Second-Half Comeback Propels Men's Basketball Past Holy Family, 71-55, Friday Night
Links: Box Score
WALTHAM, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team trailed Holy Family University, 35-26, entering the second half of the Navy and Gold's season opener, but the Warriors started the second stanza on a 26-3 run to pull away from the Tigers in the Bentley Tip-Off Classic on Friday night, 71-55.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 71 | Holy Family 55
Records: Merrimack (1-0) | Holy Family (0-1)
Location: Dana Center | Waltham, Mass.
What They Said
Head coach Bert Hammel: "There was a little bit of a struggle in the first half, we weren't clicking offensively through the first 20 minutes. Our defense remained solid minus a couple of lapses and thankfully the offense came through to push us to get the victory."
How It Happened
The Navy and Gold certainly did not want to being the 2014-15 campaign with the way they performed in the first half against Holy Family. Merrimack did hold leads of 8-2 and 12-7 within the first four minutes of the half, but that's when the Tigers started to gain control of the contest.
Over a nearly eight-minute span from the 11:27 mark to the four-minute mark of the first half, Holy Family outscored Merrimack, 15-5, to take a 29-19 in the contest.
The Warriors cut the deficit to 35-26 over the final four minutes, starting the second half facing a nine-point deficit.
As a team, the Warriors shot less than 30 percent from the field, including a measly 1-10 from 3-point range.
When the second half began, it was as simple as knocking down shots that got the Warriors going. The 23-point spurt began with a 13-0 run over the first 4:09 of the second half. Junior forward James Kennedy (Dorchester, Mass.), making his Merrimack debut, scored four points over the span and junior guard Troy Hammel (Valencia, Calif.) totaled five points as Merrimack took its first lead since early in the first half.
Holy Family hit its lone field goal over the first nine minutes of the second half to cut Merrimack's lead to 39-38, but then Merrimack answered with another 13-0 outburst.
With 11 minutes to go in the game, Merrimack led 52-38, after trailing by nine points just nine minutes earlier. Hammel scored all 10 of his points over that nine-minute segment, while senior Gelvis Solano (New York, N.Y.) added three 3-pointers.
The Warriors held the Tigers, who last season finished with 21 victories and advanced to the CACC Finals, to 20 second-half points. Holy Family made only five field goals over the final 20 minutes.
Inside The Numbers
- After making the all-conference third team as a sophomore, Solano certainly showed why he will be a force to be reckoned with as a junior. He led all players in points (23), rebounds (13) and steals (6). That doesn't event take into account his four assists, which were the second most of any player.
- Junior forward Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) also totaled a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds
- Kennedy finished his Merrimack debut with seven points and eight boards over 19 minutes of action. Freshman Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) also played for the first time this season with the Warriors, playing in 20 minutes of off the bench.
- Merrimack dominated the glass, outrebounding the Tigers, 53-35, and 17-5 on the offensive glass
Up Next
The Warriors continue play in the Tip-Off Classic tomorrow at 6 p.m. when they'll battle No. 14 Philadelphia University.
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