Box Score ERIE, Pa., -  The Clarion University men's basketball team was defeated on the road against Mercyhurst Saturday afternoon by a final score of 86-72.  The loss moves the Blue and Gold to 5-17 on the season, including 3-14 in the PSAC.  The Golden Eagles will return to game action on Wednesday when they host Carlow at Tippin Gymnasium.   

Jamani Pierce led the Eagles offensively with 16 points, a team high to go along with a team-high eight rebounds.  Manny Powell and BJ Andrews each finished with the team lead in assists with five, while Cam Grumley finished with 15-3-5.  The Golden Eagles shot 45.8% from the field, including 6-20 (30%) from beyond the three-point line.  

Full Results:

The Golden Eagles trailed at the half 48-39 thanks largely in part to some excellent three-point shooting from Mercyhurst.  Although Jamani Pierce and Justin Grant managed to hit from range for the Golden Eagles in the first twenty minutes, Mercyhurst simply had the hotter hand, knocking down 13 total three's on the afternoon.  That combined with tough rebounding on both sides of the ball helped build up the nine-point cushion it took into the half. 

The Golden Eagles mounted a comeback in the second half, however.  A pair of huge buckets from Grumley and Powell cut Mercyhurst's lead to three points just two and a half minutes in.  Cam Grumely's layup a minute later pushed Clarion to within two, 52-50, and a pair of free throws evened things up at 55 soon after. 

It would all be for not, however.  Mercyhurst hit back-to-back three-pointers courtesy of Durrell McDonald and Malcom Walters on consecutive possessions and never looked back, relying on transition D and more of that solid shooting to grind out the 85-70 win at home.