ERIE, Pa. – Kyheim Hall and BJ Andrews combined to score 49 points, but the Clarion University men's basketball team couldn't overcome a hot-shooting day from Mercyhurst in dropping an 81-65 road decision to the Lakers Saturday.
 
Hall netted a Clarion career-high 27 points including an amazing 15 of 15 from the free-throw line, the first Golden Eagle since full records became available in 1981, to shoot 100 percent from the charity stripe when taking at least 15 free throws. The 15 made charity shots are also tied for the fourth-most by a Golden Eagle since the 1981 season and are the most since Mike Kromka hit 16 (16 of 17) against Slippery Rock Jan. 29, 2014, in an overtime victory. They are the most made free throws by a Clarion player in a game that didn't go to overtime in exactly 17 years. Gregg Frist knocked down 15 of 17 charity shots at Lock Haven on Valentine's Day 1998. Kyheim added seven rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal while shooting 6 of 12 from the field. He surpassed his previous Clarion high of 25 points set Jan. 21 at Slippery Rock.
 
Andrews, meanwhile, continued his torrid scoring pace of late scoring 22 more points while also going a perfect 9 of 9 from the free-throw line. It's the fourth consecutive 20-point game for Andrews, who had a career-high 30 points Wednesday against Gannon, and it's the fifth 20-point game for the sophomore in his last six contests. He has scored 132 points (22.0 ppg) during that stretch.
 
Thanks in large part to Hall and Andrews, Clarion shot 87.5 percent from the charity stripe (28 of 32) making the Golden Eagles 53 of 60 (88.3 percent) from the line in two games against the Lakers this year.
 
But the efforts of Hall and Andrews weren't enough to overcome a Mercyhurst team that seemingly couldn't miss, especially in the second half.
 
The Lakers shot 57.9 percent from the field (33 of 57) including an unconscious 63 percent (17 of 27) in the second half.
 
Four Mercyhurst players reached double digits led by 13 points from Callon Dailey and 12 each from Damon Jones and Gerrae Williams. James Ewing chipped in with 11.
 
Mercyhurst used a 16-2 run that started around the 10-minute mark of the first half to take a 32-21 lead with 4:29 to play in the half and got that lead to 12, 37-25, with just under three minutes to play before halftime.
 
Clarion fought back and closed within six, 37-31, on an Andrews jumper with 58 seconds left before the break before the Lakers got a Paris Bennett layup with 24 seconds to play to go into halftime up eight, 39-31.
 
The Golden Eagles then found themselves down 11, 48-37, four minutes into the second half before a quick 6-0 spurt by Andrews, who had a 3-pointer and an old-school 3-pointer, brought Clarion back to within five, 48-43, with 14:30 to play.
 
But Mercyhurst quickly ended any thoughts of a Golden Eagle comeback going on a 12-2 run that featured five points from Sean Benis to go up 15, 60-45, with 10:39 to play, and Clarion never got closer than 12 the rest of the way.
 
The Golden Eagles return to action with a non-conference home game against Penn St.-DuBois at 7 p.m. Monday before hosting Edinboro at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Slippery Rock at 3 p.m. Sunday Feb. 22 on Senior Day.