Franklin Pierce Awaits Men’s Basketball Thursday

Matchup	Franklin Pierce (12-9, 7-9 NE10) at Merrimack (15-8, 11-5 NE10)
Date/Time	Thursday, Feb. 7, 2018 (6 p.m.)
Venue	Hammel Court // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets)
Multimedia	Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram

 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program looks to complete a season sweep of visiting Franklin Pierce University when the Ravens arrive on campus tomorrow for a Northeast-10 Conference divisional duel. Tip-off from Hammel Court is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Please note this game was rescheduled from its original time of Wednesday (Feb. 7) at 5:30 p.m. due to winter weather.

Gameday Promotions:

• The first 100 students at Wednesday's game will receive a "MC" Arm Sleeve courtesy of the Athletics Department. One arm sleeve will be given per Mack Card
• The Warriors will also join many institutions nationwide in celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Any girls youth sports programs are invited to tomorrow's game free of charge, and participate in a meet-and-greet with the entire Merrimack team after the game. Please contact Director of Ticketing and Fan Experience Will O'Leary for more information

NE10 Postseason Outlook:
The top-five programs in the Northeast Division advance to the NE10 Championship. The fourth-place finisher hosts the No. 5 seed from the Southwest Division, while the fifth-place finisher travels to the No. 4 seed out of the Southwest for the First Round. Seeds No. 1-3 earn byes to the Quarterfinals. Merrimack has five games remaining in the regular season

1. Saint Anselm (17-5, 12-4)
2. Merrimack (15-8, 11-5)
3. Stonehill (13-9, 9-7)
4. Bentley (12-9, 9-7)
5. SNHU (12-9, 8-8)
6. Franklin Pierce (12-9, 7-9)
7. Assumption (6-16, 2-14)
8. Saint Michael's (5-16, 2-14)

Last Time Out:

• Sophomore point guard Juvaris Hayes finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and seven assists but the Warriors lost to Saint Anselm, 79-70, on Saturday in Manchester
• The contest put the Warriors one game behind the Hawks in the Northeast Division with five games remaining in the regular season
• Junior Ryan Boulter put up his most points since returning to the lineup, scoring 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting and a trio of three-pointers

 'Mack Facts:

• Merrimack controls its destiny over the last five games to finish no worse than second in the division. The second-place finisher in the Northeast hosts the No. 3 seed out of the Southwest in the NE10 Quarterfinals on Sunday, Feb. 25
• Both Boulter and Hayes are nearing 1,000-point milestone as the regular season closes. Boulter currently needs 104 points to reach a grand while Hayes has closed the gap with the upperclassman, needing 146 to reach 1,000
• Hayes is two steals away from setting a new career high, and four away from becoming the first player in program history with at least 90 in a season. The floor general also enters the week with the nation's lead in assists per game (8.2) and total assists (188)
• Merrimack ranks eighth in the NE10 in scoring offense (74.7) and third in scoring defense (70.7). The Warriors lead the Northeast Division in scoring defense. The Warriors are first in the league in steals per game (8.4) and 18^th nationwide in total thefts (194)

The Ravens:

• Franklin Pierce won two divisional games last week to work its way back into the playoff picture with five games to play
• The Ravens upset Saint Anselm at home before knocking off Saint Michael's in overtime
• Five Ravens average in double figures for an offense that ranks fifth in the conference. Senior Mike McDevitt leads the squad with 16.2 points per game, shooting 56 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from three-point range
• Franklin Pierce's defense ranks as the third-worst in the conference, allowing nearly 78 points per contest

The Series:

• Merrimack toppled Franklin Pierce, 60-59, in a defensive battle earlier this season in Rindge
• The victory increased the Warriors' advantage in the all-time series to 20-13
• Freshman Khalief Crawford totaled 13 points off the bench, shooting 4-of-8 from the field making three shots from beyond the arc

Up Next
The Navy and Gold celebrate Alumni Day on Saturday when the Warriors host Southern New Hampshire at 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon from Hammel Court.