ERIE, Pa. — Chicago State (2-19, 0-8 NEC) fell to Mercyhurst (10-11, 5-3 NEC) 61-59 on Sunday at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Cougars recorded six steals and committed only six turnovers but could not maintain the lead in the second half.
Chicago State opened the game with a quick layup by
Malek Robinson at the 18:25 mark, establishing an early lead. Mercyhurst responded with a 3-pointer from Bernie Blunt at 17:04 to take the advantage. The teams exchanged leads throughout the half, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers from
Braelon Bush and
Chauncey Gibson that helped the Cougars regain the upper hand. A late 3-pointer by
Doyel Cockrill III with 28 seconds left put CSU up 28-26 at the end of the first half.
In the second half, Mercyhurst gained an early advantage with Bernie Blunt hitting a 3-pointer at 19:38, giving them a 29-28 lead. Blunt continued to be a key player, adding a layup and a free throw to extend their lead to 32-28. Chicago State's
CJ Ray responded with two free throws to close the gap to 32-30.
Corey Sands hit a 3-pointer at 17:11, tying the game briefly at 33-33. However, Mercyhurst maintained a slight edge, with Jake Lemelman and Christian Gamble contributing crucial points. As the clock ticked down, Bernie Blunt's 3-pointer at 1:16 widened Mercyhurst's lead to 61-57, and despite
Marcus Tankersley's late layup, Mercyhurst held on for a close 61-59 victory.
Braelon Bush scored 13 points and recorded three steals, making three of his five 3-point attempts.
Doyel Cockrill III added 13 points and contributed two assists.
Malek Robinson was effective on defense with two steals and added four rebounds.
Dailliss Cox collected nine rebounds and scored four points.
Up next for the Cougars is a home matchup against Saint Francis University on Thursday, Jan. 29. The game will tip off at 6 p.m. at the Jones Convocation Center in Chicago, Illinois.
