The Erie Royals pushed their score all the way to 66 on Saturday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell to Mercyhurst Prep 71-66. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Erie came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 92nd, while Mercyhurst Prep is ranked 221st).
It was another big night for Craig Buckner, who scored 28 points along with three steals for Mercyhurst Prep. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Buckner has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Tanner Ashton, who scored 12 points along with four steals.
Erie's defeat ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-6. As for Mercyhurst Prep, the victory was the eighth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 13-7.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Erie will take on Fort LeBoeuf at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Erie is facing Fort LeBoeuf at the right time seeing as Fort LeBoeuf is stuck on a nine-game losing streak. As for Mercyhurst Prep, they will be playing in front of their home fans against North East at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Mercyhurst Prep's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last seven contests.
