Superb Second Half Rewards Women's Hoops with 10th Victory of Season
MANCHESTER, N.H.- The Merrimack women's basketball team claimed its second-consecutive road win with a 65-53 victory over Saint Anselm Saturday afternoon at Stoutenburgh Gym. The Warriors improve to 10-10 overall and 8-8 in Northeast-10 action this season. The Hawks fall to 9-12 on the year with a 6-11 mark in conference games.
Katie Ganser (Needham, Mass.) registered a game-high 16 points for Merrimack. Gennifer Roy (Granby, Mass.) finished with 11 points while Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) contributed eight points and six boards. Tiffany Colon (Lawrence, Mass.), Taneka Brown (Lynn, Mass.) and Kelly Schatzlein (Tolland, Conn.) all netted 10 points. Colon recorded a double-double by pulling down 11 rebounds in the win.
The two sides traded points in the first half, resulting in a tie game at the break, 30-30.
The Warriors utilized a stellar second period of play to distance themselves from the hosts. Merrimack shot 46% from three-point distance in the second 20 minutes of play. A four-minute span saw Ganser and Benischek each bury a pair of treys to fire up the offense.
A 10-0 run separated the Warriors en route to picking up their 10th win of the year.
Ganser connected on 4-of-7 from downtown. As a team, Merrimack shot 34% from behind the arc in the contest and 37.9% from the floor in the game. Saint Anselm was limited to 21% shooting in the second half and 29% in the game.
The Hawks owned the rebounding advantage 44-42, including a 19-14 margin on the offensive glass.
"Our defense in the second half played a vital role in giving us a lead. We gave a great effort and had focus and determination on the offensive end," said head coach Helen Williams. "Katie had her best game of the year I felt. Overall, the team played really well and we'll need to continue with that level of play since we have two road games coming up."
The Warriors look to extend their success on the road February 8 as they visit Stonehill for a midweek clash.
