Warriors Win 11th Straight; Duncan Assists Among Best in NE-10 History
Eagle-Tribune
Article
NORTH ANDOVER, MA - In Merrimack's 11th straight win
Wednesday evening over the College of Saint Rose, 83-72, senior
captain Darren Duncan
(Briarwood, NY) authored the latest chapter in his
illustrious basketball-playing career becoming the second all-time
leader in assists in the Northeast-10 Conference (737).
"Darren is just a flat out player," said Merrimack head coach
Bert
Hammel following his Duncan's milestone mark.
"He is one of those players that come along once in a lifetime and
it's a ride that you don't want to end."
With 10 assists on the night, Duncan passed Saint Anselm's Pat
Delaney's ('03) mark of 731 for not just second in the Conference
all-time, but 12th all-time among NCAA Division II
assist leaders and tops among active players.
When asked what the milestone meant to him, Duncan pushed aside
his personal accomplishments to reflect on what the goals of
the team have been since day one.
"It's a great honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as some
of the greats at Merrimack and in the Northeast-10, but our
philosophy has always been to work harder and prepare more as a
team than the other team," Duncan said. "We simply take it
one day at a time and one game at a time."
A Bob Cousy Award nominee for the second straight year,
Duncan followed up a pair of sub-30 point games last week-that
earned him Northeast-10 Player of the Week-with 26 on Wednesday
night to improve upon his season average of 18.7 points per
game. With 1,771 career points, Duncan becomes the 6th
all-time scorer at Merrimack jumping past Dana Skinner [left] on
Wednesday night. With four more points, he will enter the top
five, moving ahead of fellow Cousy Award finalist--and
1962 Cousy Award recipient--Roger Damphousse.
Currently riding the longest win streak in his 30-year career,
head coach Bert Hammel is sold on Duncan as being
more than your typical point guard.
"Darren has clearly exhibited his ability to create for
teammates with all the assists, but the great ones can score too,
which he does without compromising the team's goals."
Duncan reciprocated those sentiments when talking about his
coach that recruited him out of New York five years ago.
"Bert is simply one of the best people I know, on and off the
court. He has taught me so much about not just basketball,
but how to carry myself as a person. I feel as though I've
become an extension of him on the basketball court."
Duncan and the Warriors trailed 5-4 to Saint Rose early into the
contest on Wednesday night, but that would be the last time they
played from behind as Merrimack ran off a 17-5 run, including four
of Duncan's 12 free throws, to take a halftime lead. With 14
more free throws, Duncan would also become the all-time leader in
free throws made in Northeast-10 Conference history, passing Drew
Adderly of Assumption College at 642.
Conceding a season-low three turnovers on the night, Merrimack
used an astounding 22-0 advantage on points off turnovers to lead
by as much as 20 early in the second half and run away with their
10th straight Conference win.
Without the services of the team's leading scorer (entering
Wednesday), Dee Mency (Hagerstown,
MD), for much of the game, sophomore Aaron Strothers
(Wareham, MA) stepped up with a career-high 18 points to
go with eight boards. Strothers also matched a career-high
with four blocks on the evening.
Starting sophomores Roland Davis (Deer
Park, NY) and Wayne Mack (Paterson,
NJ) also chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Prior to the win on Wednesday, Duncan and the Warriors received
two votes in the NABC Division II Poll.
The Warrior men return to the court on Saturday at Pace
University for a 3:30pm tip-off in Pleasantville, New York.
One a quest for the program record of 14-straight wins, Duncan
and the Warriors will hope to use the momentum they have gained
that has seen them without a loss in nearly two months (Nov. 24 vs
Stonehill: 65-60).
"Our hard work in practice has translated into success in games
so far, but it's the hard work on a daily basis that will carry us
through the rest of the year and the postseason," Duncan
said. "We have our sights set on the next game and don't
worry about the past because it's always about the next game for
us."
