Links: Box Score
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – Hampered by a slow start to Friday evening's Northeast-10 Conference Championship opener at Adelphi, the fifth-seeded Merrimack College women's basketball team suffered a 66-50 defeat to the fourth-seeded Panthers from the Center for Recreation and Sport. The Warriors' 2017-18 season comes to a close with 15 wins, the most for the program in five years.
The Basics
Score: Adelphi 66,
Merrimack 50
Records: Merrimack (15-12) | Adelphi (14-15)
Location: Center for Recreation & Sport | Garden City, N.Y.
NE10 Championship Schedule:
First Round Friday, February 23
Game 1: Southern New Hampshire (No. 4 seed NE) def. Saint Rose (No. 5 seed SW) – 75-62
Game 2: Adelphi (No. 4 seed SW) def. Merrimack (No. 5 seed NE) – 66-50
Quarterfinals Sunday, February 25
Game 3: Southern New Hampshire (No. 4 seed NE) at Southern Connecticut (No. 1 seed SW) – 3:00 PM
Game 4: Adelphi (No. 4 seed SW) at Stonehill (No. 1 seed NE) – 3:00 PM
Game 5: Saint Anselm (No. 3 seed NE) at Le Moyne (No. 2 seed SW) – 2:00 PM
Game 6: Pace (No. 3 seed SW) at Bentley (No. 2 seed NE) – 3:00 PM
Semifinals Thursday, March 1 (at highest remaining seeds):
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs. Game 3 winner - 7:00 PM
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 4 winner - 7:00 PM
Championship Sunday, March 4 (at highest remaining seed):
Game 9: Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 winner - 1:00 PM | Broadcast live on Northeast10.tv
Marquee Moments:
- The Warriors struggled out of the game, enduring a near seven-minute scoring drought that enabled the Panthers to open a 13-0 advantage and a 21-5 lead after 10 minutes
- The Navy and Gold shot 2-of-15 from the field to start the game compared to 8-of-12 shooting for the hosts
Rapid Recap
- The Panthers started the night on a 13-0 run, holding Merrimack scoreless for the first 6:26 of the night. Adelphi increased its lead to 16 after the first 10 minutes, 21-5
- The Warriors defense held Adelphi scoreless over the final 5:18 of the second quarter, allowing Merrimack to claw within 14 at halftime, 31-17. Sophomore Denia Davis-Stewart led the Warriors with six points, five rebounds and two blocks in the opening stanza
- Freshman Alyssa Casey and Davis-Stewart combined for the 5-0 burst which cut Merrimack's deficit down to 11 at the start of the third. The Warriors outscored the Panthers, 11-6, to start the third to pull within single digits, 37-28, with 5:31 to go in the third
- Facing a 50-32 hole late in the third, junior Lindsay Werner netted five points in the third's final 25 seconds to bring Merrimack within 13 entering the fourth
- Despite multiple pushes to trim into their deficit, the Warriors were not able to get closer than nine points throughout the fourth quarter
Notes and Notables
- Werner's three-pointer with 25 seconds left in the fourth marked her 63rd of the season, setting a new single-season program record. It broke the 62 triples in the 2002-03 season by Christina Siragusa
- Davis-Stewart led Merrimack offensively with 14 points on 7-of-15 from the field, while Werner also finished in double figures with 12 points
- Junior Karlee Alves completed her breakout season with 10 assists, her sixth time this season in double figures
- Natalie Fekula led the Panthers with 16 points and 19 boards, while Simone Hobdy added 16 points of her own
- The Panthers went to the free-throw line 25 times (17-25) compared to just four trips for the Warriors (3-4)
