Links: Box Score | Highlights

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Freshman wing Mayson Kimball (Webster, N.H.) scored a career-high 28 points that included a 15-point third quarter, but the Merrimack College women's basketball program suffered a 80-59 loss on Tuesday evening to No. 8/12 Bentley University in Northeast-10 Conference action from Hammel Court.

The Basics
Score: #8/12 Bentley 80, Merrimack 59
Records: Merrimack (5-5, 3-4 NE10) | #8/12 Bentley (10-1, 6-1 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.

Marquee Moments:

• Merrimack faced a 39-23 deficit entering the third quarter, only to see Kimball catch fire from the field. She made her first five field goals of the frame, netting 15 points in the frame including 13 points over the first 3:53. Her hot shooting allowed Merrimack to climb within single digits, 47-38, with over half the third frame still to play
• The Falcons' lead hovered around nine over the remainder of the third, taking a 58-47 lead the fourth. Bentley proceeded to start the final 10 minutes on a 17-5 run, putting the contest out of reach

Rapid Recap

• Bentley started the game on an 11-0 run, holding Merrimack scoreless over the first five minutes of action. Four minutes into the opening quarter, 2016-17 NE10 All-Rookie selection Denia Davis-Stewart (Dorchester, Mass.) made her season debut after missing the first nine games
• Kimball caught fire in the latter half of the frame, scoring all 10 of Merrimack's points in the quarter. The Falcons took an 18-10 advantage to the second
• The Warriors cut their deficit down to six on two occasions during the second frame, including at 21-15 with 7:14 to play until halftime. Bentley responded with six unanswered points, however, to jump in front by 12, 27-15
• The Falcons led by as many as 17 in the opening half, closing the first half with a 39-23 advantage. Kimball finished with a game-high 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting over the first 20 minutes
• Kimball hit all five of her shots to start the third quarter, scoring 13 of Merrimack's first 15 points as the Warriors outscored the Falcons, 15-8, to trim their deficit down to single digits, 47-38, with 6:05 on the clock
• Over the remainder of the quarter, Bentley edged Merrimack, 11-9, to take a 58-47 advantage to the final frame
• Bentley scored seven of the fourth's first nine points, but sophomore Emily Houle (Attleboro, Mass.) stepped into a straightaway triple to cut into the visitors' lead, 65-52, with 6:40 left. From there, Bentley's lead grew to as many as 23 as the Falcons left with a 80-59 win

Notes and Notables

• Kimball scored the most points since her collegiate debut, besting the 12-point effort against Georgian Court in the season opener
• She set career bests in points (28), field goals (10), field goal attempts (15), three-pointers (5), three-point attempts (7) and blocks (3)
• In her season debut, Davis-Stewart led all players with four blocks, playing in 21 minutes off the bench. The sophomore totaled a NE10-best 79 rejections as a freshman
• Four Falcons scored in double figures, led by a pair of double-doubles for junior Victoria Lux and senior Macchi Smith. The former had 17 points and 11 rebounds while the latter totaled 12 and 13
• Bentley outrebounded Merrimack, 39-28, leading to a 12-point advantage in the paint (28-16)

Up Next
Merrimack will have a week off due to finals, with the Warriors' next contest being one week from tonight when the Navy and Gold host the University of Bridgeport at 5:30 p.m. in non-league play.