| Matchup |
Merrimack (13-7, 8-5 NE10) at
Saint Rose (8-12, 5-8 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Saturday, February 1, 2019 // 3:30 p.m. |
| Venue |
Albany, N.Y. // Nolan Gymnasium |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Watch // Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Looking to snap a brief two-game losing streak to the College of Saint Rose, the Merrimack College men's basketball program closes its run of games against the Southwest Division this Saturday when the Warriors visit Albany, N.Y. to take on the Golden Knights. Tip-off from Nolan Gymnasium is set for 3:30 p.m.
Five Things to Know:
- The Warriors got back on track Tuesday night, pulling away from American International, 74-61, from Hammel Court. It marked Merrimack's second win of the season against AIC after a non-league triumph back in December. The team improved to 8-3 on campus this season, and picked up its eighth win in 10 tries, making Merrimack the hottest team in Northeast Division
- Merrimack has moved into a tie for second in the Northeast Division with eight games remaining in the regular season. The Warriors' 8-5 conference record is also tied for the second best mark in the Northeast-10 Conference
- Junior Idris Joyner – despite only playing in 17 minutes on Tuesday – totaled a career-high seven blocks, which marked the most for a Warrior since 2011. Joyner's 37 rejections leads the NE10, and is already the most for a Warrior since Aaron Strothers '12 in 2010-11 (59). Joyner anchors a Merrimack defense that leads the Northeats Division in scoring defense (68.2 ppg)
- Offensively, Merrimack is led by junior point guard Juvaris Hayes. The floor general leads the team with 19.7 points per game, 6.5 assists per game and 3.7 steals per game. The 74 total thefts leads all of Division II. Joining Hayes in double figures are senior Ryan Boulter at 14.0 points per game and junior Jaleel Lord at 11.2 points per contest. The duo have combined for 111 3-pointers, over 60 percent of the Warriors' production from deep
- Saint Rose has split its six games against the Northeast Division, including a marquee win over then-ranked No. 10/12 Bentley three weeks ago. The Golden Knights are 4-4 on their home floor, and employ a balanced offense that features four players averaging in double figures
Series History:
- Saint Rose owns a slim 15-13 advantage in the all-time series over 28 contests
- Last year, the Golden Knights won by eight points at Hammel Court and prevailed by four two years ago in Albany. Saint Rose is the lone NE10 opponent head coach Joe Gallo has yet to beat
- Merrimack fell into a 19-point hole at halftime last year before clawing back within single digits in the second half. The Warriors bench sparked their second-half rally, with Lord, Joyner and senior Troy McLaughlin combined for 36 points
Scouting the Opposition
| Merrimack (13-7, 8-5 NE10) |
Stat Category |
Saint Rose (8-12, 5-8 NE10) |
| 76.3 |
Points Per Game |
72.5 |
| 68.2 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
75.9 |
| .464 |
Field Goal Percentage |
.461 |
| .358 |
Three-Point FG Percentage |
.389 |
| 32.3 |
Rebounds Per Game |
33.9 |
| Juvaris Hayes (19.7 ppg) |
Points Leader |
Adam Anderson (14.6 ppg) |
| Idris Joyner (7.0 rpg) |
Rebounds Leader |
Sekou Sylla (7.8 rpg) |
| Hayes (6.5 apg) |
Assists Leader |
Shane Herrity (3.5 apg) |
| Hayes (3.7 spg) |
Steals Leader |
Matt Cerutti (1.0 spg) |
| Joyner (1.7 bpg) |
Blocks Leader |
Cerutti (1.0 bpg) |
Up Next:
The Warriors will go for a season sweep of Assumption on Wednesday when the Warriors face the Greyhounds from Worcester, Mass. at 7:30 p.m. in Laska Gym.
