

THE LAST MEETING
• Through 20 minutes, it appeared as if the Mercyhurst men's basketball was primed to knock off rival Gannon for the third-straight time. But the Lakers, after leading by as many as 11 in the first half, managed just 23 points in the second half and dropped a 66-57 decision in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center Jan. 5, 2008.
• The Laker defense set the tone early, forcing Gannon into 10 first half turnovers. T.J. Mathis recorded four steals in the first four minutes of the game. Kyle Goldcamp scored six of Gannon's eight points in an 8-1 run that cut the lead to four at the half.
• Mercyhurst struggled shooting in the second, hitting just 9-of-23 shots but held off Gannon until the 12:43 mark when the Golden Knights took at 46-45. Gannon pulled away after the Lakers went the next six minutes without scoring. Terry Smith led the Lakers with 12 points. Goldcamp scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Golden Knights.

THE LAST TIME OUT
• The Lakers set or tied five school records in an 81-69 win over Ashland on Feb. 16. The team hit 17 3-pointers, and Terry Smith scored a career-high 37--including a school record 29 in the second half--on a school record nine threes. He hit 9-of-17 from behind the arc. In the process, he also set a new school mark for 3-pointers made in a season.
• His 29 second half points topped John Green's 25-year-old mark of 27. Smith's 37 was also the most points scored by a Laker since 1993.
• Brian McTear and T.J. Mathis scored 17 of the team's first 19 points and the Lakers raced to a 24-6 lead on six 3-pointers. McTear finished with 14 and Mathis added 19 points and seven rebounds.

TRIPLE THREAT
• Mercyhurst has been led by its three guards: Terry Smith, T.J. Mathis and Brian McTear. Of the three players, Smith is the tallest at 6-foot-1. Regardless of size, their production has been big. At least one of the three has scored over 20 points in each of the last 10 games and Mathis and Smith have led the team in rebounding in 14 of the 26 games.
• All three guards are averaging in double figures with Smith at 16.9, Mathis at 13.9 and McTear at 11.7. They have accounted for 65 percent of Mercyhurst's shot attempts and 1,106 of the Lakers' 1,713 points (65 percent). The trio has handed out 61 percent of Mercyhurst's assists this year, as well.
• The guards have each made at least 40 3-pointers (Smith leads the team with 83).
• Smith, Mathis and McTear have also been productive on defense, totaling 153 of Mercyhurst's 221 steals.

TWICE AS NICE
• Terry Smith registered his first double-double of the season and his first since 2005 with 20 points and 10 rebounds against Hillsdale on Jan. 24. Mercyhurst has had five double-double performances from four players this season. Milos Bogetic leads the team with two, and Smith, T.J. Mathis and Brian McTear each have one.
• The team has posted a 4-1 record this season when a player has recorded a double-double.

20 TO WIN
• Mercyhurst's three guards, Terry Smith, T.J. Mathis and Brian McTear have combined for 16 20-point games and one 30-point game this season. They are the only players on the roster to have totaled at least 20 points in a game. Smith leads the team with eight 20-point efforts and the lone 30-point peformance, McTear has five, all of which have come in the last 12 games, and Mathis has three to his credit, including a career-high 24 against Hillsdale on Feb. 9.
• In the last eight games, Smith has scored over 20 points five times. McTear has done so three times and Mathis has two 20-point efforts.
• When Smith scores at least 20 points, the team is 8-1. The lone loss came along with his season-high 25-point performance against Felecian on Nov. 17. On the year, the Lakers are 11-3 when a player scores at least 20 points.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
• Mercyhurst is averaging 65.9 points per game, but the team is playing excellent defense, holding opponents to just 65.7 points per outing. The Lakers have held opponents to fewer than 70 points 20 times this year. Eleven of Mercyhurst's last 16 opponents have failed to score more than 67 points and only two of Mercyhurst's last eight opponents have managed more than 69. The Lakers are 11-5 when they hold opponents to 67 points or less. Six times the Lakers have held their opponents to under 60 points.

A HELPING HAND
• While leading the team in assists per game, Brian McTear has been showing a knack for scoring, dropping 20 points five times in the last 12 games, including scoring a career-high 25 points against Hillsdale on Feb. 9. Still, he ranks first on the team and fifth in the conference in assists with 102 total and an average of 3.92 per game. He also ranks sixth in assists/turnover ratio at 1.36. He has totaled four or more assists 13 times this season. McTear has recorded at least two assists in 24 of 26 games.
• Against Ashland on Jan. 10, he handed out 10 assists and committed just one turnover.
• Mercyhurst has recorded 20 or more assists three times this year, including 22 assists to just 11 turnovers against Ashland on Jan. 10. When the Lakers record at least 16 assists in a game, they are 5-1.

BLOCK PARTY
• Freshman Iddo Cohen has quickly made his presence felt on the defensive end, as he ranks fourth in the GLIAC in blocks per game (1.58). Twice this season he has totaled five blocked shots (vs. Edinboro on Dec. 5 and vs. Wayne State on Feb. 7). The five blocks is the best single-game total by any Laker since Jeff Daisley tallied eight against Ferris State on Jan. 19, 2006. Cohen is also the first player since Daisley in 2005 to have two games of at least five blocks.
• Cohen has recorded at least two blocks in 11 of the team's 22 games.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
• Terry Smith has rewritten the Mercyhurst record books this season. On Jan. 12, he passed Jason Ioppolo as Mercyhurst's all-time leader in 3-pointers made. He now has 205 3-pointers in his career and has attempted a school record 541 3-pointers, which matched Richard Bradley's record of 538.
• With two second half free throws against Michigan Tech on Nov. 29, Terry Smith totaled his 1,000th career point. He became just the 15th player in school history to accomplish the feat. In 26 games this season, he has moved from 24th to 7th on the all-time scoring list. With 1,343 points, he now trails Gerry Battle by 26 points for sixth.
• Smith also set a new school mark for 3-pointers in a season with 83 this season. He passed Kerry Baker's (1992-93) single season record of 77 on Feb. 16 against Ashland.
• Also against Ashland, Smith erupted for 37 points, including a school record 29 in the second. His second half effort bested John Green's mark of 27 that was posted in 1983. Smith's nine 3-pointers tied Jason Ioppolo's mark for threes made in a game, and his 17 attempts set a new school mark, matching Ioppolo's mark of 14 that was set in 1997.
• Along with being a standout scoring threat, Smith ranks fourth in career steals with 192 and needs 23 to pass Rahsaah Roland (1992-96) for third place. Also, Smith ranks 10th on the school's career assists list. He currently has 275 in his career.

MERCYHURST MILESTONES
• By defeating Ashland on Jan. 10, Laker head coach Gary Manchel earned his 200th career victory. He has improved his career record to 207-187 in 14 seasons. In just four seasons at Mercyhurst, Gary Manchel has moved into fourth place on the school's list of all-time winningest coaches with 76 total victories. He ranks third in winning percentage.
• On Saturday, Dec. 1, the Lakers picked up the 500th victory in the history of the program with a 63-55 win over Northern Michigan. The program has averaged 14 wins a year throughout its history and has a winning percentage of .515.

BOMBS AWAY
• Through the first 26 games of the season, the Lakers have hit an average of 8.26 3-pointers per game, which ranks third in the GLIAC. The team has drilled 215-of-611 3-point shots and has made at least five in all but one game. Terry Smith leads the team with 83 threes and is shooting 40.3 percent. He also ranks second in the conference in 3-pointers made per game.
• With 215 makes, it is just the second time in school history that a team made more than 200 3-pointers in a season. The only other time came in 1991-92 when the Lakers hit 226-of-587 from long range.
• Five times this season, the Lakers have hit 10 or more 3-pointers, including hitting a school record 17-of-36 against Ashland on Feb. 16. Against Ohio Valley on Dec. 17, the Lakers knocked down 14-of-25 from long range.
• Against Ashland on Jan. 10, the Lakers fired 38 3-pointers, setting a new school record for attempts in a game.
• Terry Smith is on pace to make 86 3-pointers (2.96 per game). He has already set the single season record, which was previously set at 77 by Kerry Baker (1992-93). Smith has also attempted 204 3-pointers, passing Richard Bradley (200) for the most attempted in a season.

GRAND THEFT
• Mercyhurst's guards have been pestering opponents this season, with Terry Smith and T.J. Mathis ranking first and second in the conference.
• Terry Smith leads the GLIAC with 64 steals, averaging 2.46 per game. He has totaled six in a game twice this season. He has already topped his career single-season best which was previously 52 (2005-06). Smith has totaled at least four steals eight times.
• T.J. Mathis has totaled 59 in 26 games for an average of 2.27 per game, ranking him second in the GLIAC in steals per game. He has recorded five steals three times this season.