Women's Basketball Suffers Three-Point Defeat at Top-Ranked Bentley Wednesday, 68-65
Links: Box Score | Monique LeBlanc Postgame Interview
WALTHAM, Mass. – Sophomore Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.) led a second-half surge that nearly erased a 12-point deficit late in the fourth quarter, scoring a career-high 20 points in the process, but the Merrimack College women's basketball team suffered a 68-65 defeat at top-ranked Bentley on Wednesday evening at the Dana Athletic Center.
The Basics
Score: Bentley 68, Merrimack 65
Records: Merrimack (1-2, 0-1 NE-10) | #1 Bentley (3-0, 1-0 NE-10)
Location: Dana Athletic Center | Waltham, Mass.
How It Happened
- Fast forward to the final three minutes of action, with the Falcons holding a 12-point advantage at 60-48. Sophomore Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) and Werner hit consecutive triples to pull within six with 1:24 remaining
- With 1:14 on the clock following a Bentley two-pointer, Merrimack raced on a 9-2 run over a span of 63 seconds to pull within one point, 66-65, following another triple from Werner, her third of the final 90 seconds of the game. The Falcons hit two free throws before the Navy and Gold had a shot to tie the game, but Werner's contested right-corner triple missed as time expired
- Merrimack started the game well, jumping out to a 6-3 lead three minutes into the first quarter on a pair of layups from freshman Giulia Orlando (Haverhill, Mass.) and another two-pointer on the break from senior captain Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.)
- Johnson continued her strong first 10 minutes, banking home a shot in the post to make it a 12-10 game in favor of the Navy and Gold, causing the Falcons to call a 30-second timeout. Neild hit her first trey of the night with one minute to play to give Merrimack a 19-14 lead after 10 minutes
- Helped by making 5-of-8 from beyond the arc in the first half, the Falcons took a late 29-26 lead heading into halftime. The Warriors' defense kept them in it, forcing 12 first-half turnovers and forcing the hosts to miss 10 of 14 shots from two-point range
- Merrimack used it first timeout with 6:36 remaining in the third and the Falcons up seven, 35-28. Out of it, senior My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.) and Orlando made consecutive lay-ins to make it a one-possession game at 35-32
- After Bentley had built its lead back to six, Werner drilled a straightaway three to make it a 43-40 game entering the fourth quarter, which began her torrid pace in the second half
Inside The Numbers
- Werner's career night came following a stellar second-half showing. She entered the final 20 minutes attempting only one shot in the first half. The second-year guard totaled 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including six makes from beyond the arc.
- More on Lindsay: She entered the night with five three-pointers made in her career, over a span of 20 career appearances. She increased her scoring average to 10.3 points-per-game on the year and is shooting 42.9 percent from beyond the arc
- Johnson also finished in double figures, all of which came in the opening half. The starting frontcourt player also swatted away a career-high five shots, accounting for all of the Warriors' blocks
- Bentley's three-point shooting kept them in the game early, and the Falcons finished 9-of-18 on the evening from distance
- Merrimack finished with a decided advantage on the glass, outrebound the host by eight (36-28). In the first 20 minutes, the Warriors held a 9-1 advantage over the Falcons on the offensive glass
- Field Goals (%): MER 24-62 (38.7) // BEN 22-49 (44.9)
- Three-Point Field Goals (%): 11-29 (37.9) // BEN 9-18 (50.)
Up Next
Merrimack hosts the University of the Sciences on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the Warriors' home opener from Hammel Court.
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