Men's Basketball Returns to Hardwood to Face Adelphi Tuesday Evening at Hammel Court
Game Notes (.pdf)
The Particulars:
Merrimack returns from a 23-day hiatus to host league-leading Adelphi January 3 at Bert Hammel Court. The Warriors are 6-5 on the year and 3-4 in the Northeast-10. The Panthers sit atop the league standings with a 6-1 conference mark and a 9-2 overall record.
All-Time Series:
Merrimack trails in the all-time series with Adelphi 5-7. The Warriors endured a narrow one-point loss in last season's meeting at Adelphi.
Last Time Out [Merrimack 63, Southern NH 70]:
The Warriors suffered a 70-63 loss at Southern NH to close out the 2011 portion of the schedule. Aaron Strothers led the way for Merrimack with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the floor to go along with 11 rebounds. Wayne Mack added 13 points and Wilfredo Pagan scored a career-high 10.
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 third in the Northeast-10 with 310 field goals made this season. Aaron Strothers is third in the conference with 61 made buckets while Wayne Mack is sixth with 67.
Strothers Striving For 1,000th Point:
Senior forward Aaron Strothers enters the game with 901 career points. Strothers needs just 99 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 1-2 in the Northeast-10 Conference in minutes played this season. Through seven contests, Mack has played 419 minutes while Davis has been on the court for 401. 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 in field goal percentage this season. He has connected on 63.2% 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 76 defensive rebounds this year. Aaron Strothers is tied for second in the conference with 24 offensive boards this season.
Reserve Funds:
The Merrimack bench outscored the opposition's nonstarters in four 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)
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 465-428. 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.
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.
