| Matchup |
Merrimack (12-7, 7-5 NE10) vs.
American Int'l (9-11, 5-7 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019 // 7:30 p.m. |
| Venue |
North Andover, Mass. // Hammel Court (Tickets) |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program and the American International Yellow Jackets will play for the second time in 2018-19 – with tomorrow night's game serving as the Northeast-10 Conference contest – on Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m. at Hammel Court.
The first meeting, a non-league affair, saw Merrimack knock off AIC on road in overtime, 80-70, in December from Springfield. Senior
Ryan Boulter scored 24 points in the contest, while freshman
Mikey Watkins finished with a career-high 18 points off the bench on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. The first-year guard won NE10 Rookie of the Week following the effort.
Promotions:
- Merrimack's marketing staff will be distributing 100 basketball drawstring bags to the first 100 students in attendance ahead of Tuesday's game! Students will receive one drawstring bag per Mack Card. Giveaways are only available while supplies last.
Five Things to Know:
- Merrimack had its three-game winning streak snapped last week, 67-55, against the Southwest Division leading New Haven Chargers. The Warriors still own a 7-3 record over their last 10 games, tied for the best record in the division over that span
- The Warriors begin the week ranked third in the Northeast at 7-5, trailing Bentley University (8-5) by half a game. Merrimack has allowed a division-low 68.5 points per contest, which ranks third overall in the NE10. The defense is paced by forcing a league-high 17.7 turnovers per game, which is contributed by a league-leading 9.3 steals per game
- Pacing those steals numbers is junior point guard Juvaris Hayes, whose 3.7 steals per game average and 71 total thefts are nearly double the next closest player in the conference. Both totals also lead the country. The Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List selection – awarded to the top small college basketball player nationwide – also leads Merrimack in scoring and assists while ranking second in rebounds
- Merrimack has surrounded its floor general with strong shooters in Boulter and junior Jaleel Lord. The duo are both among the top seven in the league in 3-pointers made, with Boulter ranking second with 57 makes. Lord has hit 47 treys to date, which is already a career high, while averaging a career-best 11.2 points per game
- AIC won five of its six games after losing to Merrimack, but has dropped three of its last four after that six-game run. The Yellow Jackets hung with nationally ranked Bentley (87-79) and Saint Anselm (90-78) before prevailing against SNHU in their most recent game, 79-72, to snap the three-game slide
Series History:
- The 82nd meeting between AIC and Merrimack will occur on Tuesday, with AIC leading the all-time series by nine games (45-36)
- Merrimack has won four straight games in the series overall, including this year's previous meeting. The most recent home contest was a narrow decision, with the Warriors prevailing by one on a buzzer-beating bucket by Anthony Barry '17
- In that game two years ago, Hayes posted a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists, Boulter scored a team-high 23 points and Lord registered the best outing of his freshman year with 17 points and four 3-pointers off the bench
Scouting the Opposition
| Merrimack (12-7, 7-5 NE10) |
Stat Category |
American Int'l (9-11, 5-7 NE10) |
| 76.4 |
Points Per Game |
70.5 |
| 68.5 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
71.0 |
| .468 |
Field Goal Percentage |
.431 |
| .361 |
Three-Point FG Percentage |
.325 |
| 32.3 |
Rebounds Per Game |
36.9 |
| Juvaris Hayes (19.6 ppg) |
Points Leader |
Xion Golding (10.8 ppg) |
| Idris Joyner (7.0 rpg) |
Rebounds Leader |
Zekiah Owens (5.9 rpg) |
| Hayes (6.5 apg) |
Assists Leader |
Logan Santiago (2.8 apg) |
| Hayes (3.7 spg) |
Steals Leader |
Santiago (1.4 spg) |
| Joyner (1.6 bpg) |
Blocks Leader |
Bane Terzic (0.8 bpg) |
Up Next:
Merrimack heads on the road for the first time in nearly three weeks, facing the College of Saint Rose at Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Albany, N.Y.
