| Matchup |
Saint Rose (15-5, 10-2 NE10) at
Merrimack (14-6, 10-3 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018 (3:00 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 look to complete a 3-0 week and take down the second-place program in the Southwest Division in the process when the Warriors host the College of Saint Rose on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Hammel Court. Both the Warriors and the Golden Knights played in the NCAA Tournament last year, with Saint Rose reaching the regional final.
Student Giveaway:
- The first 100 students at Saturday's game will receive a free mini-hoop set courtesy of the Athletics Department, the first of four giveaways this semester! Giveaways will only be available while supplies last, and a student will receive one giveaway per Mack Card
Last Time Out:
- The Warriors used a 27-9 run to close the first half, erasing an early 19-12 deficit and never trailed the rest of the way in Thursday night's 69-63 victory over Post University
- The contest marked the non-conference finale for the Navy and Gold, who picked up wins over Jefferson, Holy Family, LIU Post and Post
- Sophomore Juvaris Hayes led the way, posting a line of 17 points, eight rebounds, six assists and six steals
- Merrimack's bench came through in the clutch, with the Warriors' reserves netting 27 combined points. The trio of junior Troy McLaughlin, sophomore Jaleel Lord and freshman Devin Jensen combined to shoot 6-of-10 from beyond the arc, accounting for all but three of Merrimack's triples on the night
'Mack Facts:
- The Warriors will have a chance to move back into first place in the Northeast Division with a win on Saturday against Saint Rose. Saint Anselm is off tomorrow, and if Merrimack prevails, the Navy and Gold will hold the tiebreaker over the Hawks due to their win earlier this season
- Merrimack has won five of its last seven games and improved to 6-1 at Hammel Court after Thursday's win
- Hayes extended his double-figure scoring streak to 12 games on Thursday, 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, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 steals per contest
- Senior Kyle Howes finished with 10 points against the Eagles, marking the fifth-straight game the fourth-year wing has scored in double figures. During that span he has increased his scoring average to 8.6 points per contest, which would be a career high
- Saturday's game will be a matchup of two of the NE10's best defenses. Saint Rose ranks second overall, allowing 66.3 points per contest, while Merrimack is third at 70.0 points allowed, which leads the Northeast
The Golden Knights:
- Saint Rose saw its season-long six-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday, falling at Saint Anselm
- After missing the first half of the season, senior Mical-Ryan Boyd has returned to lead the team in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He is six points away from 1,000 for his career. The Golden Knights utilize a balanced offense featuring four players averaging in double figures
- When allowing less than 70 points, the Golden Knights are 10-2 this season
The Series:
- The Golden Knights broke a 13-13 tie in the all-time series with an 86-82 win last season in Albany
- The Warriors led by nine with 2:44 remaining, only to see the Golden Knights end the game on a 13-0 run to prevail
- Hayes finished the game with 14 assists, while Lord and junior Ryan Boulter combined for 36 points, shooting 10-of-16 from three-point range
- Merrimack last beat the Golden Knights two years ago, a 17-point home triumph
Up Next
The Warriors return to divisional play on Wednesday night, hosting Assumption at 7:30 p.m. at Hammel Court.
