Struggling Teams Clash as New Haven Visits Mercyhurst

ERIE, Pa. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in Northeast Conference play will meet Thursday when the New Haven Chargers visit the Mercyhurst Lakers in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game.

The matchup at Mercyhurst Athletic Center features teams with nearly identical records. New Haven enters at 5-12 overall, while Mercyhurst sits at 4-13. Both squads are coming off weekend results, with the Chargers falling 50-45 at Wagner on Saturday and the Lakers earning a 63-58 road win at Stonehill the same day.

New Haven will lean on guard Merit Innocent, who is coming off a strong performance. She scored a team-high 15 points in 30 minutes in the loss to Wagner. Over her last three games, Innocent is averaging 12 points.

Mercyhurst counters with its own backcourt leader in Erica Hall. She played all 40 minutes and scored 17 points in the victory over Stonehill, her third double-figure scoring effort in the last five games. In the Lakers’ 69-66 win over Wagner on Jan. 10, Hall added 10 points and six rebounds.

The Chargers have shown flashes, including a 70-51 home win over Central Connecticut on Jan. 4, but have lost three of their last four. The Lakers have been inconsistent but ride a modest two-game winning streak, having also defeated Central Connecticut 80-63 on Jan. 15.

This game begins a key stretch for both programs as they navigate the conference schedule. New Haven travels to Saint Francis (Pa.) on Saturday, while Mercyhurst visits Chicago State the same day. The teams will meet again in a rematch at New Haven on Jan. 29.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Thursday at Mercyhurst Athletic Center.