Hoover Leads Women's Basketball in Fourth-Quarter Comeback vs St. Michael's, 73-67
Links: Highlights | Box Score | Amanda Hoover Interview
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Senior forward Amanda Hoover (Columbus, Ohio) scored all 15 of her points in the second half, spurring the Merrimack College women's basketball team to erase an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit before defeating the Saint Michael's Purple Knights, 73-67, from Hammel Court on Wednesday night in Northeast Division action.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 73, St. Michael's 67
Records: Merrimack (9-12, 5-10 NE-10) | St. Michael's (7-13, 3-12 NE-10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
The Warriors started off on a 6-0 run over the first three minutes of the opening quarter, with Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) capping off the run with her first of three first-half field goals. The Warriors lead held at six points until the score read 14-8 with 3:35 remaining, but the Purple Knights ended the frame with six straight points to square the contest at 14-all.
Senior center Madison Ward (Binghamton, N.Y.) scored two minutes into the second quarter to give the Navy and Gold the lead back. At the midway point of the frame, Leah Spencer gave the visitors their first lead, 22-20, following a free-throw line jumper. With the Purple Knights leading by one point and the shot clock off, freshman Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) swished a left-wing triple to give the Warriors a 29-27 halftime advantage.
Johnson finished the first 20 minutes with six points and five rebounds, while Neild led the squad in scoring with seven points. Nine of the 10 Warriors who took the floor scored in first half.
The visitors played their best in the third quarter, outscoring the Warriors by 10 points in the third frame to enter the fourth with a lead. Leading by one point at 38-37 at the 4:34 mark, Indira Evora sunk three straight three-pointers to make it a 47-40 contest. The Purple Knights' advantage grew to eleven points, their largest of the game, but the Navy and Gold made it 53-45 score entering the fourth thanks to a last-second lay-in from My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.).
Hoover registered 10 points to keep Merrimack in the game, and continued that play in the fourth, hitting Merrimack's first field goal. Two minutes later the second-year forward converted on an old-fashioned three-point play to make it 56-54 Saint Michael's.
Merrimack tied it briefly on a layup from Johnson, but Megan Gaudreau drilled a triple to give the visitors the lead back, 59-56, with 6:41 remaining. With the score at 61-58, the Warriors went on a 9-0 run to take the lead for good. Johnson's lay-in at the 2:36 mark proved to be the game-winner, and a three-point play from Tia Scott (Harlem, N.Y.) sealed the contest with 61 seconds to play.
Inside The Numbers
- Hoover's night: In 14 second-half minutes the reserve forward made 6-of-11 from the field, notching 15 points off the bench to go along with five rebounds. She has played well against the Purple Knights, averaging 17 points per game in the two matchups including a career-high 19 points in the first meeting
- The Merrimack offensive posted its most balanced effort of the season, with four players scoring in double figures. Johnson finished one rebound shy of a double-double (10 pts., 9 reb.), while Scott and senior Caitlyn Garger (Hicksville, N.Y.) finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively
- The Warriors dominated the interior, outscoring the Purple Knights by 20 points in the paint (42-22). The Navy and Gold also scored 16 points of off 15 St. Michael's turnovers, compared to only six points-off-turnovers for the Purple Knights
- Every player to take the floor hit a field goal on Wednesday, the first time the Warriors have accomplished that feat this season
- The rebounding battle, in total, was fairly even with the Warriors holding a 37-34 edge, but Merrimack collected 14 offensive boards compared to only eight for St. Michael's.
Up Next
The Warriors return home on Saturday to host the Saint Anselm Hawks at Hammel Court at 3 p.m. The contest will be celebrated as Youth Day. Local programs are invited to attend the contest, free of charge. For more information, please contact Marketing/Promotion Coordinator Alyssa Crowley at crowleya@merrimack.edu.
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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.
