Southern NH Races Past Men's Basketball, 78-63; Hammel Nets 1,000th Career Point
Links: Box Score | Hammel's 1,000th Career Point
MANCHESTER, N.H. – Senior guard Troy Hammel (Valencia, Calif.) hit his first three-point attempt of the game to become the 42nd player in program history to score 1,000 career points on Wednesday evening against Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen prevailed in the game that followed, 78-63, pulling away from the Warriors behind a second-half run from the SNHU Fieldhouse.
The Basics
Score: Southern New Hampshire78 , Merrimack 63
Records: Merrimack (5-5, 1-4 NE-10) | Southern New Hampshire (5-4, 2-3 NE-10)
Location: SNHU Fieldhouse | Manchester, N.H.
How It Happened
Hammel entered the contest with 999 career points, and it did not take long for Warriors sharpshooter to reach 1,000. Hammel received a pass from Gelvis Solano (Harlem, N.Y.) in the left corner, swishing a three-point to become the 42nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.
The Penmen held a lead for the majority of the first half, pulling ahead by eight points, 27-19, following a Devin Gilligan triple with 6:47 to play. Senior point guard JT Strickland (Laurel, Md.) scored four straight points to cut it to a three-point deficit at the under-four media timeout.
The programs entered the half with the Penmen leading by five, 34-29. Hammel led the Navy and Gold with 11 points, while freshman forward Jordan Thornton (Dumfries, Va.) finished the opening stanza with five points and seven rebounds.
The Warriors used an early 8-2 run in the second half to cut it to a one-point game at 43-42. Forward Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) ended the stretch with a steal before going coast-to-coast for the layup. The Penmen responded strongly, scoring the next 12 points to take a 54-42 lead before Merrimack called a timeout with 11:26 to play in the game.
The Penmen pulled away from there, leading by as many as 24 points in the second half. The lose sees Merrimack fall to 1-4 in Northeast-10 Conference play, while the Penmen improve to 2-3 in league play.
Inside The Numbers
- Hammel finished with 14 points on the night, shooting 4-of-8 from the field. He joins his classmates and teammates Solano and Strickland as members of the 1,000-point club at Merrimack
- Strickland led the Warriors with 19 points, eight of which came at the charity stripe. Senior forward James Kennedy (Dorchester, Mass.) also scored in double figures, notching 10 points to go along with seven rebounds
- Four Penmen finished in double figures, led by guard Rodney Sanders who poured in 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting. Sanders led the Penmen to the Elite Eight last season as a junior
- Freshman guard Troy McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) saw extending minutes in the first half, appearing in his fourth game of the year. He nearly hit his first career three-pointer, but saw the shot go halfway down before popping out. Additionally, freshman Adrian Ibeh (Tewksbury, Mass.) sank his first-ever three-pointer late in the second half
Up Next
The Navy and Gold play in their third of three straight games in the Granite State on Saturday afternoon when the Warriors tip with Franklin Pierce at 3:30 p.m. from Rindge, N.H.
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