Solano Sinks Game-Winner at the Buzzer as Men's Basketball Holds On for 83-81 Win at New Haven
Links: Highlights | Box Score
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Senior guard Gelvis Solano (Harlem, N.Y.) scored the final 19 points of the game for the Merrimack College men's basketball team including the game-winning fall-away jumper as time expired to give the Warriors a 83-81 victory over the University of New Haven on Wednesday afternoon in Northeast-10 Conference play.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 83, New Haven 81
Records: Merrimack (8-6, 3-5 NE-10) | New Haven (4-9, 1-6 NE-10)
Location: West Haven, Conn. | Chargers Gymnasium
How It Happened
A wild one from West Haven came down to the final seconds. With 6.8 to play, the Chargers forced the Warriors into a turnover on an inbounds play, and on their ensuing possession Josh Guddemi was fouled facing an 81-80 deficit, but only hit 1-of-2 to tie the game at 81-81.
On Merrimack's ensuing inbound, Solano was fouled and sent to the line for a one-and-one chance. He missed the front end, but Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) tapped the ball out to Solano on the right side, who sunk the final shot of the game to cap of a 19-point spurt for the senior guard.
A New Haven second-half run preceded the flurry of action at the finish. Michael Bourke hit a 12-footer with 7:37 to play to cap off a 12-1 Chargers run to tie the game at 64-all. Mosley hit a layup on New Haven's next possession as they took a 66-64 lead, its first advantage since late in the first half. New Haven maintained its lead over the next few minutes as the Warriors remained within striking distance. Solano converted a three-point play to make it 73-69 with less than five minutes to go.
Solano put the team on his back from there. The three-point play began a stretch where he scored 15 straight points for the Warriors, including a left-corner trey to tie the game at 77-all with 2:43 remaining. On Merrimack's next possession, Solano hit a long two-pointer to give Merrimack its first lead since midway through the second stanza at 79-77 with 1:49 to play.
The first half started slowly for the Warriors, with the Chargers scoring 13 of the game's first 17 points forcing Merrimack to call a timeout following a Jemal Mosley three-pointer with over 13 minutes to play in the opening half.
Freshman Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Mass.) hit his second three-pointer of the half to make it a six-point game at 22-16, but the Chargers pulled ahead again by going on a 12-7 spurt to lead 34-23 with 6:32 to play. Mosley hit another triple to cap off a 20-point half to make it 40-27 Chargers as it appeared the hosts would continue to pull away.
From there, the Navy and Gold held New Haven scoreless over the final 5:05 of the half, scoring the final 14 points of the opening stanza. Boulter hit two more three-pointers during the 14-0 run, and forward Barry hit a layup on the Warriors' final possession to send Merrimack into the locker room with their first lead since the first minute of the game, 41-40.
Prior to the Chargers run, the second half started like the first half ended, with triples from seniors Solano and Troy Hammel (Valencia, Calif.) spurning a 7-0 start to the second stanza. The Warriors outscored the Chargers 20-0 spanning the end of the first and beginning of the second half.
Senior forward James Kennedy (Dorchester, Mass.) hit a left-handed layup for his 10th point of the afternoon, and to go along with his 10 rebounds recorded his third double-double of the season. JT Strickland (Laurel, Md.) converted a three-point play and the score red 55-48 in favor of the Warriors with less than 15 minutes to play.
Inside The Numbers
- Solano finished the first half with only two points in seven minutes, missing time due to foul trouble. He scored 25 of his 27 points in the second stanza, including the final 19 points for Merrimack. Barry hit a layup with 8:55 to play and that was the last time a player not named Solano scored for the Warriors
- Solano Stats: Gelvis finished 10-of-15 from the floor, making four of his eight three-point attempts. He had made his first three free throws of the game prior to his miss that led to the game-winner
- Kennedy recorded his third double-double of the last four games, tying his season and career high with 15 caroms
- Boulter poured in a season-high 17 points in nearly 30 minutes off the bench, as he keyed Merrimack's first-half run that got the Warriors back in the game
- Strickland and Hammel also finished in double figures, combining for 23 points as each player played in 38 of a possible 40 minutes
Up Next
Merrimack hits the road once again on Saturday when the Warriors take Pace University on Saturday afternoon in Pleasantville, N.Y. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
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