Berry-Rogers Scores Career High as Men's Basketball Soars Past Dowling, 78-51
Links: Box Score | Travonne Berry-Rogers Interview
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team led coast-to-coast as the Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 78-51 victory over Dowling College on Sunday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 78 | Dowling 51
Records: Merrimack (3-5, 0-5 NE-10) | Dowling (2-5, 1-0 ECC)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
What They Said
Head coach Bert Hammel: "The team played well today, it was a solid, group effort from multiple guys. We played pretty well defensively, holding Dowling to well below their scoring average. The guys were locked in defensively, more so than they have been over the past few games. That is what we have to do to win games. We didn't take many possessions off tonight, and it was a good win heading into final exams. We'll have the full week to prepare for a strong St. Michael's team."
How It Happened
Merrimack entered Sunday's contest in desperate need of a victory, as the Warriors had lost five straight, including the first two games of a jam-packed, three-game week.
The Warriors set a strong tone for the game, scoring six unanswered points over the first 2:31 of the contest, forcing the Golden Lions to burn their first timeout. Dowling hung within two possession over the next five minutes, until Ryan Creighton drained a three-point jump shot at the 12:15 mark to cut the Warriors advantage to 16-13.
At that point, the Warriors went on a 9-0 run in a span of less than two minutes, bolstered by two three-pointers courtesy of senior Travonne Berry-Rogers (Lynn, Mass.). Merrimack secured a 12-point lead at 25-13, but the Golden Lions would not go away, cutting the deficit down to six points, 26-20, with less than eight minutes to go in the first stanza.
From there Merrimack would go on an 11-1 spurt, to stretch the lead to 37-21 with 4:52 left in the half. Junior guard Gelvis Solano (Harlem, N.Y.) scored seven of the Warriors' 11 points over that stretch.
The half ended with quite the exclamation point. After a Navy and Gold turnover with one second left, the Lions attempted to heave the ball 180-feet down the court to attempt a last-season. The pass travelled just over half court, where Berry-Rogers intercepted the ball and connected on a desperation shot 50-feet from his basketball. With that make, the Warriors took a 45-32 lead into halftime.
The Warriors would not relinquish the lead in the second half, as the Golden Lions never got closer than 11 points.
With 17 minutes left in the game, Merrimack went on a 9-0 run to turn a 50-39 score into a 20-point ball game with 14:19 left in regulation. Junior guard Troy Hammel (Valencia, Calif.) scored Merrimack's first five points over that stretch.
Forward James Kennedy (Dorchester, Mass.) entered the highlight reel after the Warriors broke the Golden Lions' press, and Solano lofted an alley-oop pass to the power forward. Kennedy rose into the air, slamming the ball through the hoop, bringing the Hammel Court faithful to their feet.
The Navy and Gold controlled the game the rest of the way, finished up with a 78-51 victory.
Inside The Numbers
- Berry-Rogers was the star for the Warriors, nearly doubling his previous career high in scoring with 15 points. He also set new career marks with five field goals and three makes from three-point range
- Merrimack outscored the Dowling bench, 21-10, receiving quality minutes from not only Berry-Rogers, but junior Marcus Swedberg (Moultonborough, N.H.). The forward played in a season-high 15 minutes, totaling four points and four rebounds
- Freshman Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) posted another strong effort. He totaled 10 points and 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the year
- Solano and Hammel joined Berry-Rogers and Howes in double figures with 12 and 17 points, respectively. Hammel led the team, scoring on six-of-19 field-goal attempts
- The Warriors dominated the Golden Lions on the glass, outrebounding Dowling, 55-42, including a nine-board edge on the offensive glass
- Record watch: Bert Hammel picked up his 498th career victory, sitting two away from the 500-win milestone.
Up Next
Merrimack returns to action on Saturday afternoon when the Warriors will take on St. Michael's at 3:00 p.m. in the team's final home game of the month. 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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