| Matchup |
Assumption (6-14, 2-12 NE10) at
Merrimack (14-7, 10-4 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018 (7:30 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 begins its second go-round of the Northeast Division on Wednesday when the Warriors conclude a three-game homestand by hosting the Assumption College Greyhounds at 7:30 p.m. from Hammel Court.
Student Giveaway:
- The first 100 students at Wednesday's game will receive a three-point foam finger courtesy of the Athletics Department, the second of four giveaways this semester! Giveaways will only be available while supplies last, and each student will receive one giveaway per Mack Card
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack pulled within as close as four points in the second half after facing a 19-point halftime deficit, but could not complete its comeback in Saturday's showdown with Saint Rose
- Both programs entered Saturday's cross-divisional finale in second place of their respective divisions, and each team qualified for the NCAA Tournament one season ago
- Four players finished in double figures, led by a 17-point, nine-assist effort from sophomore Juvaris Hayes. The floor general shot 6-of-10 from the field and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe
- For the second straight game, the Warriors received impressive production from their reserves. Three members of Merrimack's bench scored in double figures, led by 14 points from sophomore Jaleel Lord. Junior Troy McLaughlin and sophomore Idris Joyner scored 11 points apiece, with the trio combining to shoot 14-of-21 from the field
'Mack Facts:
- The Warriors enter the week trailing Saint Anselm by one game for the Northeast Division lead. The Navy and Gold travel to Manchester, N.H. to face the Hawks on Saturday
- The Warriors suffered their second loss of the season at Hammel Court. Merrimack is now 17-6 at home during the regular season under second-year head coach Joe Gallo
- Hayes extended his double-figure scoring streak to 13 games, and has scored at least 10 points in all but two games this season. His 18.1 points per game average leads the team as does his 7.9 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 steals per contest.
- Hayes' 81 steals already is the 14th most in a single season in NE10 history. He needs seven steals to set a new career high, which ranked as the eighth-highest total in NE10 lore last year
- Junior Ryan Boulter – the Warriors' second-leading scorer – returned to Merrimack's lineup on Saturday, hitting one three-pointer in 18 minutes off the bench. He had missed the previous 10 games
The Greyhounds:
- Assumption suffered four consecutive losses to end its slate against the Southwest Division. The Greyhounds saw their NE10 record fall to 2-12 during that stretch
- The Greyhounds have struggled to score this season, averaging a conference-low 66.4 points per contest. Merrimack enters Wednesday as the leader in the division in scoring defense, allowing 70.6 points per game
- Sophomore Branislav Vujadinovic leads the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game, while freshman Matthew Kelly has been one of the more impressive rookies in the league. Kelly ranks second on the team in scoring (13.4 ppg), averaging over two three-point field goals per game
The Series:
- Assumption played Merrimack tough in the season's first matchup in Worcester, with the Warriors outlasting the Greyhounds for a six-point win
- With the game tied at 62-all with 2:56 remaining, the Navy and Gold ended the night on a 9-3 run to collect the win. Boulter totaled a game-high 20 points, while Hayes flirted with a triple-double (18 pts, 9 ast, 9 reb)
- The Warriors now hold 44 wins in the all-time series, with Wednesday being the 104th all-time contest between the programs
- The last three tilts between the Warriors and the Greyhounds have been decided by six points or less
Up Next
The Navy and Gold travel to Stoutenburgh Gym on Saturday for a 3:30 p.m. showdown with Saint Anselm. A win tomorrow will ensure the Warriors will either be tied with the Hawks or within one game of the division lead entering the weekend matchup.
