| Matchup |
Dominican (8-3) at
Merrimack (9-3) |
| Date/Time |
Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017 (12 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Hammel Court // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – For the first time in 19 days, the Merrimack College men's basketball program will play at Hammel Court when the Warriors host Dominican College (N.Y.) on Sunday afternoon at 12 p.m. The Warriors and Chargers are both ranked in the latest D2SIDA East Region Media Poll, with the Navy and Gold in fifth and the Chargers in eighth.
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack never trailed and led by as many as 18 points in the Warriors' 72-60 victory against Bentley University on December 12, the last time the Navy and Gold took the floor
- The win gave Merrimack a 6-1 record through the first seven divisional games of the year, putting the Warriors in a tie for the first in the Northeast. Merrimack is currently on a season-long five-game winning streak.
- Freshman guard Khalief Crawford (Linden, N.J.) scored a career-high and game-high 18 points, entering the starting lineup for the second straight game
- Sophomore Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) sniffed his second-career triple-double, finishing the night with 16 points, 12 assists and nine steals. The nine thefts marked a career best for the second-year floor general, and tied the nation's single-game high this season
- As a team, Merrimack collected a season-high 14 steals and forced Bentley into 23 turnovers. Merrimack held the Falcons to a season-low 60 points after the Falcons had scored at least 70 in every game prior to that
'Mack Facts:
- Hayes is on pace to set a new career high in scoring, leading Merrimack and ranking seventh in the Northeast-10 Conference with 18.4 points per game. Hayes has scored in double figures in 10 of 12 games this season
- Hayes sits seven assists away from 400 for his career. He leads the nation in both assists per game (8.8) and total helpers (106), one of two players in the country with at least 100 assists
- The trio of sophomores Idris Joyner (Plainfield, N.J.) and Jaleel Lord (Jersey City, N.J.) and Crawford have increased their scoring averages to over 8.0 points per game. Joyner has scored in double figures in seven of 12 games, while Crawford has reached 10 points in three straight games and five of his last six
- Merrimack ranks seventh in the NE10 in scoring offense (76.8 ppg) and third in scoring defense (69.8). The Warriors force their opponents in 16.0 turnovers per game, the second-most in the NE10, while the Navy and Gold's 8.8 steals per game average leads the league
The Chargers:
- A near NCAA Tournament team last season after reaching the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Final, Dominican College is off to an impressive start in 2017-18
- The Chargers boast a 7-2 in-region record, winning their first five games of the year and seven of their first eight. Dominican boasts a 3-1 record against NE10 opponents, with a game on tap at Bentley Friday before facing the Warriors on Sunday.
- Six of Dominican's 11 games have been decided by six points or less, with the Chargers winning four of those games. Dominican averages 73.2 points per game, while allowing 69.6 points per contest
- Three players average in double figures, including a pair of sophomores in Daniel Grant and Daraja Rodwell totaling a team-best 14.5 points per game
The Series:
- Sunday will be the fourth all-time meeting, with Merrimack winning all three previous contests
- Merrimack escaped Orangeburg, N.Y. last year with a 67-65 win over the Chargers
- Four Warriors scored in double figures including a 15-point, four-steal performance for junior guard Troy McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.)
Up Next
The Warriors return to action on Wednesday evening when Merrimack plays its first of seven NE10 games against the Southwest Division against Southern Connecticut State from Hammel Court. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
