Second-Half Comeback Falls Short, Men's Basketball Drops 80-76 Decision vs. Le Moyne
Links: Box Score | Game Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team trailed by as many as 18 points in the second half but roared back to tie Saturday's tilt against the Le Moyne College Dolphins with less than two minutes to play, but the visitors broke the 76-76 deadlock by hitting four free throws over the final 14 seconds to prevail by an 80-76 final from Hammel Court.
The Basics
Score: Le Moyne 80, Merrimack 76
Records: Merrimack (12-5, 7-4 NE10) | Le Moyne (13-3, 8-2 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
The Turning Point:
Over the final 5:26 of the first half and through the first 2:03 of the second half, the Dolphins turned a 25-25 tie into a 49-31 lead, outscoring the Warriors by 18 during that span. The run lasted a total of 7:29 spanning the end of the first half and beginning of the second, with the visitors connecting on four of their 10 3-pointers on the day.
How It Happened (First Half)
- The first 6:23 of the opening stanza saw the Warriors get out to a 14-11 advantage behind the scoring of junior Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) and sophomores Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Mass.) and Troy McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.). Boulter sank a pair of triples while Howes and McLaughlin combined to go 4-of-4 from the field
- Over the next 10 minutes the game stayed at a one-possession difference. The stretch featured five lead chances and three ties until graduate forward Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) hit two free throws for the third equalizer of the strech at 25-all with 5:26 remaining
- At that point, Le Moyne went on a 13-0 run to take a 38-25 lead approaching the final 120 seconds of the first half. Tanner Hyland collected seven of the 13 points during the run, including one make from beyond the arc
- Barry accounted for four of Merrimack's final six points of the half, ending the first 20 minutes with eight points and six rebounds. The Dolphins took a 41-31 advantage into the locker room
How It Happened (Second Half)
- The Dolphins surged forward to start the second, netting the half's first eight points to take their largest lead to that point, 49-31. The spurt featured back-to-back 3-pointers from Anthony Richards and C.J. Asuncion-Byrd
- Merrimack responded with a 7-0 run of its own. Barry collected five points, including an old-fashioned three-point play, bookending a lay-in from Boulter. A mid-range jumper from McLaughlin brought the deficit down to 10, 52-42, with 14:39 remaining
- Trailing by nine approaching the midway point of the second stanza, freshman point guard Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) drove-and-kicked to Boulter for a triple to make it a 57-51 game. At the 8:23 mark, Isaiah Eisendorf sank a triple for the visitors, extending their lead to eight
- The Warriors answered with a quick 5-0 spurt that included another 3-pointer from Boulter, and on the ensuing inbounds, a scoop-and-score from Howes. Merrimack trailed by two, 65-63, with 7:48 to play
- Over the next three minutes, Le Moyne outscored the Warriors by six to build its lead back to eight, 74-66. Boulter made his fifth triple of the day to halt the run at the 3:50 mark, with the Warriors trailing by five
- That deep ball started a 12-2 Merrimack run that saw the combination of Boulter, McLaughlin and Hayes carry the offense once again. McLaughlin scored four straight points to make it a 74-73 game before two Dolphins' free throws pushed their lead to six. With under two minutes to play, Hayes drove the paint and kicked to left wing to find Boulter, whose sixth 3-pointer tied the game
- For both teams, Boulter's triple marked the final field goal of the game. Merrimack missed its final four shots, and Le Moyne made two free throws with 14 seconds left, which proved to be the difference
Inside The Numbers
- Le Moyne increased its region-long winning streak to nine games with the victory over the Warriors. Three Dolphins scored in double figures, led by 18 points off the bench by Tanner Hyland
- The Dolphins shot past the Warriors' zone by making 10-of-21 from beyond the arc. Hyland led the crew with four triples, while Anthony Richards – brother of Merrimack assistant coach David Richards – made 3-of-7 from long range to catapult the visitors' attack
- Boulter once again led Merrimack - and all scorers - with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting including 6-of-12 from 3-point range. His team-leading scoring average sits at nearly 17 points per game
- Barry collected a 16-point and nine-rebound peformance, falling one carom shy of a double-double. The fifth-year forward needs just 23 more boards to become the 17th player in program history to reach 500 rebounds
- Hayes reached double digits in assists, dishing out a game-high 11. It was the seventh time the first-year floor general reached double figures this season and fourth over his last six games
Up Next
Merrimack heads to Albany, N.Y. on Wednesday night for a 7:30 p.m. clash with the College of Saint Rose.
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