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Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's basketball team recovered from a first-quarter deficit to upend visiting Saint Michael's College, 69-64, on Senior Night from Hammel Court on Tuesday. The Warriors honored graduating student-athletes
Cecilia Reyes and
Emily Stephens in the pregame ceremony, and will now travel to Adelphi University to face the Panthers in the opening round of the NE10 Championship on Friday night at 7 p.m. from Garden City, N.Y.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 69, Saint Michael's 64
Records: Merrimack (15-11, 11-10 NE10) | Saint Michael's (8-18, 5-16 NE10)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
NE10 Championship Picture:
With the conclusion of the regular season, the Warriors finished fifth in the Northeast Division and will play in the opening round on Friday night against fourth-seeded Adelphi University out of the Southwest Division at 7 p.m. in Garden City, N.Y.
Northeast Division:
1. Stonehill (20-1)
2. Bentley (18-3)
3. Saint Anselm (13-8)
4. Southern New Hampshire (12-9)
5. Merrimack (11-10)
Southwest Division:
1. Southern Connecticut (14-6)
2. Le Moyne (12-8)
3. Pace (11-9)
4. Adelphi (9-11)
5. Saint Rose (8-12)
Marquee Moments:
- A late trey in the second quarter from freshman Alyssa Casey gave the Warriors a 35-33 halftime advantage, which triggered a Warriors' onslaught early in the third quarter
- The Navy and Gold started the third quarter on an 11-2 run, capped by another Casey triple that built a 46-35 advantage for Merrimack that they never game up
- The Purple Knights did mount a comeback, pulling within two later in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Denia Davis-Stewart hit a contested layup with 59 seconds left, however, that brought Merrimack's lead back to multiple possessions, 66-62, and ended the visitors' rally
Rapid Recap
- The Warriors started slowly, scoring just two points in the night's first 5:25 to find themselves in a 10-2 hole. Junior Karlee Alves ignited a 7-0 stretch that the second-year guard ended with a three-point play, bringing the Warriors within on points. The Purple Knights held there, taking a 17-14 lead into the second quarter
- Merrimack tied the game once and was within one possession during the majority of the first seven minutes of the second frame. The visitors increased their lead to six, 33-27, with 2:37 on the block, but the Warriors ended the half on an 8-0 run that was bookended by three-pointers by Casey
- The 11-2 run at the start of the third featured four points each for Alves and Davis-Stewart. The Navy and Gold held an 11-point lead twice, their largest of the night, including at 50-39 with 4:44 until the fourth quarter. Saint Michael's cut its deficit to five, but freshman Mayson Kimball hit a triple in the waning minute of the quarter to make it a 55-47 contest at the end of 30 minutes
- A Davis-Stewart jumper staked Merrimack to a 64-55 advantage with 4:35 left, but Saint Michael's started to mount its comeback. The Purple Knights scored the night's next seven points to pull within two, but Davis-Stewart came up with the biggest bucket of the game to keep the Navy and Gold ahead
Notes and Notables
- Alves finished one point shy of the team lead, pouring in a career-high 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting. The junior contributed seven assists, bringing her conference-leading total to 162
- Kimball netted 16 points off the bench to lead the team. Reyes earned the start in place of the freshman on Senior Night, her first-ever nod in the starting five
- After hitting four treys in her previous four games combined, Casey netted four on Tuesday to tie her season high from distance
- Merrimack shot 49.1 percent from the field (28-57), which was a season high
- Senior Leah Spencer led all scorers with 23 points for the Purple Knights
Up Next
The Warriors begin the NE10 Championship on Friday night with an opening-round tilt against Adelphi University, the fourth seed in the Southwest Division. Tip-off from Garden City, N.Y. is scheduled from 7 p.m.
