AMHERST, N.Y. - In a game that featured 18 lead changes, the Daemen College men's basketball team came out on the short end of a 75-69 final score against visiting Mercyhurst University in a tightly-contested non-conference matchup at Lumsden Gymnasium tonight.

With the loss, Daemen drops to 1-2 overall this season, the first time the Wildcats have been below .500 overall since mid-December of 2013; Daemen rebounded to win 16 of their final 17 regular season games that season and finished the year at 21-7 overall.

Mercyhurst, a team coming off its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth last season, and picked to win the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division this season, picked up its fourth win of the season (4-1 overall) while playing in its third game in the last four nights.

Sean Beins, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, came off the bench to hit 9-of-11 shots from the field, scoring a game-high 19 points, while grabbing five rebounds to pace the Lakers.  Senior guard Damon Jones chipped in 14 points, with half of his output coming at the charity stripe where he canned 7-of-8.  The Lakers picked up additional double-figure scoring efforts from Gerrae Williams (11 points) and Jean Onana (10 points) with Onana's production coming in a reserve role.

Daemen, which shot out of the gates averaging 97.5 points per game in its first two outings, was held down today by a solid Mercyhurst defensive effort.  The Lakers came in to tonight's contest ranked 25th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 64.8 points per game.  The Wildcats were paced by junior forward Arif Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y./SUNYDelhi) who hit 5-of-10 shot from the field as part of a 12-point outing.  Senior guard/forward Torrence Dyck (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) and freshman guard Jay Sarki (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) each netted 11 points in the loss.

It was evident early on that this would be a back-and-forth affair as neither team led by more than five for the entire first half.  Mercyhurst used a 7-0 spurt to lead 30-25 with 3:52 remaining in the opening frame, their run capped by a pair of Jones freebies.  But, Daemen would end the period with a 6-0 spurt of their own, sparked by a Dyck layup and a Sarkis three-pointer, to lead by one (31-30) at the intermission.

The teams would trade the lead seven times over the first four minutes of the second half, before a Mehmataj layup knotted the count at 44-44 with 12:32 to go.  That bucket was followed by another Mehmetaj lay-in as the 6-foot-7 junior was the catalyst for what turned out to be a 9-0 run, helping Daemen jump out to a 51-44 edge, the largest separation of the game.

Mercyhurst came scratching back, cutting the Daemen lead to three (51-48) following a layup by Beins.  But, Daemen responded with back-to-back threes by the greenhorn Sarkis, his jumpers sandwiched around another bucket by Beins to have Daemen in the lead again by seven (57-50) with 8:29 to play.

The Lakers would score the next six points, getting back-to-back old-fashioned three-point plays, one by Beins and the second by Kayode Ajenifuja, to cut the Daemen lead to one (57-56).  But, the Wildcats pushed back to a five-point lead (61-56) after two Jesse Lalka (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) free throws and a layup by Mehmetaj.

The game of runs continued as the Lakers mounted a game-changing 14-4 spurt to establish a 70-65 lead with 2:06 to play.  A Williams three-pointer at the 3:49 mark broke a 61-61 tie and gave the guests a lead they would not relinquish.  After Ryan Grandits (Kenmore, N.Y./Medaille College) split a pair of free throws for Daemen, Mercyhurst struck from deep again as Onana drilled his second trifecta of the game a the 2:58 mark.  H'ian Hale split a pair of throws to cap the spurt.

Daemen would cut the deficit to three on two ocassions late in the game, first on a Mehmetaj bucket with 1:09 remaining to make the score 70-67, and later on two Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge) freebies with 35 ticks left to trail 72-69.  Daemen nearly came up with a steal on the ensuing inbounds pass, but it knocked out of bounds, allowing Mercyhurst to regroup.  The Lakers' second try was more successful as Jones, being trapped against the sideline by two Daemen defenders, heaved a desperation pass down court which found a streaking Hale who converted an uncontested layup to re-establish a two-possession game (74-69).  Daemen's final possessions came up empty and Jones knocked in one free throw with 11 seconds left to provide the final margin.

Mercyhurst shot 57-percent from the field (28-for-49), including 7-of-16 shooting from three-point range (44-percent).  The Lakers came into the game converting just 33-percent of their three-point attempts this season.

Daemen shot 21-of-44 from the field (48-percent), but managed just 6-of-18 from long range (33-percent).  

Mercyhurst turned 17 Daemen turnovers into 20 points, and also held an 11-4 edge in second-chance points, and a 32-24 boon in bench scoring.

The back-and-forth nature of this one was highlighted in time led: Daemen held a lead for 17:21 while Mercyhurst led for 17:16.

Daemen will look to regroup after the Thanksgiving holiday when the Wildcats hit the road for the first time this season, visiting Slippery Rock University next Tuesday, December 1 for a 7 p.m. tip-off.