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NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Sophomore point guard
Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) totaled a career-best 35 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and five steals, while scoring nine of the Merrimack College men's basketball team's 11 points in overtime as the Warriors hung on for a 92-89 victory on Tuesday evening against visiting Adelphi University in Northeast-10 Conference action from Hammel Court. With the win, the Navy and Gold maintained their spot in first place in the Northeast Division, extending their conference winning streak to eight games.
The Basics
Score (OT): Merrimack 92, Adelphi 89
Records: Merrimack (12-4, 9-1 NE10) | Adelphi (5-12, 1-8 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
Marquee Moments:
- Merrimack shot a season-best 70 percent from the field in the first half, only to see the top-ranked offense in the NE10 work its way back into the game in the second half. Adelphi took a 70-69 lead with 6:01 left in regulation
- Hayes and freshman Khalief Crawford (Linden, N.J.) combined to score 13 of the Warriors' final 14 points of the second half, staking Merrimack to an 81-79 lead with one minute to play. The Panthers' Conor McGuinness hit a jumper with 13 second left, however, to send the game to the extra session
- Hayes scored Merrimack's first nine points of overtime, hitting the only three field goal the Warriors made in the extra session. With the Navy and Gold ahead by three, 89-86, and only nine seconds left, the second-year point guard blocked Adelphi's attempt at a game-tying three. That rejection enabled redshirt-senior Tawayne Anderson Jr. (New York, N.Y.) to ice the game with two free throws at the charity stripe
Rapid Recap
- Both program's shot over 50 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Crawford scored 11 of his 13 first-half points over the first 8:28 of the night, helping stake Merrimack to a 21-15 advantage
- A quick 7-0 run featuring a three-point play for sophomore Idris Joyner (Plainfield, N.J.) and back-to-back buckets for Hayes increased Merrimack's advantage to 13 points at the 7:37 mark
- The Warriors' lead grew to as many as 15 in the opening stanza, following by a put-back by senior Kyle Howes (Maynard, Mass.) with 2:01 left. The visitors netted seven of the half's final nine points to pull within 10, 49-39, at halftime
- Howes netted seven points over the first four minutes of the season half, increasing Merrimack's lead to 56-43
- From there, Adelphi used a 13-4 run to cut its deficit down to single digits, making it a 60-56 game with 12:44 left in regulation. Merrimack answered with a fastbreak layup for Crawford, using a timeout following the make with 10:53 on the clock
- Adelphi chipped away over the next five minutes, taking a brief 70-69 lead only to see Hayes take over to the tune of five unanswered points. The sophomore got Merrimack its advantage back, 74-70, with 4:30 to play
- Crawford, Hayes and Howes accounted for Merrimack's final seven points at regulation, but the visitors hit a pair of three-pointers over the final three minutes to keep their deficit at a one-possession margin, before McGuinness drained the bucket that forced overtime
Notes and Notables
- Merrimack currently sits one game in front of Saint Anselm for the Northeast Division lead. With a 9-1 record, the Warriors have set their best 10-game conference start since the NE10 moved to the divisional format in the 2013-14 season
- It marked Merrimack's first overtime win since last season's upset of Le Moyne in the NCAA Tournament and first at home since last January's 100-94 triumph over Southern Connecticut
- Hayes' career high in scoring featuring a 14-of-24 shooting performance from the field, establishing a new personal best in field goals made (14)
- Merrimack made 36 field goals on the evening, with Hayes directly contributing to 24 of them (14 FG, 10 assists). The floor general now has six games this season with at least 10 helpers
- Crawford's 17 points fell one shy of tying his career high. The rookie's 8-of-11 shooting performance marked the most efficient effort of the season
- Howes posted 14 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 from the field
- Merrimack won despite hitting only four three-pointers, compared to 12 for the Panthers
- The Warriors outscored the Panthers in the paint, 62-44, establishing a new season high
Up Next
For the first time since last season's upset in the NCAA Tournament, the Navy and Gold will return to Syracuse, N.Y. where Merrimack faces Le Moyne College at 3 p.m. from Ted Grant Court.
