Women's Basketball Pulls Away in Fourth for 61-56 Victory at Stonehill Tuesday
Links: Box Score | Madison Ward Interview
EASTON, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's basketball team, playing under must-win conditions, erased a six-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter in a 61-56 victory at Stonehill on Tuesday night from Merkert Gymnasium. The victory keeps the Warriors alive for postseason play in the Northeast Division with four games to play in the regular season.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 61, Stonehill 56
Records: Merrimack (10-13, 6-11 NE-10) | Stonehill (12-11, 7-10 NE-10)
Location: Merkert Gymnasium | Easton, Mass.
NE-10 Postseason Outlook:
The top five teams in the Northeast Division advance to the NE-10 Championship, with the fifth seed playing the fourth seed out of the Southwest in the opening round. Merrimack takes on fifth-place Southern New Hampshire on Saturday afternoon
1) Bentley (13-3)
2) Saint Anselm (11-5)
3) Assumption (9-7)
4) Franklin Pierce (9-8)
5) Southern New Hampshire (7-9)
6) Stonehill (7-10)
7) Merrimack (6-11)
8) Saint Michael's (3-14)
How It Happened
Merrimack played a strong opening quarter defensively, opening a 17-7 advantage after the opening 10 minutes. With the score tied at 5-5 three minutes into the game, the Warriors held the Skyhawks scoreless for a span of nearly six minutes, going on a 10-0 run during that stretch. Juniors My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.) and Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) converted on fast break layups during the run. The Skyhawks totaled seven first-quarter turnovers, resulting in eight Warriors' points.
Stonehill closed the gap by beginning the second quarter on a 7-0 run. With under six minutes to play in the half, Alston ended the run with a mid-range jumper to make it 19-14 Merrimack. Freshman Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) followed suit with a lay-in on the break for her first two points of the game. The Skyhawks ended the half on an 8-3 spurt though to make it 24-22 in favor of the Warriors entering halftime.
Five players totaled at least four points in the first half for the Warriors, with Johnson collecting five rebounds and one block after her four-rejection performance on Saturday against Saint Anselm.
Shannon Brown began the third quarter with a three-pointer, giving the Skyhawks their first lead of the night at 25-24. The hosts continued to pull away as the quarter progressed, as Samantha Hyslip's 18-footer with 1:34 remaining made it 42-32 Stonehill, their largest lead of the night. Freshman Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) cut into the deficit with a four-point play to end the quarter, making it a six-point game entering the fourth.
The Warriors started the fourth with a flurry of action, using an 11-4 run to take a 47-46 advantage. Martin ended the stretch with back-to-back layups, improving to 3-of-3 from the field on the night. Madison Ward (Binghamton, N.Y.) answered a Stonehill bucket with a three-point play to make it 50-48 Warriors with five minutes to play.
With the game tied at 52-all and three minutes remaining, Ward forced a turnover on the defensive end before sinking a turnaround jumper to give the Navy and Gold the lead. Garger, Ashley Weissmann (Highland, Calif.) and Tia Scott (New York, N.Y.) combined to go 5-of-6 from the line over the final twenty seconds to secure the 61-56 victory for the Warriors.
Inside The Numbers
- In the first meeting between the two squads, Ward scored a career-high 22 points and continued her success on Tuesday. The center led the team with 15 points, shooting 6-of-7 from the field and making all three of her free throws
- Garger came on strong in the fourth quarter after missing her first three shots of the game. She scored all nine of her points in the fourth, contributing to the late comeback
- Johnson and Scott combined to lead the team with eight boards apiece, with the latter notching six assists and seven steals, setting a new career high in swipes
- The Warriors used their fast-tempo style to their advantage, forcing the Skyhawks into 23 turnovers and outscoring their hosts 14-0 in fast break points
Up Next
The Warriors return home on Saturday for Play 4Kay Day at Hammel Court when Merrimack hosts Southern New Hampshire at 1 p.m.
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