Warriors Continue NE-10 Action Saturday Against New Haven
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Full Game Notes
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – After seeing its season-high four-game winning streak snapped on the road against Adelphi on Wednesday night, the Merrimack men's basketball team returns home for back-to-back league tilts in North Andover, starting with a Saturday afternoon showdown against New Haven.
After going more than a month without a loss, Merrimack was handed an 85-74 setback on the road at Adelphi on Wednesday night. The Warriors had gone from Dec. 1, 2012, until Jan. 9, 2013, without tasting defeat.
Since starting the year 1-5, New Haven has won six consecutive contests dating back to Dec. 4. That stretch has included four wins against NE-10 foes after the Chargers went winless in their first four conference tilts.
Merrimack and New Haven have squared off 28 times in the all-time series, one that dates back to the 1968-1969 season. The Warriors own an 18-10 advantage in those previous meetings against New Haven. Last year, Merrimack downed New Haven by 11, 85-74, on the road in the only meeting of the year between the two schools.
Merrimack has dominated the series over the last decade or so with six consecutive victories against New Haven. The last time that the Chargers emerged with the win was back in the 1997-98 season, when New Haven edged Merrimack, 70-68.
Last time out, Merrimack nearly completed a furious rally and cut the deficit to one (65-64), but host Adelphi responded with a late run to close out the contest, as the Warriors saw a season-high four-game winning streak come to a close in an 85-74 defeat to the Panthers on Wednesday night in Garden City, N.Y.
Suffering its first loss since a Dec. 1 setback on the road at UMass-Lowell, Merrimack (6-7, 3-5 Northeast-10 Conference) saw its road record slip to 0-4 on the year, as the Panthers improved to 6-8 overall with an identical 3-5 mark in league play.
In a game that saw Adelphi convert its chances early and often, Merrimack's defense – which had been so strong in holding opponents below 40 percent shooting during that four-game unbeaten stretch – allowed the Panthers to go 30-for-51 (58.8 percent) from the floor and 8-for-12 (66. percent) from long range to secure the win.
The Warriors wound up shooting 43.5 percent (27-for-62) from the floor over the course of the night while chipping in 10 triples on 20 attempts and finishing 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from the free throw line. Adelphi also edged Merrimack in the rebounding battle, 32-30.
Freshman guard Gelvis Solano led all players with a 25-point performance, finishing three points shy of his personal best. The rookie went 9-for-17 from the field and set a new career-high in triples, going 8-for-12 from downtown.
The Chargers, who were picked 10th in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, are the hottest team in the league as of late, winning six in a row after starting the season with just one win in six tries. New Haven has thrived on its home hardwood, posting a 6-1 record at home while going just 1-4 through its first five road matches.
Four players - all starters - average more than 12 ppg on the season, with junior guard Justin Exum leading the way at 17.1 ppg, a mark that ranks fifth in the NE-10. Exum has been dominant from long range, indicative of his league-leading 51.3 percent conversion rate from downtown. Finally, his 87.2 percent clip at the free throw line ranks fourth among all league players.
Behind Exum, senior guard Jeremy Williams has averaged 13.3 ppg while shooting 43.1 percent from the field and 86.7 percent from the stripe, while big man Eric Anderson has hauled down 11.3 rpg, a mark that ranks second in the league. The sophomore center ranks third on the team in scoring (12.5 ppg), just ahead of fellow starter and junior guard Jeffery Adkins, who averages 12.0 ppg and leads the team with 53 assists.
New Haven's offense has ranked in the middle of the pack averaging 67.0 ppg, good for ninth among all league squads. But the Chargers' defense has carried them, as opponents have averaged only 61.2 ppg against New Haven, comprising the third-best scoring defense in the conference.
The Chargers are also the most opportunistic squads at the charity stripe, ranking second in the NE-10 with a conversion rate of 74.6 percent. New Haven has also taken care of the ball, averaging just 11.6 turnovers per match, the second-best mark in the conference.
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