Men's Hoops Tips-Off Homestand Saturday, Takes On Lowell
The Particulars:
Merrimack looks to hang on to the 12th and final playoff spot as it hosts UMass Lowell February 12. The Warriors head into the three-game homestand with an 11-11 overall record with a 7-11 mark against league opponents. The River Hawks are 15-7 on the year and 11-7 in the Northeast-10.
All-Time Series:
Merrimack narrowly holds the all-time series lead over UMass Lowell. The Warriors have claimed victories in 29 of 53 games against the River Hawks. A tip-in with 1.4 seconds on the clock gave Lowell a one-point win earlier this season.
Last Time Out [Merrimack 62, St. Michael's 71]:
Dee Mency poured in a game-high 26 points as the Warriors fell at Saint Michael's 71-62. Mency drained six three-balls on the night. Wayne Mack finished with 11 points and Adam Marshall added a career-high 10.
Mency Scaling the All-Time List:
After scoring 26 points in Merrimack loss at Saint Michael's February 10, Dee Mency passed Paul Neal and took over fifth-place on the all-time career scoring list. Mency currently has 1,938 points to his credit.
Mency needs just 62 more points to be inducted into the 2,000-point club. Only four Warriors have ever amassed 2,000 points in a career: Ed Murphy, Joe Dickson, Darren Duncan and Gary Duda.
Milestone Watch:
Junior guards Roland Davis and Wayne Mack both appear to be the next members of the 1,000-point club. Davis stands at 941 points while Mack has scored 885 for the Warriors.
He's Honored:
Junior guard Wayne Mack was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week, for the week ending January 12. Mack averaged 23.0 points per game in two wins for the Warriors.
Cleaning the Glass:
Merrimack is third in the Northeast-10 Conference with 28.82 defensive rebounds per game. The Warriors have pulled down a total of 634 boards on the defensive end.
Knock 'em Down:
The Warriors rank second in the Northeast-10 with a field goal percentage of 45.1% and third on 37.5% shooting from downtown. Aaron Strothers leads the league on 64.7% shooting from the floor. Strothers is tied for 12th in the nation in field goal percentage.
Scoring Touch:
Dee Mency is among the league's scoring leaders. Mency ranks second with 20.6 points per game this season, just 2.4 points behind the league leader. Mency scored a game-high 26 points in Merrimack's loss at Saint Michael's February 10.
Iron Man:
Mency is tops on the minutes played charts in the Northeast-10. The senior is averaging 38.32 minutes per game this season. He was on the floor for all 40 minutes in the Warriors' loss at Saint Michael's.
Double-Double Machine:
Sophomore Tyler Young registered a double-double in five games in the month of January. Prior to the month of January, Young had zero double-doubles to his credit in his collegiate career. Young scored 10 points and pulled down 11 boards in Merrimack's loss to Bentley Feb. 3 to up his double-double total to six on the year.
Dee For Three:
Mency leads the league and is fourth nationaly for three-pointers made per game. The senior co-captain is averaging 3.55 triples per contest. He has connected on 78 treys this season. The senior dialed in for six threes in the Warriors' loss at Saint Michael's February 10.
Preseason Prognositications:
The Warriors garnered a No. 22 ranking in the NABC National Preseason Poll. Merrimack was also tabbed to finish third in the Northeast-10 Conference and received one first-place vote. Four other teams earned first-place votes in the poll and Bentley was selected to top the final standings.
Merrimack Head Coach Bert Hammel:
In his 31st season, Warriors' head coach Bert Hammel has compiled a record of 459-419. 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, three of which have occurred in the last three seasons.
Duncan Inks Pro Contract:
Former Warrior Darren Duncan recently signed a professional contract with the Dornbirn Lions of the Austrian Division 2. The 2010 graduate was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Northeast-10 first team selection. Duncan averaged 18.6 points per game, 6.8 assists per game and 2.6 steals per game in his final season. During his time in North Andover, Duncan helped Merrimack to 59 wins and three trips to the NCAA Tournament. As a junior and a senior, he was named as a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award which is presented to the nation's top point guard.
Follow From Home:
Once again this season, Merrimack will stream all home basketball games online at www.merrimackathletics.com. Brett Connolly and Brian Caira will have the call this season. Live stats will be available as well for all home contests.
