| Matchup |
Merrimack (6-5) vs.
Saint Thomas Aquinas (9-1) |
| Date/Time |
Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018 (5 p.m.) |
| Venue |
North Andover, Mass. // Hammel Court (Tickets) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Playing in its final game of the 2018 calendar year, the Merrimack College women's basketball team will play its final home non-conference game and seventh game at Hammel Court overall on Wednesday evening when the Warriors hosts Saint Thomas Aquinas at 5 p.m. on campus. The Spartans have won nine of 10 games to start the year, and advanced to last season's NCAA Tournament after winning the East Coast Conference.
Five Things to Know:
- Two of the top offense's in the region will meet Wednesday. Merrimack ranks fourth in the NE10 by averaging 72.2 points per game which features an attack that ranks second in the league in 3-pointers made (93). STAC paces the East Coast Confernece with a league-leading 73.3 points per contest.
- Winning the ECC last season, the Spartans begin 2018 expected to be one of the top teams in the region. STAC has won all nine of its games by at least 11 points, and has yet to lose a game in-region.
- Merrimack also boasts two of the top individual defenders in the conference in junior Denia Davis-Stewart and senior Karlee Alves. The former leads the league with 4.4 blocks per game, which second nationwide. Alves is the conference's leader in steals per contest, averaging over four per contest and totaling 44 through 11 games, which leads the country.
- Offensively, Merrimack's leaders in points per game includes senior Lindsay Werner (15.9) along with sophomores Alyssa Casey (14.0) and Mayson Kimball (12.5). All three players are shooting at least 32.8 percent from beyond the arc.
- Head coach Monique LeBlanc is nearing her 100th career win at Merrimack, entering Wednesday's contest with 95 career wins. She is aiming to become the third coach in program history to reach the century mark.
Series History:
- Merrimack and STAC have split the four previous meetings between the regional foes. The Spartans prevailed in the most recent contest, which occurred in the 2015-16 season
- Merrimack is 1-1 against Aquinas under LeBlanc. The Warriors bested STAC in Merrimack's 17-win campaign during the 2012-13 season
Scouting the Opposition
| Merrimack (6-5) |
Stat Category |
Saint Thomas Aquinas (9-1) |
| 72.2 |
Points Per Game |
73.7 |
| 63.6 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
56.6 |
| .409 |
Field Goal Percentage |
.430 |
| .350 |
Three-Point FG Percentage |
.320 |
| 41.3 |
Rebounds Per Game |
40.2 |
| Lindsay Werner (15.8 ppg) |
Points Leader |
Ruth Adams (12.4 ppg) |
| Denia Davis-Stewart (9.2 rpg) |
Rebounds Leader |
Emily Preston (6.8) |
| Karlee Alves (8.7 apg) |
Assists Leader |
Chelsea Murphy (4.0) |
| Alves (4.0 spg) |
Steals Leader |
Julia Winnik (1.8) |
| Davis-Stewart (4.4 bpg) |
Blocks Leader |
Kellyann Averill (1.0) |
Up Next:
The Warriors will play its next three games on the road, beginning with a non-league tilt on the road against Mercy College. Tip-off against the Mavericks is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 2.
