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Alyssa Casey Interview
WORCESTER, Mass. – Freshman forward
Alyssa Casey (Andover, Mass.) posted her second double-double in as many games, leading the Merrimack College women's basketball program to a 53-50 victory on Wednesday night against Assumption College in the Warriors' Northeast-10 Conference opener from Laska Gymnasium
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 53, Assumption 50
Records: Merrimack (2-1, 1-0 NE10) | Assumption (0-1, 0-1 NE10)
Location: Laska Gymnasium | Worcester, Mass.
Marquee Moments:
- Wednesday's back-and-forth league opener featured six ties and 15 lead changes. The fourth quarter alone saw the lead switch on five occasions
- Assumption held a 48-45 lead with 4:05 remaining, but the Warriors closed on an 8-2 game-ending run to go in front for good. Casey hit a layup with 39 seconds to play, which proved to be the game-winning basket
- Merrimack's defense held Assumption to 8-of-25 shooting in the second half and only four field goals in the fourth quarter
Rapid Recap
- Each team came out firing in the first quarter, with both program's shooting over 50 percent from the field. Sophomroe Alyssa Torres (Bohemia, N.Y.) converted a three-point play to give Merrimack a 9-5 lead at the 7:23 mark, only to see Assumption use a 9-2 run to go ahead, 15-14
- Casey finished the quarter with 10 points, while junior guard Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) scored four in a row late in the frame, including a free-throw line jumper to give Merrimack a 21-19 lead. Assumption scored the final four points of the quarter, however, to go ahead by two, 23-21
- After 44 combined points in the first, the team's scored just 16 in the second. After the Greyhounds scored the first bucket of the quarter, the Warriors defense held them on a scoring drought of nearly six minutes and to four total points over the final 9:27 of the frame
- Free throws from sophomore Giulia Orlando (Haverhill, Mass.) and Alves late in the second put Merrimack in front, 31-29, at halftime
- Defense reigned again in the third. Assumption took a brief 35-34 lead, but consecutive buckets from freshman Marissa Gattuso (Woburn, Mass.) put the Warriors in front by three, 38-35. With the score at 40-38, Assumption netted the final bucket of the frame to tie the game entering the fourth
- Merrimack started the fourth with five unanswered points via jumpers for freshman Mayson Kimball (Webster, N.H.) and junior Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.). The Greyhounds answered with eight unanswered points, taking their last lead at 48-45 with four minutes remaining
Notes and Notables
- Casey had now doubled up in consecutive games. She finished Wednesday's tilt with 17 points and 10 boards, all coming on the defensive glass
- Alves filled up the stat sheet again. She tied her career high with 10 points, while dishing out a team-high five assists and notching four steals
- For the third straight game to start the year, Merrimack forced its opponent into at least 20 turnovers. The Greyhounds coughed the ball up 22 times, resulting in 17 Warriors' points
Up Next
The Navy and Gold play a non-conference road game on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against Nyack College
