#11/18 Adelphi Holds Off Women's Basketball, 66-60
Links: Box Score
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Playing against its second nationally ranked opponent of the season, the Merrimack College women's basketball hung around with the No. 11/18 Adelphi University Panthers on Saturday afternoon, but the hosts staved off a late Warriors' charge to pull out a 66-60 victory from the Center for Recreation and Sports in Garden City, N.Y.
The Basics
Score: #11/18 Adelphi 66, Merrimack 60
Records: Merrimack (9-9, 7-6 NE10) | #11/18 Adelphi (17-2, 12-0 NE10)
Location: Center for Recreation and Sports | Garden City, N.Y.
The Turning Point:
After Merrimack took momentum into the third quarter and scored the first points of the second half to make it a four-point game, 33-29, Adelphi used a 12-2 run to extend its advantage to 14 points. The lead proved to be the hosts' largest of the day, with Sierra Clark and Calli Balfour combining for all 12 of the Panthers' points during the run.
How It Happened (First Quarter)
- Merrimack hung with Adelphi over the first five minutes of the quarter. Senior Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) and sophomore Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) combined for the Warriors' first eight points while freshman Denia Davis-Stewart (Palmdale, Calif.) tied the game at 10-all with her first bucket with 4:10 remaining
- Adelphi used an 8-0 run and ended the quarter on a 15-4 spurt overall to build an 11-point lead. Balfour finished the opening 10 minutes with 11 points, pacing the Panthers in the opening quarter
How It Happened (Second Quarter)
- Adelphi's lead grew to 13 points at the start of the quarter, but a right-handed layup from senior My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.) at the 4:55 mark cut the deficit back down to single digits, 31-23
- From there, the Warriors' defense held the Panthers to just two points over the remainder of the quarter. Alston made two more shots over the final four minutes to account for Merrimack's last six points of the half, working the deficit down to six at the end of the half, 33-27
How It Happened (Third Quarter)
- Merrimack kept it close to start, with freshman Alyssa Torres (Bohemia, N.Y.) swishing a corner jumper 3:30 into the quarter, making it 38-31 Adelphi. From there, the Panthers used a 7-0 run to create their largest lead to that point, 45-31, before Merrimack used a timeout with 5:09 remaining
- Consecutive triples from sophomores Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) and Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.) quickly brought the deficit down to eight points, 45-37, as the Warriors converted on their first two possessions out of the stoppage
- Adelphi ended the quarter on a 9-3 spurt to take a 14-point lead, 54-40, into the final 10 minutes
How It Happened (Fourth Quarter)
- Merrimack's jump shooting kept the Warriors in striking distance in the final quarter. Alston, Alves and Davis-Stewart all hit long jumpers over the first half of the quarter, but the Panthers had an answer for every make, leading by 12 with five minutes to play
- Freshman Emily Houle (Attleboro, Mass.) and Neild combined for three 3-pointers over a span of one minute, while the last make falling at the 2:11 mark and dropping the deficit to eight points, 65-57
- Johnson's layup with 15 seconds left make it a six-point game, 66-60, and after a Merrimack timeout, sophomore Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) picked up her season-high fifth steal to get the Warriors the ball back. A 3-pointer from Johnson hit back iron, however, and the game ended without Merrimack getting closer than six points
Inside The Numbers
- Merrimack's post players led the offense on Saturday. Johnson finished with a team-high 13 points to go along with nine rebounds. Six of her nine caroms came on the offensive glass. For the second straight game, Davis-Stewart narrowly missed out on a double-double with nine points and a team-high 11 rebounds
- After setting a season high in scoring on Wednesday, Alves continued her strong play with season highs in assists (6) and steals (5). She played in 31 minutes, starting in her eighth straight game
- Merrimack's bench outscored Adelphi's by 17 points, 19-2. Neild led the charge among the reserves, playing in 34 minutes and adding nine points. Adelphi offset Merrimack's bench advantage by outrebounding the Warriors, 47-33
- Adelphi's star players shined on Saturday. Clark – a four-time NE10 Player of the Week – notched a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Balfour posted one of her best career efforts with game highs in points (26) and boards (16)
- The win increased the Panthers' lead in the all-time series to 9-7. Merrimack has not won at Adelphi since the 1999-00 season
Up Next
In their lone game next week, the Warriors host American International on Tuesday night for a 5:30 p.m. tip from Hammel Court.
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