Gallo Wins Home Debut as Men's Basketball Holds On for 88-86 Win vs. Bridgeport Sunday
Links: Box Score | Game Highlights | Joe Gallo Comments | Ryan Boulter Comments
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team finished 12-of-15 from the beyond the arc in the first half, building a 55-39 advantage over the University of Bridgeport Sunday, only to watch the visitors orchestrate a second-half comeback and take a one-point lead. First-year head coach Joe Gallo's squad regrouped and prevailed, 88-86, behind free throws from freshman Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) in the Warriors' home opener at Hammel Court.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 88, Bridgeport 86
Records: Merrimack (3-1) | Bridgeport (2-2)
Location: North Andover, Mass. | Hammel Court
How It Happened
- The Warriors came out shooting early and often on Sunday afternoon. Merrimack used a 9-0 run to start the game to jump ahead, behind a trio of triples from Hayes, Jaleel Lord (Jersey City, N.J.) and Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.)
- With the score at 14-7, a seven spurt that included a three-ball from sophomore Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Mass.) and a baseline jumper from senior Riley Calzonetti (Neptune City, N.J.) doubled the Warriors' advantage
- Junior Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) scored all eight of his first-half points consecutively, giving the Warriors their largest lead of the half, 43-22, with 6:34 remaining. The Navy and Gold finished with 55 points in the opening stanza, taking a 16-point lead into halftime
- The Warriors started the second half like they did the first, with a triple from Lord and a three-point play from Hoyes extending the lead to 22, 63-41, at the 18:22 mark
- Barry's tip-in with 12:02 on the clock marked Merrimack's last field goal for a span of 7:07, allowing the Purple Knight to execute a comeback. Bridgeport went on a 21-4 run during that stretch to pull ahead by two points, 78-76
- Defensively, Barry came up for one of the biggest efforts of the afternoon, racing back on a fast-break opportunity for the Purple Knights and recording a block to keep Merrimack within striking distance
- Boulter sank a 14-footer to tie the game and Hayes followed by making 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch, with his final point making it an 87-84 game with eight seconds to play. Boulter added one free throw, and the Purple Knights' three-point heave at the buzzer missed to give the Navy and Gold an 88-86 victory
Inside The Numbers
- Merrimack finished with 12 triples in the first half, which set a season high at that point and was more makes than the Warriors had in 24 of 27 games last season. The Navy and Gold ended with 14 treys, tying the single-game high from last year
- Boulter led the Warriors in scoring with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting, with five of his field goals coming from beyond the arc. Barry added a 20-point performance and made all three of his attempts from distance
- For the fifth-year forward, it marked his 38th career double-figure scoring game and his sixth game with at least 20 points. He registered a new personal best with the trio of triples
- Hayes posted another well-rounded line of eight points, five rebounds and his first-ever 10-assist performance. He now has 25 helpers through four games, ranking third in the Northeast-10 with an average of 6.3 per game
- Lord tied his season high with 15 points, equaling his total from the season opener against Post, when he also made three triples. Howes added 11 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes of action
- Bridgeport's comeback was facilitated by forward Kyle Benjamin, who posted a double-double with 25 points and 15 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive glass
Up Next
Merrimack returns to action in two days when the Warriors travel to Easton, Mass. to face the Stonehill Skyhawks in NE-10 Conference play on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
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