Women's Basketball Falters at Saint Anselm, 80-60
Links: Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Merrimack College women's basketball team travelled to Stoutenburgh Gymnasium for Northeast Division action against Saint Anselm, falling to the Hawks by an 80-60 score on Saturday afternoon.
The Basics
Score: Saint Anselm 80, Merrimack 60
Records: Merrimack (4-5, 1-3 NE-10) | Saint Anslem (5-1, 3-1 NE-10)
Location: Stoutenburgh Gymnasium | Manchester, N.H.
How It Happened
Senior guard Ashley Weissmann (Highland, Calif.) scored Merrimack's first five points, including a triple to bring the Warriors within one points at 6-5, but the hosts answered with a five-point spurt to make it 11-5 game with 4:56 to go in the opening quarter. Freshman Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) came off the bench to score the Warriors' final points of the quarter, but the Hawks led, 15-7, at the end of 10 minutes.
Less than five minutes into the second quarter, the Hawks advantage entered double digits for the first time at 25-14. Weissmann scored five of Merrimack's final seven points of the opening stanza to enter halftime with 10 points, but the Hawks took a 35-26 lead into the intermission.
The Warriors opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to three points. Four of the six points came from the free-throw line, with junior forward Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) scoring the only field goal during the stretch. With the score at 40-36, Raquel Johnson of the Hawks scored five unanswered to make it a nine-point game, 45-36, with 6:10 left in the third.
Over a two-minute span late in the quarter, the Hawks used a 8-0 spurt to put distance between themselves and the Warriors at 57-41. Free throws from My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.) halted the run, Saint Anselm took a 12-point lead into the final 10 minutes.
Weissmann hit a jumper at the 8:14 mark of the fourth to cut the deficit to single digits before neither team scored until when there was 5:50 left in the contest, when senior forward Amanda Hoover (Columbus, Ohio) made it a six-point game, 59-53.
From there, another 8-0 run from the Hawks halted any hopes of a Merrimack comeback. Weissman finished with a career-high 17 points, but Saint Anselm handed the Warriors their third conference loss, 80-60.
Inside The Numbers
- Weissmann got her career high courtesy of five field goals, three of which came from beyond the arc. The guard played 35 of a possible 40 minutes, eclipsing her previous career high of 16 points that she scored against Adelphi last season
- Alston was the other Merrimack played who finished in double figures, scoring 10 points on the afternoon. Freshman Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) contributed nine points off the bench
- The Hawks came away victorious despite turning the ball over seven more times than the Warriors. Merrimack finished with 12 steals, with Martin and senior Tia Scott (New York, N.Y.) contributing three apiece
- Four players scored in double figures for Saint Anselm, led by Candace Andrews with 22 points. The hosts shot over 55 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three-point range
Up Next
The Warriors return to Manchester on Wednesday evening when Merrimack takes on Southern New Hampshire at 5:30 p.m.
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