Men's Basketball Set to Face Franklin Pierce in Home Opener at Hammel Court
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
The Particulars:
Merrimack will host Franklin Pierce University in the 2011-12 home opener and first conference game of the year. The Warriors head into league play with a 2-0 record. The Ravens own a 2-0 overall mark on the season.
All-Time Series:
Merrimack holds the all-time series lead over Franklin Pierce, a 15-5 advantage. Last season, the Warriors prevailed over the Ravens in both meetings. Merrimack has not dropped a decision to Franklin Pierce since February 16, 2005.
Last Time Out [Merrimack 87, Felician 53]:
The Warriors moved to 2-0 on the year with an 87-53 non-conference victory over Felician at the Bentley Tip-Off Classic November 12. Roland Davis led all players with 21 points while Mike Clifford pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Davis Drops 33 to Join Elite Club:
Senior Roland Davis netted his 1,000th career point in Merrimack's season-opening victory over Bloomfield. Davis poured in 33 points to become the 37th member of the 1,000 point club at Merrimack.
Milestone Watch:
Senior guard Wayne Mack is just 15 points shy of amassing 1,000 career points. Mack currently stands at 985 career points and would become the 38th player in program history to eclipse the millenium mark.
Lucky Number 87:
Merrimack posted 87 points in each of its first two games of the 2011-12 season. The Warriors topped Bloomfield 87-79 and Felician 87-53 at the Bentley Tip-Off Classic.
Home, Sweet Home:
THe Warriors will open a four-game home stand when it hosts the Ravens at Hammel Court. Merrimack will take on non-conference foes Holy Family November 18, Philadelphia University November 20 and Northeast-10 rival Bentley November 22.
Firing Out of the Gates:
Roland Davis leads the Northeast-10 Conference and Merrimack in scoring with 27 points per game. In the first two contests of the season, Davis tallied 33 and 21 points.
Consistency Counts:
Aaron Strothers is second in the Northeast-10 in field goal percentage this season. He has connected on 75% of his attempts from the floor. Last year, Strothers led the league with a 64.6 field goal percentage while also ranking eighth nationally.
Robbing the Bank:
Wayne Mack leads the conference with eight steals early on in the season. Mack finished the 2010-11 campaign with 41 thefts to rank first on the squad.
Reserve Funds:
The Merrimack bench has outscored the opposition's nonstarters in each of the first two contests this season. The Warriors bench combined for 18 points in the season-opening victory over Bloomfield. The next night, Merrimack's nonstarters contributed 23 points in the win over Felician. The Warriors' bench outdueled the opponent's bench on five occasions last year.
Northeast-10 Conference Season Honors:
Roland Davis
- Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week (Nov. 14)
Preseason Prognostications:
Merrimack was chosen to finish seventh in the 2011-12 Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Warriors concluded the 2010-11 campaign tied for 10th in the league standings after being ranked third in the preseason poll.
Merrimack Head Coach Bert Hammel:
In his 32nd season, Warriors' head coach Bert Hammel has compiled a record of 461-423. The 1973 graduate of Bentley College won his 400th game on January 22, 2008 at St. Anselm. He has taken Merrimack to the NCAA tourney six times, including three staright trips from 2008 to 2010. Hammel has guided the Warriors to the Northeast-10 playoffs in each of the past nine seasons.
Same Court, New Name:
On October 22, 2010, Merrimack College renamed Volpe Gym in honor of longtime head coach Bert Hammel. In a special dedication ceremony, Hammel Court was unveiled in front of numerous alumni, fans and friends of head coach Bert Hammel.
Duncan Leads Dornbirn:
Former Warrior standout point guard Darren Duncan, guided the Dornbirn Lions to the Austria Division II Championship. Duncan was named the Most Valuable Player as he averaged 25.5 points per game. He drained the game-winning three-pointer in the semifinals to send his team to the title game. Duncan donned a Merrimack uniform from 2006-2010 and was a three-time Northeast-10 All-Conference honoree.
Follow From Home:
Once again this season, Merrimack has partnered with AmericaOne to provide webstreaming for all home basketball games. Live stats will also be available at www.merrimackathletics.com.
