Links: Box Score
EASTON, Mass. – Junior point guard
Juvaris Hayes posted a stat line of 30 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals on Wednesday night, guiding the Merrimack College men's basketball program to an 88-71 Northeast-10 Conference victory at Stonehill from Merkert Gymnasium in Easton, Mass. Junior
Idris Joyner posted a double-double of 15 points and a career-best 13 rebounds, and sophomore
Khalief Crawford drained a career-high four 3-pointers to join his teammates in double figures with 15 points.
The victory sets up a showdown between the Warriors and No. 4/4 Saint Anselm on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Manchester, N.H. Merrimack and Saint Anselm were the top-two programs in the Northeast Division of the NE10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, with the Hawks edging out the Warriors for the billing of preseason favorites.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 88, Stonehill 71
Records: Merrimack (5-3, 3-1 NE10) | Stonehill (4-4, 1-3 NE10)
Location: Merkert Gymnasium | Easton, Mass.
Marquee Moments
- Merrimack blew Wednesday's game open via a 23-8 run that turned a 52-52 deadlock into a 15-point lead for the Warriors (75-60). The run started with 15 unanswered points, with Hayes notching eight of the first 10 points of the burst. Crawford added a 3-pointer during the 15-0 stretch, while Hayes put an exclamation point on the run with a steal-and-score at the 10:17 mark
- During the unanswered portion of the run, Merrimack's defense forced Stonehill into five straight misses and a pair of turnovers
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack began Wednesday's action with six of the first eight points, but Stonehill responded with a 9-4 stretch that gave the hosts an 11-10 lead. Senior Troy McLaughlin entered the game off the bench, getting a spinning layup to fall that gave Merrimack the lead back, 12-11, at the 12:57 mark
- With Merrimack facing an 18-16 deficit, Hayes started to take the game over. The point guard scored eight points as part of a 10-3 for the Warriors, moving Merrimack ahead by five (26-21) with 7:09 to play in the opening stanza
- Hayes' bucket with 3:51 on the clock brought Merrimack's lead to double figures for the first time, while Joyner converted a three-point play to make it a 40-29 game with 3:15 left until halftime. McLaughlin ended the scoring with a buzzer-beating layup to give the Warriors an eight-point halftime edge (42-34)
- Stonehill started the second half on a 10-0 burst to take a 44-42 lead, less than three minutes in. Junior Jaleel Lord delivered two straight treys to keep the Warriors and Skyhawks neck-and-neck, with those two makes occurring prior to the 15-0 burst. Merrimack's game-changing run began at the 13:40 mark, and the Warriors owned a 67-52 lead at the midway point of the stanza
- Merrimack's lead hovered around 15 points for the remainder of the night. Senior Ryan Boulter increased the Warriors lead to 17 with 6:41 to play, while the Warriors' advantage grew to as many as 18 in the final minutes – their largest of the night
Notes and Numbers
- Hayes' performance marked the fourth 30-point effort of his career and first this season. The season-high scoring output featured a career-best 15 field goals on 29 attempts
- The Paterson, N.J. native hauled in at least eight caroms for the sixth time in eight games, while he posted his second effort with at least five steals
- Joyner's 15 points were a regular-season career high, bested only by his 16-point effort last year in the NCAA Tournament against Bridgeport
- Crawford set a new season high with 16 points, while his four treys established a new career high
- Merrimack dominated the interior, outscoring the Skyhawks by 30 (52-22) in the paint. The Warriors also scored 19 points on the break compared to five by the hosts
- The Warriors only allowed a pair of offensive rebounds, and did not allow Stonehill to record a second-chance point
- Merrimack shot over 50 percent from the field (35-65), over 40 percent from distance (7-17) and made all but four of its free-throw attempts
Up Next
A showdown awaits the Warriors on Saturday when the Warriors visit No. 4/4 Saint Anselm for a 3:30 p.m. NE10 contest at Stoutenburgh Gym in Manchester, N.H.
