Links: Box Score
ALBANY, N.Y. – The Merrimack College women's basketball program pulled away from the College of Saint Rose Golden Knights for a 83-70 victory on Saturday afternoon in the Navy and Gold's non-conference finale from Nolan Gymnasium. The Warriors utilized a fourth-quarter performance that saw Merrimack outscore the Golden Knights, 27-17, while shooting 58 percent from the field, 43 percent from beyond the arc and 83 percent from the charity stripe.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 83, Saint Rose 70
Records: Merrimack (7-5) | Saint Rose (5-7)
Location: Nolan Gymnasium | Albany, N.Y.
Marquee Moments:
- The Warriors and Golden Knights were only separated by two points, 63-61, with 6:29 remaining in regulation. From there, Merrimack embarked on a 19-4 run that lasted until there was just 50 seconds remaining in regulation
- During that span the Warriors' defense limited the Golden Knights to one field goal, with Saint Rose shooting 1-of-7 overall
- Offensively, five different Warriors contributed points as the team shot 5-of-8 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line during the near six-minute stretch of the final frame
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack started the first 4:08 of the game on a 9-2 run, featuring five points from junior Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.) and two points and two steals for classmate Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.). After Saint Rose clawed within two, 12-10, Werner netted five consecutive points to bring the Warriors' advantage back to seven with 2:28 remaining in the frame. The Warriors held a 20-17 lead after 10 minutes
- Saint Rose worked its way towards its first lead of the afternoon in the second quarter, pulling ahead at the 5:45 mark, 26-25, following a three-pointer from Ashley Vanderwall
- Merrimack ended the first half on a 9-4 run over the final 3:45. The Golden Knights led, 28-27, only to see seven unanswered points go down for the Warriors beginning with a triple from freshman Mayson Kimball (Webster, N.H.). Werner finished with 17 first-half points, nailing a jumper on Merrimack's final possession to make it a 36-32 game at the break
- After she did not have a bucket in the first half, freshman Alyssa Casey (Andover, Mass.) knocked down back-to-back triples to start the third quarter. The Golden Knights, however, proceeded to use a 9-2 run over the next 4:11 to take a 45-44 advantage with four minutes left in the third
- The Warriors had another response in the form of Werner's offense. The third-year guard scored six unanswered points in a span of 42 seconds to snatch the led back for Merrimack, 52-47. The Navy and Gold took a 56-53 lead to the fourth
- Casey hit Merrimack's first two field goals of the fourth, increasing the Warriors' lead to 63-59 and forcing a Saint Rose timeout with 6:42 to play
- The Warriors' 19-4 run featured a 9-0 spurt to start, which included buckets for sophomore Alyssa Torres (Bohemia, N.Y.), Werner, Casey and sophomore Denia Davis-Stewart (Dorchester, Mass.). It ended with a 7-0 stretch, with every point coming at the free throw line
Notes and Notables
- Werner tied her career high with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-23 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free-throw line. She set a personal best with 11 field goals, two more than she made in her previous 32-point effort at Southern New Hampshire last season
- Davis-Stewart collected her first double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. She added a season-high seven blocks, tied for the third-most rejections in a single game nationwide this season. She is now averaging 5.0 blocks per game through three outings
- Alves posted 11 assists and a career-high six steals, increasing her team and conference lead in both statistics. The second-year floor general is averaging 10.0 assists over her last four games
- Fourteen of Casey's 16 points came in the second half, hitting 4-of-8 from distance
- The Warriors shot a season-best 84.2 percent (16-19) from the free-throw line
Up Next
The Warriors return home Wednesday night when Merrimack hosts Southern Connecticut State in its first of seven Northeast-10 Conference games against the Southwest Division at 5:30 p.m. from Hammel Court.
