Men's Hoops Rides Hot Shooting Past Saint Anselm, 94-78
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass.- The Merrimack men's basketball team had four players score in double-figures en route to a 94-78 victory over Saint Anselm Sunday afternoon at the Volpe Gym. The Warriors picked up their seventh win of the year as they improved to 7-3 overall and 3-3 in the Northeast-10. The Hawks suffered just their second loss of the season as they sunk to 9-2 overall and 5-2 in the league.
Wayne Mack (Paterson, N.J.) and Aaron Strothers (Wareham, Mass.) each scored a team-high 23 points in the game. Tyler Young (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted his first career double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. Dee Mency (Hagerstown, Md.) contributed 17 points while Roland Davis (Deer Park, N.Y.) added 15 in his first game back from injury.
As a team, the Warriors shot 55% from the floor and connected on half of their three-point attempts.
After a back-and-forth start, Merrimack went on a 10-0 run to gain an eight-point advantage five minutes into the game, 15-7. Saint Anselm answered with seven-straight points to cut the Warriors' lead to just one point.
Merrimack's largest edge came with three minutes remaining in the opening stanza as a lay-up by Young gave the Warriors' an 11-point margin. The home side carried a five-point lead into the break, 39-34.
Strothers paced Merrimack in the first half with 14 points while Mency and Mack each tallied eight. Mack was the Warriors' top rebounder in the opening stanza with five boards to his credit. The Blue and Gold shot 44% from the floor in the initial 20 minutes of play.
The Hawks came out of the intermission with four-straight points to pull the score to 39-38 in favor of the home team. Merrimack restored its five-point lead with two buckets.
The Warriors maintained the edge throughout the second period. Saint Anselm came within a point on two occasions but Merrimack would not relinquish its lead.
Bert Hammel's squad extended its advantage down the stretch as the lead became double digits entering the final two minutes of play. The Warriors largest lead of the game would be turn out to be the final score as Merrimack posted a 16-point win over the Hawks.
The Warriors outrebounded the Hawks, 39-31, on the afternoon. Davis dished out a game-high six assists while Mack and Mency each recorded five helpers.
Merrimack welcomes American International to North Andover for a Northeast-10 Conference contest January 5.
