| Matchup |
Merrimack (5-3, 3-1 NE10) vs
Saint Anselm (5-0, 2-0 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Saturday, Dec. 1 (3:30 p.m.) |
| Venue |
Manchester, N.H. // Stoutenburgh Gymnasium |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – In a battle of the top-two teams in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Merrimack College men's basketball program will make the quick trip north to Stoutenburgh Gymnasium where the Warriors will meet undefeated and No. 4/4 Saint Anselm on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The Hawks edged out the Warriors for the top spot in the Northeast Division at the onset of the season; Saint Anselm also enters Saturday as the consensus fourth-ranked team in the nation, its highest ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches poll in school history.
Five Things to Know:
- It will be a battle of styles on Saturday as Merrimack's fourth-ranked scoring defense (67.5 ppg allowed) faces the NE10's third-best scoring offense. Merrimack boasts three wins by double figures compared to Saint Anselm's five, while the Warriors have yet to falter by a margin wider than six points
- Merrimack's defense ranks second in the conference in steals per game (8.3), while forcing its opponents into nearly 15 turnovers per contest, the fifth most in the conference. Junior Juvaris Hayes leads the conference and the region in total steals (28) while classmate Idris Joyner ranks fourth in the region with 11 rejections, owning nearly half the team's total blocks (25)
- Offensively, Hayes has operated at a high level in every facet of the game. He leads Merrimack in scoring (22.3 ppg), assists per game (5.9), and leads the team, league and region in field goals made (71) and field goals attempted (140). On Wednesday at Stonehill, the All-American floor general registered 30 points, eight rebounds, five assists and five steals in the Warriors' victory
- Merrimack's offense also employs two of the top three-point threats in the region in junior Jaleel Lord and senior Ryan Boulter. The former leads the league and the region with 27 triples while the latter ranks third in makes (23) and leads the NE10 in attempts (59)
- A win would put Merrimack into second place in the Northeast with three divisional games remaining in the first half of season. Bentley (3-0) and Saint Anselm (2-0) currently own the top-two records in the division
Series History:
- Come Saturday at 3:30, Merrimack and Saint Anselm will play for the 114th time, which marks the most times Merrimack has played at opponent ever
- The Hawks have been tough to beat at home in recent memory, owning a 16-1 record since the 2017-18 season and 38-6 mark since the start of 2015-16
- The programs have split the season series in each of the last three years, with the home team winning on each occasion. Last season's game was within four points with two minutes remaining, before the Hawks increased their lead to nine at the final whistle
- Saturday's game is the first for Merrimack against an opponent ranked in the top five since playing Bentley when the Falcons were ranked No. 1 overall for the majority of the 2007-08 campaign
Scouting the Opposition
Merrimack
(4-3, 2-1 NE10) |
Stat Category |
#4/4 Saint Anselm
(5-0, 2-0 NE10) |
| 75.0 |
Points Per Game |
78.6 |
| 67.5 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
76.7 |
| .460 |
Field Goal Percentage |
.462 |
| .357 |
Three-Point FG Percentage |
.391 |
| 33.4 |
Rebounds Per Game |
34.4 |
| Juvaris Hayes (22.3 ppg) |
Points Leader |
Tim Guers (20.4 ppg) |
| Idris Joyner (8.1 rpg) |
Rebounds Leader |
Guers (8.8 rpg) |
| Hayes (5.9 apg) |
Assists Leader |
Guers (4.4 apg) |
| Hayes (3.5 spg) |
Steals Leader |
Guers (1.6 spg) |
| Idris Joyner (1.3 bpg) |
Blocks Leader |
Gustav Suhr-Jessen (1.4 bpg) |
Up Next:
The Warriors will be back at Hammel Court on Wednesday night when Merrimack hosts Franklin Pierce at 7:30 p.m.
