| Matchup |
Adelphi (5-11, 1-7 NE10) at
Merrimack (11-4, 8-1 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018 (7:30 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Hammel Court // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Sitting in first place in the Northeast Division and owning the program's best nine-game Northeast-10 Conference record in 27 years, the Merrimack College men's basketball program hosts high-flying Adelphi University on Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. from Hammel Court. The Navy and Gold boast a seven-game NE10 winning streak, the longest for the program since the 2009-10 season.
Last Time Out:
- Merrimack outlasted Pace University on Saturday, outscoring the Setters via a 9-0 run late in the second half to complete the game's 11th and final lead change, winning by a 72-68 margin
- Sophomore Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) led the Warriors with 17 points on 4-of-8 shooting and 9-of-12 from the free-throw line and posted a team-high five steals
- Freshman guard Khalief Crawford (Linden, N.J.) notched 13 points, the Warriors' other double-digit scorer, while six others ranged between 6-9 points on the evening
- The rookie duo of Crawford and freshman Devin Jensen (Brielle, N.J.) combined to shoot 6-of-9 from distance, hitting all but three of Merrimack's triples on the afternoon
'Mack Facts:
- With Saturday's win, Merrimack equaled the 8-1 NE10 start that the 1990-91 program enjoyed 27 years ago. Both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 programs started league play with 10-2 league records, but lost twice before playing their ninth conference game
- The 2009-10 squad lost its first two NE10 games of the season before ripping off its 10-game winning streak.
- Hayes was featured in the NCAA Division II's January All-Stat Starting Five, detailing the point guard's wide-ranging statistical impact this season. He leads the country in assists per game (8.3) while is tied for the nation's best in steals per game (4.0)
- The floor general is currently on pace to record 112 steals in the regular season alone, which would fall three shy of setting a new single-season NE10 record
- The Paterson native also leads the Warriors in points per game (18.3) and rebounds per contest (6.4)
- When holding opponents to fewer than 70 points, the Warriors are 10-0 this season. During the tenure of head coach Joe Gallo, the Navy and Gold are 16-0 when keeping opponents below 70 points
The Panthers:
- Despite its 1-7 mark in the NE10, Adelphi boasts the conference's top offense at 88.8 points per game, which ranks 14th nationwide
- Six Panthers average in double figures, the most of any program in the NE10
- Adelphi ranks second in the country in three-point field goals (191), led by Jack Laffey's conference leading 53 triples. Five Panthers have hit at least 20 triples this season
- Defensively, however, the Panthers allow the most points in the league (89.8), which is 10.4 more points than any other team in the conference
The Series:
- Through 18 games, Adelphi has collected a slim 10-8 edge in the all-time series over Merrimack
- Merrimack avenged a home defeat two years ago with an 81-77 win over Adelphi last season on Long Island
- The last time these two programs met at Hammel Court, the Warriors and Panthers went to double overtime as Adelphi outlasted Merrimack, 102-93
Up Next
The Warriors travel to Le Moyne on Saturday afternoon for the long-anticipated rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament tilt. Tip-off is set for 3:30 p.m. from Syracuse, N.Y.
