Links: Highlights | Box Score
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Saint Anselm Hawks limited the Merrimack College women's basketball team to 29 points through three quarters, pulling away from the Warriors on Saturday afternoon, 61-45, from Hammel Court in Northeast-10 Conference play.
The Basics
Score: Saint Anselm 61, Merrimack 45
Records: Merrimack (9-13, 5-11 NE-10) | Saint Anselm (15-5, 11-5 NE-10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
How It Happened
The Hawks jumped out to a 6-0 advantage, holding the Warriors scoreless over the first 5:30 of game action. Senior point guard Tia Scott (Harlem, N.Y.) went coast-to-coast on the break for Merrimack's first points, and freshman Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) came off the bench to score seven first-quarter points over the final four minutes
Saint Anselm began the second frame with a 13-11 lead, and then scored the first six points of the frame to open an eight-point gap. The lead grew to as large as 11 points on multiple occasions. With the score at 25-14, consecutive buckets from Ashley Weissmann (Highland, Calif.) and Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) brought it back to single digits, but the visitors responded to take a 32-21 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Saint Anselm defense held Merrimack to just eight points, pulling away from the Warriors. A layup from Amanda Hoover (Columbus, Ohio) made it a 12-point game, 41-29, with 2:33 remaining, but from there the Hawks closed the third on a 7-0 run, highlighted by four points from Ali Glennon to end the quarter.
The Warriors played their best offensive basketball in the fourth, putting 16 points on the board including 11 in the final three minutes. Scott finished the game with 12 points to lead Merrimack, nine of which came in the second half, including an acrobatic three-point play.
The victory extends Saint Anselm's winning streak to eight games, while the Warriors drop to 5-11 in conference play.
Inside The Numbers
- Scott led the squad in scoring, pouring in double figures for the ninth time this season and for the fourth straight outing. She finished 4-of-6 from the field
- Saint Anselm controlled the glass, outrebounding the Warriors by 15. The Hawks had a 32-14 advantage on the defensive glass
- Junior Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) posted a career-high four blocks, which is the most for a member of the Warriors this season
- The Hawks were led by a game-high 19 points from Candace Andrews, while Raquel Johnson finished one point shy of a double-double with nine points and 16 rebounds
Up Next
The Warriors hit the road to take on Stonehill at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening.
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