Boulter's Game-Winner Headlines Comeback Effort as Men's Basketball Downs New Haven, 68-65
Links: Box Score | Game Highlights | Ryan Boulter Interview
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Facing a 16-point deficit in the first half, the Merrimack College men's basketball team orchestrated a second-half comeback that ended with a game-winning layup from sophomore Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Mass.) as the Warriors defeated the visiting New Haven Chargers, 68-65, on Wednesday night from Hammel Court. With the win, the Navy and Gold won their fifth straight and improved to 6-2 in Northeast-10 Conference play while the Chargers fell to 2-5 in league action.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 68, New Haven 65
Records: Merrimack (11-3, 6-2 NE10) | New Haven (7-6, 2-5 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
The Turning Point:
The Navy and Gold used an 16-3 second-half run to make their way back into the game. Senior Riley Calzonetti (Neptune City, N.J.) and redshirt-junior Tawayne Anderson Jr. (Garden City, N.Y.) contributed field goals while graduate forward Anthony Barry (Uxbridge, Mass.) notched a team-high seven points during the stretch, with ended with his free throws to tie the game at 51-all at the 10:36 mark
How It Happened (First Half)
- All five starters scored for the Warriors over the opening five minutes, with a layup from junior guard Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) falling to make it an 11-8 game
- New Haven responded with a 5-0 stretch to take the lead back, but Merrimack quickly answered with back-to-back buckets courtesy of Anderson Jr. and Barry to put the Warriors ahead, 17-16, at the 12:53 mark
- Beginning at the 10:10 mark, New Haven went on the game's first prolonged run. Over the next three minutes, the Chargers used a 7-0 run to take the largest lead for either side at the point, 27-19. Freshman Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) stopped the run with a lay-in, and out of a timeout, Boulter sank a three to make it a 27-24 deficit
- A 3-point play followed by a trio of 3-pointers sent the Chargers on a 12-point surge. Mihailo Vasic's hoop-and-harm started the stretch at the 6:29 mark while Danny Upchurch's triple ended it two minutes later, with the visitors ahead by 13. The Warriors cut into the deficit over the final four minutes of half, trailing by 11 after 20 minutes, 42-31
How It Happened (Second Half)
- New Haven briefly pulled ahead by 13 to start the second half, but sophomore Troy McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.) hit a contested right-wing triple to make it a 48-38 game and Calzonetti converted at the right block to bring it to single digits with less than 14 minutes to play
- Those buckets started an 18-5 Merrimack run that brought the game to a 53-53 tie with 10:33 remaining. Barry collected seven of the points while Anderson Jr. put in an impressive tip-in three feet from the basket during the stretch.
- Off pick-and-roll action, McLaughlin found Barry cutting to the basket for a layup to give Merrimack a 55-54 lead, its first since the 12:36 mark of the opening stanza. The back-and-forth second half continued with a 5-0 New Haven spurt that turned a two-point deficit into a 63-60 lead for the visitors with four minutes to play
- The Warriors scored eight of the game's final 10 points to prevail. Four straight free throws from McLaughlin and Hayes gave Merrimack at 64-63 lead, but New Haven answered with 1:17 left to pull ahead by one. On the Warriors' ensuing possession, Hayes whipped a pass to cutting Boulter who put a lay-in home at the left block to secure the victory with only 57 seconds remaining
Inside The Numbers
- Merrimack's fifth consecutive triumph matches the Warriors' five-game winning streak that spanned the last five games of November. The Navy and Gold last won six straight in the 2009-10 campaign, which was part of an 11-game run
- Barry led all scorers with 17 points while leading the Warriors with eight boards. Boulter and Hayes each netted 13, and are now tied for the team lead with 16.1 points per game
- In addition to the 13 points, Hayes collected his seventh double-double with 10 assists and also added seven rebounds. He has scored in double figures in 10 straight games in 12 times overall during his rookie campaign
- Merrimack dominated defensively in the second half. The Chargers went 9-of-19 from distance in the first half only to miss all 10 of their attempts from beyond the arc in the second half. The visitors shot just 7-of-30 over the final 20 minutes
- Three Chargers scored in double figures, led by 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists from point guard Danny Upchurch
Up Next
Merrimack returns to Hammel Court for its fourth game in eight days when the Warriors host Pace University on Saturday at 3 p.m.
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