| Matchup |
Post University (6-12, 5-5 NE10) at
Merrimack (13-6, 10-3 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 (7 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Hammel Court // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program will begin a three-game homestand on Thursday night when the Warriors host Post University at 7 p.m. from Hammel Court. The contest will be the final non-conference tilt of the regular season for the Navy and Gold.
Last Time Out:
- Clinging to a 44-41 lead with under nine minutes left in the second half, the Warriors methodically increased their advantage back to 10 before a 12-0 run beginning at the 4:40 mark put Tuesday's night game at AIC out of reach in Merrimack's 68-54 win over the Yellow Jackets
- Merrimack's defense allowed a season-low 54 points, forcing AIC to shoot 28.6 percent from the field, which was also the lowest an opponent shot against the Warriors this season.
- Three Warriors finished in double figures on the evening, while junior Jaleel Lord chipped in nine points on a trio of triples off the bench. Redshirt-senior Tawayne Anderson Jr. finished with a near double-double, contributing eight points and eight boards
- The Warriors employed a new-look starting lineup with sophomore Devon Moore making his first-career start, and Anderson Jr. rejoining the remaining starting group of Khalief Crawford, Juvaris Hayes and Kyle Howes
'Mack Facts:
- Regardless of Thursday's result, the Warriors will have a chance to move back into first place in the Northeast Division with a win on Saturday vs. Saint Rose. The Warriors currently trail Saint Anselm by half a game in the divisional standings, and hold a three-game lead for second place
- The Warriors will look to improve on their 5-1 home record during the upcoming three-game homestand. Merrimack also plays six of its final nine games at Hammel Court
- Hayes extended his double-figure scoring streak to 11 games on Tuesday, and has scored at least 10 points in all but two games this season. His 18.2 points per game average leads the team as does his 7.8 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 steals per contest
- Moore made his first-career start last night, continuing his recent trend of success. Over his last nine games, the sophomore is shooting 50 percent from the field (25-50) while making 15 of his 17 three-pointers this season
- Merrimack's scoring offense (75.3) and defense (70.4) are better than Post's respective numbers in scoring offense (70.3) and defense (78.1)
The Eagles:
- Post enters Thursday with wins in three of its last four games after starting the season with 11 losses over 14 contests
- The duo of senior Tyler Desrosiers and freshman Darrick Boyd account for 47 percent of the Eagles' offense. The former averages a team-leading 17.0 points per game with the latter slotting in right behind him at 16.4 per contest
- The combination have hit 93 three-pointers, with Post as a whole only hitting 142 over 18 games
The Series:
- Thursday will be the fourth all-time meeting between Merrimack and Post, with the Warriors winning three of the first four
- Last season, Merrimack played Post in the season opener and recorded the first-ever win for head coach Joe Gallo. The Warriors put up 50 first-half points en route to a 19-point triumph
- Four players reached double figures, all of which are on the current roster. Troy McLaughlin led the way with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting while Lord contributed 15, Hayes added a double-double with 14 points and 11 assists and Howes finished with 11 of his own
Up Next
The Navy and Gold host the College of Saint Rose on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. in their final game against the Southwest Division. Both the Golden Knights and Warriors will enter Saturday in second place in their respective divisions.
