Men's Basketball Hosts Franklin Pierce Aiming for Upset on Senior Night
Men's Basketball Hosts Franklin Pierce Aiming for Upset on Senior Night
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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Needing a win and some help to qualify for the Northeast-10 Conference Championship, the Merrimack men's basketball team welcomes conference rival Franklin Pierce to North Andover, as the Warriors will look to close out the regular season on a high note on Senior Night at Hammel Court.
The Warriors had a chance to move up in the conference standings with a win Saturday, but fell short on the road and now must hope for a win against the Ravens and a Le Moyne loss for a chance to make the postseason.
Prior to Tuesday night's contest, the Merrimack Athletic Department will honor the three-man senior class that will be playing in its final game at Hammel Court. The Warriors will honor seniors Mike Clifford (Danvers, Mass.), Tyler Young (Brooklyn, N.Y.), and Adam Marshall (Kent, England), each of whom will graduate this spring.
The trio has led the Warriors to a 60-50 record over their four years, helping the team advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2010, as well as leading the program advance to three straight Northeast-10 Conference Tournaments.
Young became the 15th-member of the 500-rebound club, and has cracked the top 10 rebounding leader board in program history. Meanwhile, Clifford spent just two seasons with the Warriors after transferring and wasted no time impacting the lineup, eclipsing 700 points in just two seasons on campus. Finally, Marshall has logged valuable minutes off the bench throughout his career.
Merrimack and Franklin Pierce are meeting for just the 24th time, accounting for one of the younger rivalries in program history. The Warriors own a commanding 16-7 advantage in the all-time series over the Ravens, but were handed an 86-69 setback in the first meeting this season back on Nov. 14 in Rindge, N.H.
In Merrimack's most recent outing, the Warriors nearly rallied from what was once a 17-point deficit, but that magic fell short in the waning moments of regulation before eventually falling, 71-67, to Southern New Hampshire in a Northeast-10 Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at the SNHU Fieldhouse.
Trailing, 63-58, with 4:40 to go, the Warriors fought tooth-and-nail down the stretch to keep it a single-possession game. After a SNHU missed basket, freshman Gelvis Solano pulled up for a short-range shot to cut the deficit to one, 65-64, as the game entered the final two minutes of regulation.
But on the next Penmen possession, Rodney Sanders drove to the line and jammed it home while drawing a foul. Despite missing the free throw, that pushed the home side ahead by three with 1:30 left in regulation. Each side would proceed to turn the ball over, giving Merrimack a chance to tie it on the following drive.
The Warriors, however, would miss an open game-tying 3-pointer, giving the rock back to the Penmen with 22.5 ticks to go. SNHU eventually made its way to the free throw line to extend its lead. The Warriors would not go quietly, nailing a 3-pointer to make it a two-point game with five seconds left, but that would be the closest Merrimack would get to, as two final freebies from Mike Stys sealed the deal, as the Warriors fell by four to settle for a season split with the Penmen.
The preseason favorite to win the Northeast-10 Championship, Franklin Pierce started the year by winning eight of its first 10 contests, and after going 6-4 in the month of January, the Ravens have caught fire down the stretch, winning six out of seven in February to vaunt itself back into the national rankings.
Last week, the Ravens saw a six-game winning streak come to an end after being upset at home against Bentley, but FPU bounced back with a nine-point road win at UMass Lowell on Saturday to salvage the week. The Ravens have been a formidable opponent both at home and on the road. FPU owns a 9-3 record in Rindge, N.H., and has also gone 8-3 in 11 road contests.
Nearly four players average double-digits for the Ravens, led by preseason National Player of the Year favorite and NABC All-American Eric Jean-Guillaume. The senior averages 16.4 ppg on 49.5 percent shooting, including 37.4 percent from long range.
Behind him, junior forward Ellis Cooper is another top threat, leading the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg) while ranking second in scoring (13.2). The big man shoots 54.4 percent from the floor, second only to Adrianos Vourliotakis Perdikaris (56.0). Finally, fellow starter Ryen Vilmont averages 11.6 ppg and 5.2 rpg, while Vourliotakis rounds out the quartet of top scorers averaging nearly 10 (9.9) ppg.
As a team, Franklin Pierce excels in plenty categories, representing one of the most well-rounded squads in the NE-10. The Ravens' rank second in shooting (46.0 percent), fourth in free throw shooting (73.4), second in assists per game (15.6), second in steals per game (8.3), and fourth in scoring offense (72.6).
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