Men’s Basketball Hosts Holy Family and Jefferson in East Region Conference Challenge

Matchup	Merrimack (0-0) vs. Holy Family (0-0) // Jefferson (0-0)
Date/Time	Saturday, Nov. 10 (2 p.m.) // Sunday, Nov. 11 (2 p.m.)
Venue	North Andover, Mass. // Hammel Court (Tickets)
Multimedia	Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program will open up its 2018-19 season at home as they face off against Holy Family and Jefferson this weekend from Hammel Court. The contest against the Tigers will tip-off at 2 p.m., while the Warriors and Rams meet in a battle of two NCAA Tournament qualifiers from a year ago on Sunday. Tip-off for that one is also at 2 p.m.

2017-18 Rewind:

• The Warriors finished the season with a record of 20-12, reaching the 20 win mark for the fist time in nearly a decade.
• Merrimack was victorious in 14 conference games, the most since the 2009-2010 season.
• The Warriors defeated New Haven in the NE10 Quarterfinals to reach the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time in nearly a decade
• The team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, defeating nationally ranked Bridgeport to record the second straight season with at least one victory in the East Regional 

Five Things to Know:

• Merrimack finished second in voting in the preseason poll for the Northeast Division of the NE10, receiving two first-place votes.
• Junior point guard Juvaris Hayes was named a preseason All-American by multiple outlets. Hayes enters the season already bosting 1,000 career points, and last season he set a NE10 record for steals. He finished the year among the nation's leaders in assists, totaling nearly 600 in just two years on campus. Hayes became the 10^th All-American in program history last season, the first All-American under head coach Joe Gallo.
• Senior Ryan Boulter begins his final campaign with 998 career points, and will make a bid to become the 45^th player in school history with 1,000 when Saturday's action rolls around. Boulter – one of the top shooters to come through the program – finished last season with a team-best 61 treys despite only playing in 22 games
• Surrounding Hayes in Merrimack's back court are senior Troy McLaughlin, sophomore Khalief Crawford and freshman Mikey Watkins. McLaughlin was among the conference's in assist-to-turnover ratio while Crawford debuted by nearly scoring in double figures on average
• On the wing, junior Jaleel Lord aims to put together his most consistent year yet as a potent offensive player who provides length on the defensive end. Junior Idris Joyner anchors Merrimack's back line, and will be joined there by rookie Justin Connolly. Sophomores Devin Jensen and David Giuliani also expect to see expanded roles

Series History:

• Merrimack is 3-0 in their last three matchups against Holy Family. In their most recent matchup, the Warriors earned an 85-69 victory on November 12^th of last year.

• Against Jefferson, the Warriors have posted a record of 2-1 in their last three contests. Their last loss in the matchup came in the 2015-2016 season when Jefferson claimed an 88-78 victory.  

Scouting the Opposition

Schedule	Schedule
Roster	Roster
Stats	Stats

Up Next:
The Warriors will host Assumption on Wednesday, in their first conference matchup of the year. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Hammel Court.