Werner's Career High Not Enough as Southern N.H. Shoots Past Women's Basketball, 74-67

2/11/2017 12:00:00 AM

Links: Box Score

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Sophomore Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.) scored a career-high 32 points but the Southern New Hampshire Penmen countered with a 74-point performance to knock off the Warriors, 74-67, on Saturday afternoon from the SNHU Fieldhouse in Northeast-10 Conference action.

The Basics
Score: SNHU 74, Merrimack 67
Records: Merrimack (11-12, 9-9 NE10) | SNHU (11-14, 6-12 NE10)
Location: SNHU Fieldhouse | Manchester, N.H.

The Turning Point:
After Werner sank a triple to pull the Warriors within one, 42-41, with 3:48 remaining in the third quarter, the Penmen went on a 16-4 run that extended to the 6:50 mark of the fourth. The stretch gave SNHU a 13-point advantage, 58-45. Fourteen of the Penmen's 16 points during the spurt came from reserves, as the hosts totaled 47 points from their bench on the day.

NE10 Postseason Outlook:
The top-five teams in the Northeast Division advance to the NE10 Championship, with the fifth seed playing the fourth seed out of the Southwest in the opening round on Friday, Feb. 24. The Warriors have three games remaining, two of which are at home.

1) Bentley (17-1)
2) Assumption (11-7)
3) Saint Anselm (11-7)
4) Saint Michael's (10-8)
5) Merrimack (9-9)
6) Stonehill (9-9)
7) Southern New Hampshire (6-12)
8) Franklin Pierce (0-18)

How It Happened (First Quarter)

• The Warriors started the game on a 5-0 run by scoring on their first two possessions courtesy of a jumper from sophomore Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) and a straightaway 3-pointer from senior My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.). The Penmen responded with a 10-2 spurt over the next 4:37 to take a 10-7 lead at the midway point of the quarter
• Werner came off the bench and scored four points to cut the deficit to five, 16-11, after SNHU built a seven-point lead. Five unanswered points from the Penmen however, made it a 10-point game as Merrimack called a timeout with 1:51 left in the quarter
• SNHU's fourth triple of the quarter fell through with 47 seconds left, giving the Penmen a 24-13 lead after 10 minutes

How It Happened (Second Quarter)

• Merrimack worked the deficit down to seven points to open the quarter, but Brianna Camara hit her third triple in as many attempts to push the Penmen's advantage back to double digits, 27-17, at the 7:29 mark. The lead grew to as many as 12 at the midway point of the frame
• Spurned by buckets from Alston, sophomore Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) and Werner, the Warriors embarked on a 7-0 spurt to trim the margin down to 31-26 with 3:30 remaining in the half.
• The run extended to a 12-2 stretch to end the opening stanza, as Martin pulled up for a left-wing 3-pointer that swished through as the buzzer sounded to pull the Warriors within two, 33-31, entering the locker room

How It Happened (Third Quarter)

• Senior forward Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) immediately tied the game on the Warriors' first possession, but the Penmen responded with seven unanswered points to build a 40-33 lead. Alston and Martin hit back-to-back layups to bring the deficit down to four with 5:38 remaining in the quarter
• After Werner came off the bench to hit a triple and make it a 42-41 game, the Penmen ended the quarter on 11-2 run to take a 53-43 lead into the final frame. Amanda Kelly hit two left-elbow jumpers during the stretch, while Molly Terry drilled a last-second trey

How It Happened (Fourth Quarter)

• The first 3:10 of the final 10 minutes saw SNHU equal its largest lead of the day at 58-45. Werner once again created instant offense, as she entered the game and connected on a straightaway triple. The Penmen answered by working the shot clock down and banked in a runner, increasing their lead to 12 at the midway point of the frame
• The Warriors did not go quietly. Merrimack used a 10-2 run to transform the game to a 60-55 mark, with Werner scoring eight straight points followed by a steal-and-score from Johnson
• A timely 3-pointer from Dean silenced the Warriors' momentum with 2:48 left, increasing the hosts' advantage to eight. Werner finished with 10 of Merrimack's final 12 points over the last two minutes, but the Penmen hit all but one free throw to prevent a comeback

Inside The Numbers

• Werner finished 9-of-16 from the field, making five 3-pointers and all nine of her free-throw attempts. The 32 points bested her previous career high of 27 set earlier this season when she set a new program record with nine triples against Massachusetts
• The 30-point performance marked the first such game for a Warrior since November of 2014 when Chloe Rothman '15 finished with exactly 30 against Franklin Pierce
• Freshman Denia Davis-Stewart (Dorchester, Mass.) tied her season high with five blocks – the sixth time this season she's record five. She also posted her eighth double-figure rebound effort with 11 boards
• Three separate Penmen reserves scored in double figures, led by 21 points from Brianna Camara
• The Penmen went 8-of-14 from beyond the arc, with all but one 3-pointer coming from a bench performer

Up Next
The Warriors host Assumption at 5:30 p.m. at Hammel Court in what will be celebrated as Merrimack's Play 4Kay game, generating awareness and funds for breast cancer research.

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