Neild, Stifling Defense Lead Women's Basketball to 55-36 Victory vs. Concordia Sunday
Links: Box Score
LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Sophomore guard Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) posted a career high with 24 points and made six three-pointers to lead the Merrimack College women's basketball team to a 55-36 victory over Concordia (N.Y.) on Sunday afternoon in its final game of the Georgian Court Invitational. Merrimack limited the Clippers to 0-for-14 shooting in the opening quarter, racing out to a 14-1 lead en route to the coast-to-coast win.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 55, Concordia (N.Y.) 36
Records: Merrimack (1-1) | Concordia (N.Y.) (0-2)
Location: GCU Wellness Center| Lakewood, N.J.
How It Happened
- Before play even began, Concordia was assessed a technical foul that sent Neild to the free-throw line. The sophomore sank both and the Warriors led 2-0 before tipoff
- The Warriors played a stifling defense in the opening quarter, as the Clippers did not hit a field goal over the first 10 minutes. The Navy and Gold score the day's first 14 points, led by eight points and two triples from Neild
- Sophomore Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) sank a jumper at the midway point of the frame to make it 18-6 Warriors, then Neild drilled another triple to make it a 15-point game
- The final four minutes of the quarter belonged to the Clippers, who cut their deficit to 10, 23-13, entering halftime
- Hadiyah Black for the Clippers connected on a jumper at the 2:28 mark to pull Concordia within seven, 31-24. Neild continued her career day with back-to-back threes to push Merrimack's advantage back to double digits, and the Warriors were ahead by 11, 37-26, following three quarters
- Sophomore Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) began the fourth with a three-point play to make it a 14-point Merrimack advantage. The Warriors pulled away late in the game, with Martin hitting a free throw to make it 51-34 with less than three minutes remaining. The shot notched Martin her first-ever double-double
Inside The Numbers
- Neild bested her previous career high of 16 points by shooting well from beyond the arc. Her six three-point field goals accounted for 18 of her 24 points on the afternoon. The second-year guard shot 8-of-13 from the field while adding six rebounds
- Martin also posted a career high with 13 rebounds – five of which came on the offensive glass – and reached double figures in scoring in the final quarter of the day. The double-double marked the first of her career
- Sophomore guard Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.) played in a career-high 24 minutes off the bench and posted a personal best with six assists
- The Warriors defense was excellent, limiting the Clippers to just 10 field goals on the afternoon and the CACC representatives did not make a shot in the opening quarter
- Field Goals (%): MER 19-53 (35.8) // CON 10-56 (17.9)
- Three-Point Field Goals (%): MER 7-19 (36.8) // CON 1-10 (10.0)
Up Next
Merrimack begins its Northeast-10 Conference schedule on Wednesday evening when the Warriors travel to Waltham, Mass. to take on No. 1 Bentley at 5:30 p.m. at the Dana Center.
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