ERIE, Pa. – Michelle Jahn's layup to start the contest gave 15th-ranked Edinboro a lead it never relinquished, as five Fighting Scots scored in double figures in a 73-54 win at Mercyhurst at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. The Fighting Scots were without head coach Stan Swank for the second consecutive game, as he was attending his father's funeral. Callie Wheeler served as head coach during Wednesday's contest.
 
With the win, Edinboro picked up its 50th all-time victory against the Lakers. The Fighting Scots are now 16-2 overall with a 12-2 mark in the PSAC West, while the Lakers dropped to 7-12 and 5-8 in conference play. Edinboro is ranked 15th in the WBCA Division II poll.
 
Edinboro started the contest on a 10-2 run, which led to a 26-13 advantage after 10 minutes. The Fighting Scots shot 64.3 percent (9-of-14) in the stanza, with Michaela Barnes leading Edinboro with eight points.
 
In the second quarter, the Fighting Scots were outscored 13-12, but Jontay Walton scored seven of Edinboro's 12 points. Despite the offensive struggle, the Scots held a 38-26 halftime lead.
 
Edinboro ended the first half shooting 50.0 percent (14-of-28) from the floor, connected on 41.7 percent (5-of-12) of its 3-pointers and went 5-for-7 (71.4 pct.) from the line. Mercyhurst was held to 11-of-26 shooting (42.3 pct.), made 2-of-6 shots (33.3 pct.) from behind the arc and went 2-of-2 at the charity stripe.
 
Walton was the lone player to tally double digits after 20 minutes with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, to go with three steals. Ciara Rosten and Barnes each added eight points.
 
Laker Maria Lapertosa started the second half by scoring the first points of the third stanza on a 3-pointer. It cut Edinboro's lead to 38-29, marking the first time Edinboro was up by single digits since 21-13 in the first quarter. Mercyhurst would come to within four points on three occasions in the quarter.
 
Over the final 2:17 of the period, Ayana Vaughn scored five of Edinboro's seven points to head into the fourth quarter up 52-45. Her scoring run extended into the fourth stanza, scoring back-to-back layups for the Fighting Scots.
 
Edinboro outscored Mercyhurst 21-9 in the fourth quarter, and equaled its shooting mark of 64.3 percent (9-of-14) from the floor. The Lakers were held to 27.3 percent on 3-of-12 shooting.
 
Edinboro shot 50.9 percent (29-of-57) from the floor including 7-of-17 3-pointers, and went 8-of-10 from the charity stripe. Mercyhurst connected on 41.5 percent (22-of-53) of its shots, while going 6-of-14 from behind the arc and 4-for-6 on free throws.
 
Walton led the Fighting Scots with 19 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor. The 5'5" guard also tied her career-high of six steals. Rosten recorded her ninth double-double of the campaign with 17 points on 6-of-11, and 10 rebounds. Barnes ended the night with 13 points, and both Jahn and Vaughn contributed 11 points.
 
Whitney Allen and Jahn were also busy on the glass. Allen brought down eight rebounds, including five on the offensive end, while Jahn tied her season-high of seven boards. Barnes also recorded three steals, while Allen, Jahn and Rosten each had a pair of takeaways.
 
Kori Sidwell and Emily Shopene were the lone Lakers to score in double figures. Sidewell led Mercyhurst with 15 points on 6-of-11. Shopene connected on 5-of-8 baskets, including 3-of-4 from long range, and was the team's leading rebounder with eight boards. Lauren Lapertosa and Emilee Norris each tallied three steals.
 
The Fighting Scots forced 19 turnovers, leading to 17 points. They also had a 15-8 advantage in steals and outscored the Lakers, 38-18, in the paint. The 15 steals were Edinboro's second-most in a contest this year.
 
Edinboro concludes its three-game roadtrip on Wednesday, January 31, at Pitt-Johnstown. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.