| Matchup |
Merrimack (12-5, 9-2 NE10) at
New Haven (9-6, 6-4 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2018 (7:30 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Charger Gymnasium // West Haven, Conn. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program will look to rebound after seeing its eight-game Northeast-10 Conference winning streak snapped over the weekend when the Warriors take on the University of New Haven on Wednesday night at Charger Gymnasium. The contest will be a rematch of last season's postseason tilt, which saw the Chargers upset the Warriors in the opening round of the NE10 Championship.
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack worked its 16-point second-half deficit down to as little as five points on Saturday at Le Moyne, but the Dolphins prevailed, 68-61, in a meeting of the NE10's two divisional leaders. The contest was also a rematch of last year's NCAA Tournament matchup
- Senior Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) set a career high by draining four three-pointers, notching a season high with a team-best 16 points
- Three other Warriors scored in double figures, including 11 points off the bench for junior guard Troy McLaughlin (Old Tappan, N.J.)
- The hosts scored 43 first-half points, shooting 70.8 percent from the field to establish an insurmountable lead. Merrimack's defense recovered in the second half, however, holding Le Moyne to 25 points
'Mack Facts:
- Sophomore point guard Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) posted a line of 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals on Saturday to maintain his team lead in all four categories
- Hayes leads the country with 68 steals, while he is second nationwide in steals per game (4.0), total assists (139) and assists per game (8.2)
- Since joining the starting lineup, freshman Khalief Crawford (Linden, N.J.) has scored in double figures in six of seven games, emerging as one of Merrimack's top secondary scoring options. The rookie totaled 10 points at Le Moyne, increasing his scoring average to 8.7 points per game
- Merrimack's scoring offense ranks seventh in the league (75.7) while its scoring defense is the best in the Northeast Division (70.9)
- Both Merrimack's and New Haven's scoring offense and scoring defense are both separated by less than 1.5 points per game, with the Warriors' averages besting the Chargers' in both areas
The Chargers:
- Selected to finish second in the Southwest to begin the year, New Haven is currently third in the division with a 6-4 league record
- The Chargers have played well against the Northeast Division, winning three straight after dropping their cross-divisional opener to Saint Anselm
- Danny Upchurch has been New Haven's do-it-all guard, leading the team in points (17.9), rebounds (6.5), assists (6.6) and steals (1.0) per game
The Series:
- Merrimack has won two-thirds of the 35 all-time meetings against New Haven, holding a 21-14 advantage
- Last season saw the Warriors and Chargers split a pair of games at Hammel Court, with Merrimack winning during the regular season and New Haven triumphing in the playoffs
- Five players scored in double figures for New Haven in its opening-round upset. Redshirt-senior Tawayne Anderson Jr. (New York, N.Y.) nearly totaled a double-double with 10 points and eight boards for Merrimack
Up Next
The Navy and Gold will be off this weekend before returning to action on Tuesday to face American International for a 7:30 p.m. tip in Springfield.
