Men's Hoops Set to Square Off Against Southern Connecticut State Saturday at Home
Game Notes (.pdf)
The Particulars:
Merrimack returns home to face Southern Connecticut State January 14. The Warriors enter the game with a 7-7 overall record with a 4-6 mark in the conference. The Owls are 6-8 on the year and 4-6 in league play.
All-Time Series:
Merrimack holds the all-time series lead against Southern Connecticut with 20 wins and 18 losses. The Warriors lost by two on the road last season to the Owls.
Last Time Out [Merrimack 63, Le Moyne 81]:
The Warriors endured an 81-63 loss at Le Moyne January 11. Wayne Mack led Merrimack with 16 points and three steals. Tyler Young deposited 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting while Aaron Strothers chipped in with 13 points. Mike Clifford was the Warriors' top rebounder with 10 boards on the night. Merrimack was plagued by turnovers in the game with 19 giveaways.
Duo Joins Elite Millenium 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.
Senior guard Wayne Mack amassed 1,000 career points with a 22-point performance in Merrimack's 85-75 victory over Franklin Pierce November 16. Mack became the 38th player in program history and second this season to eclipse the millenium mark.
Nothin' But Net:
Merrimack ranks first in the Northeast-10 with 411 field goals made this season. Aaron Strothers is fifth in the conference with 89 made buckets while Wayne Mack is seventh with 85.
Strothers Striving For 1,000th Point:
Senior forward Aaron Strothers enters the game with 942 career points. Strothers needs just 58 points to become the newest member of the millenium club at Merrimack. He would become the third player to achieve the milestone mark this season.
Minute Minders:
Wayne Mack and Roland Davis rank in the top five Northeast-10 Conference in minutes played this season. Through seven contests, Mack has played 532 minutes while Davis has been on the court for 489. In Merrimack's overtime loss to Stonehill November 27, Mack logged a career-high 45 minutes.
Consistency Counts:
Aaron Strothers is third in the Northeast-10 and 15th nationally in field goal percentage this season. He has connected on 62.2% of his attempts from the floor. Last year, Strothers led the league with a 64.6 field goal percentage while also ranking eighth nationally.
Boarding School:
Wayne Mack leads the league with 89 defensive rebounds this year. Aaron Strothers is tied for second in the conference with 42 offensive boards this season.
Reserve Funds:
The Merrimack bench outscored the opposition's nonstarters in five 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.
All-Time Record:
In its 56-year history, the Merrimack men's basketball team has compiled a 690-677 all-time record. The Warriors began play in 1954-55, going 8-15 on the year.
Northeast-10 Conference Season Honors:
Roland Davis
- Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week (Nov. 14)
Wayne Mack
- Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week (Dec. 5)
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 466-430. 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, 2011, 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.
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.
