Chicago State triumphed over Mercyhurst with a final score of 85-78 on Thursday night, thanks in large part to Jalen Forrest’s impressive performance, scoring 37 points.

Forrest demonstrated his shooting ability, going 8-of-18 from the field and excelling at the free-throw line with an impressive 17-of-20. His teammates contributed as well, with Noble Crawford scoring 14 points while connecting on 6-of-13 attempts, including 2-of-8 from three-point range, and also recording four steals. Quincy Allen rounded out the scoring for the Cougars with 10 points, hitting 4-of-8 from the field but struggling from long distance with no successful attempts out of three.

On the other side, the Lakers were powered by Aidan Reichert, who led his team with 20 points and secured seven rebounds. Jeff Planutis added 15 points and recorded two steals for Mercyhurst, while Mykolas Ivanauskas contributed a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Both teams are set to play again on Saturday, with Chicago State preparing to host Saint Francis and Mercyhurst facing Le Moyne at home.