Men's Basketball Falters vs. Franklin Pierce, 76-71
Links: Box Score
RINDGE, N.H. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team led late into the second half against Franklin Pierce, but the Warriors could not hold on, 76-71, on Sunday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 71 | Franklin Pierce 76
Records: Merrimack (2-2, 0-2 NE-10) | Franklin Pierce (3-2, 1-0 NE-10)
Location: Fieldhouse | Rindge, N.H.
What They Said
Head coach Bert Hammel: "It was a tough game for us. The guys played hard in the second half, and were able to take the lead at different points. We had some defensive lapses down the stertch and we weren't able to finish the way that we wanted to."
How It Happened
Merrimack executed a second-half comeback for the fourth time this season, taking the lead against the Ravens after trailing for most of the first half.
The Navy and Gold stormed out of the locker room, riding a 7-0 run to tie the game 40-40 less than two minutes into the second half. Junior guard Gelvis Solano (New York, N.Y.) scored five over of the seven Warriors' points to begin the half.
The teams went back-and-forth over the next six minutes , when a Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) layup garnered Merrimack its first lead since the game was 4-0 early in the first half. Pierce made a couple of free throws 30 seconds later to reclaim the lead, but it would remain a one-possession game over the next seven minutes.
With 5:19 remaining in the game, JT Strickland (Laurel, Md.) knocked down a three-pointer to put the Warriors in front, 66-64. Unfortunately for Merrimack, the lead would not last. The Ravens answered with an 8-0 run over the next two minutes to extend their lead to 74-66. The Warriors scored the next five points to make it a one-possession game at 74-71 with 15 seconds left, but Franklin Pierce hit two free throws to ice the game.
For the fourth straight time to begin the season, the Warriors trailed at halftime. The first half was tightly contested, even though the Ravens led the majority of the half.
Free throws from James Kennedy (Dorchester, Mass.) and a layup from Strickland gave Merrimack a 4-0 lead just 1:03 into the contest. Franklin Pierce responded with a 10-0 run to take a six-point advantage, but the Warriors would score the next five points of the game to make it 10-9 at the 15:14 mark.
Over the next five minutes the teams would exchange baskets as the score read 17-15 in favor of Franklin Pierce with 10:35 to play. The Ravens went on a quick five-point spurt to increase their advantage to 22-15.
The deficit for the Navy and Gold would hover around there for the remainder of the half. Merrimack got as close as four points over the final few minutes of the half, while Franklin Pierce stretched the lead to as many as nine points.
Junior guard Troy Hammel (Valencia, Calif.) led the team with nine first-half points, while Strickland chipped in eight points on three-for-five shooting.
Inside The Numbers
- Strickland scored a season-high 19 points, while Hammel poured in 17 points, which is also a season best for him. Strickland added a career-high nine rebounds, one board shy of a double-double
- Howes played in a career-high 31 minutes off of the bench. He totaled seven points, three steals and two boards
- With his 12 points, Solano reached 1,000 points for his career, the 37th player in program history to reach that milestone.
- Kennedy played well in his return to the lineup after missing Wednesday's game against Stonehill. Over 35 minutes, the junior registered 12 points and eight rebounds
Up Next
Merrimack returns home on Tuesday night to take on Saint Anselm at 7:30 p.m. Single-game tickets will be available for purchase online at this link, or by calling the Merrimack Athletics Box Office at 978-837-5324. Adult tickets cost $5, while youth/senior tickets cost $3. All tickets are general admission seating.
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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
