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Ryan Boulter Interview
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team left no doubt that the Warriors' three-game losing skid would come to an end on Wednesday evening as the Warriors dominated from start-to-finish in a 105-67 victory over the visiting Stonehill College Skyhawks in the home opener for the Navy and Gold at Hammel Court. Merrimack sank 17 three-pointers, the most for the program since at least 2000, led by a 34-point, eight-triple effort from junior forward
Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Mass.).
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 105, Stonehill 67
Records: Merrimack (5-3, 2-1 NE10) | Stonehill (2-5, 1-3 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
Marquee Moments:
- The closest Stonehill came to Merrimack's lead in the second half was 17 points as the Warriors built a 29-point halftime lead that proved to be insurmountable
- Boulter scored 23 of his game-high 34 in the first half, making his first five shots en route to an 8-of-10 shooting performance including 6-of-7 from beyond in the arc over the opening 20 minutes
- As a team, Merrimack shot 59.5 percent from the field and 58.8 percent from distance in the opening stanza. The Warriors made 22 field goals compared to Stonehill's 28 total field-goal attempts in the first half
Rapid Recap
- Stonehill got out to a 3-0 lead, but that would be its only advantage of the game. Merrimack answered with an 11-0 run that prompted the Skyhawks' first timeout, featuring a triple from Boulter and back-to-back lay-ins for sophomore Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.)
- Beginning at the 14:10 mark, Boulter scored nine consecutive points on an old-fashioned three-point play followed by a pair of triples. Senior Tawayne Anderson Jr. (New York, N.Y.) followed with a put-back slam that brought the lead to 30-12 with 11:00 remaining
- Sophomore Jaleel Lord (Jersey City, N.J.) drained two triples in the latter half of the opening stanza, which was part of a 13-point first half for Lord. Fittingly, Boulter sank back-to-back treys to end the half, giving the Warriors a 57-28 advantage through 20 minutes
- The second half featured more of the same. The Warriors' lead increased from 17 to 32 due to a 15-0 run that ended with 9:56 left in the game, and saw Merrimack ahead, 79-47
- Merrimack received production up and down in the bench in the second half. Sophomore Devon Moore (Hanover, Pa.) went 4-of-4 from the field, notching 11 points. Freshmen David Giuliani (North Wales, Pa.) and Devin Jensen (Brielle, N.J.) combined for seven points. Moore's layup with 1:25 remaining brought the Warriors to the century mark for the first time this season
Notes and Notables
- The 17 triples on the night broke a pair of 16 three-point performances from the last 17 years for the most in that span. Six different Warriors connected from distance, leading to the most three-point makes since at least 2000
- Boulter posted his second 30-point performance of the season, the fifth such effort over the last two years. He launched himself back into Merrimack's scoring lead, averaging 19.3 points per game
- In games that Boulter has attempted at least 10 field goals, the sharpshooter has averaged at least 50 percent shooting in all but one of them, including three performances of 70 percent or better
- Lord finished the night with a season-high 16 points and career-high nine rebounds
- Sophomore Idris Joyner (Plainfield, N.J.) and Moore each contributed season highs in scoring, netting 11 and nine points, respectively
- The 105 points is the most for the program under second-year head coach Joe Gallo, and the most for the program overall since a 107-point effort two years ago
Up Next
In a battle of the top-two predicted finishers in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Warriors host the preseason-favorite Saint Anselm Hawks on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Hammel Court.
