LIU Sharks vs Mercyhurst Lakers Prediction, 2/21/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: LIU Sharks vs Mercyhurst Lakers

Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026

Location: Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie, PA

TV: ESPN+

The Mercyhurst Lakers (13-14) will play the LIU Sharks (18-9) at Mercyhurst Athletic Center on Saturday.

The LIU Sharks took the court against Wagner and took home the win by a score of 83-65 in their last contest. When discussing fouls, the Sharks ended up with 20 and Wagner had 14 fouls. They knocked down 6 out of their 14 tries from three-point range. Wagner finished the game shooting 59.1% at the free throw line by burying 13 of 22 attempts. On top of that, Wagner grabbed 27 rebounds (12 offensive, 15 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. Wagner earned 11 dimes and had 5 steals for this game. In regard to defending, LIU let their opponent shoot 41.8% from the floor on 23 out of 55 shooting. They also doled out 16 assists for this contest as well as forcing the other team into 15 turnovers and getting 11 steals. When it comes to pulling down boards, they compiled a total of 28 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. From the free throw line, the Sharks made 9 of their 13 attempts for a rate of 69.2%. LIU walked away from the contest having earned a 58.2% field goal percentage (32 out of 55) and made 10 out of their 19 shots from beyond the arc.

Jamal Fuller is a player who was a contributor for this game. He shot 72.7% from the field and also totaled 2 assists. He was on the hardwood for 32 mins played and also grabbed 3 rebounds. He ended up with 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting.

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LIU will play this contest with a win-loss mark of 18-9 for the campaign. They currently have an average of 73.2 points per game (257th in Division 1) while hitting 47.0% from the field. The Sharks are hitting 35.4% on three-point attempts (163 of 460) and 65.7% from the charity stripe. As a team, LIU is pulling in 36.1 boards per contest and has 371 assists for the campaign, which ranks 187th in the country in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession via turnover 13.6 times per game and as a group are committing 17.9 personal fouls per contest.

On the defensive end, the Sharks are able to force 13.0 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 16.9 personal fouls. They rank 95th in college hoops in giving up assists to the opposition with 329 conceded on the season. The Sharks are allowing a field goal percentage of 44.3% (693 of 1,565) and they surrender 33.7 rebounds per game as a team. They are surrendering 31.2% from 3-point land and they are ranked 110th in college in points per game from their opponents (71.1).

When they last stepped on the court, the Mercyhurst Lakers got the victory with a final of 94-79 against Saint Francis. In reference to rebounding, Mercyhurst permitted Saint Francis to grab 18 overall (5 offensive). They went 46.7% from 3-point land by going 7 out of 15 and walked away from this one shooting 20 out of 33 from the charity stripe (60.6%). The Lakers allowed Saint Francis to make 26 out of their 50 tries from the floor which gave them a rate of 52.0% for the game. In all, the Lakers went 35 for 58 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 60.3%. When it comes to shots from distance, Mercyhurst made 8 of their 21 tries (38.1%). They were able to bury 16 of the free throws for a rate of 88.9%. Saint Francis committed 16 fouls for this game which took the Lakers to the free throw line for a total of 18 shots. They turned the ball over 8 times, while recording 7 steals in this matchup. The Lakers collected 26 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive boards for a total of 33 for this game.

Bernie Blunt III ended up being a factor for the Lakers for this game. He converted 11 out of 22 for the game for a field goal rate of 50.0%, and earned 8 rebounds. He totaled 31 points in his 35 mins of playing time and tallied 4 assists for the contest.

Mercyhurst has a record of 13-14 this season. The Lakers are committing 17.9 personal fouls per game and they shoot 71.0% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 14.9 times per game (122nd in Division 1) and they are turning it over 9.8 times per contest. Mercyhurst has scored 1,838 points so far this season (68.1 per contest) and they pull down 32.2 boards per game. On the offensive side of the court, the Lakers are connecting on 45.3% from the field, which ranks 174th in the country.

The Lakers are ranked 19th in D-1 in PPG given up with 66.0. They are able to force 13.0 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 43.4% from the floor (142nd in D-1). The Mercyhurst defense concedes 32.7% on shots from beyond the arc (162 of 496) and their opposition makes 69.4% of their foul shots. They allow 12.2 dimes and 34.3 boards on a nightly basis, which ranks them 86th and 179th in the country.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Mercyhurst

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