Men's Basketball Races Away from Saint Michael's, 93-76, Behind Boulter's Sharp Shooting
Links: Box Score | Game Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Sophomore Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Mass.) poured in 30 points on eight 3-pointers, freshman Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) fell one assist shy of back-to-back triple-doubles and the Merrimack College men's basketball drubbed Saint Michael's College by a 93-76 final Wednesday evening at Hammel Court. With the win, the Warriors set a program record with their sixth victory in the month of November, finishing the first month with a 6-1 overall record.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 93, Saint Michael's 76
Records: Merrimack (6-1, 3-0 NE-10) | Saint Michael's (0-6, 0-4 NE-10)
Location: North Andover, Mass. | Hammel Court
How It Happened
- The Northeast Division rivals traded points over the night's first eight minutes, with the game knotted at 12-all at the 13:35 mark. Freshman Jaleel Lord (Paterson, N.J.) netted four points during the stretch while sophomore Troy McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) and Hayes registered 3-pointers
- With the score knotted at 17, Hayes was the catalyst in a 6-0 run that featured two lay-ins from the reigning NE-10 Player of the Week. McLaughlin added a bucket with 7:16 remaining and the Warriors were up seven, 27-20
- Merrimack's lead grew too as many as 11 in the opening stanza, with Hayes leading the charge with 15 first-half points. The Purple Knights ended the half on a 5-0 spurt over the final 1:11 to bring the deficit down to six, 42-36, at the end of 20 minutes
- After finishing the first half with one 3-pointer and only five points, Boulter turned it on in the second stanza. He drained a pair from downtown as part of an 8-2 Merrimack run to start the half to double the Warriors' lead, 50-38, just 2:06 into the second half
- Following a triple from Hayes, the Purple Knights pulled within four points, 59-55, thanks to an 8-0 run. Boulter responded with two more makes from distance, kickstarting an 11-0 run for the Warriors that featured eight points from the sophomore sniper and another trey from Lord
- After leading by double digits for most of the second half following that run, the visitors chipped away behind the work of senior Matt Bonds to make it a nine-point game, 83-74, with 2:43 remaining
- As he did all half, Boulter had the answer. Classmate Troy McLaughlin delivered a pass that led to his seventh three-pointer with 2:16 to play that pushed the lead back to double figures. Boulter's eighth and final 3-pointer came during Merrimack's final offensive possession to make it a 93-76 game
Inside The Numbers
- Boulter posted a career high with those eight makes from distance, picking up his second 30-point game of the season in the process. He finished 10-of-20 from the field and 8-of-16 from 3-point land
- Not to be overshadowed, Hayes continued to dominate the NE-10 in the early stages of his career. The first-year point guard finished one assist shy of a triple-double, totaling 20 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. The two-time reigning NE-10 Rookie of the Week now has three straight games with at least 20 points
- Back to Boulter: Ryan now leads the Navy and Gold with an average of 16.9 points per game. His 24 3-pointers are double the total of the next most on the squad, and his 42.1 percentage ranks second on the Warriors. The eight 3-pointers Wednesday fell one shy of the program record, which has been accomplished twice in school annals
- After six players scored in double figures on Sunday, five more notched at least 10 points on Wednesday. Lord and senior Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) combined for 21 points, while McLaughlin chipped in 10 and a career-high eight assists
- Merrimack totaled 28 assists on 36 made fields, six more dimes than they finished with on Sunday against Concordia (N.Y.). The total marks the most for the program since Merrimack dished out 27 helpers against Bridgeport in 2010
- The 3-0 start to NE-10 play is the first for the program since the 2008-09 season, a year that saw the Warriors win 21 games and advance to the NCAA Tournament
- Field Goals (%): MER 36-65 (55.4) // SMC 31-62 (50.0)
- 3-Point Field Goals (%): MER 15-33 (45.5) // SMC 6-13 (46.2)
Up Next
The Navy and Gold continue NE-10 play on Saturday afternoon when the Warriors battle Saint Anselm at 3:30 p.m. from Manchester, N.H.
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