| Matchup |
Merrimack (16-8, 11-6 NE10) at
Franklin Pierce (12-10, 8-9 NE10) |
| Date/Time |
Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019 // 4 p.m. |
| Venue |
Stan Spirou Fieldhouse // Manchester, N.H. |
| Multimedia |
Live Stats // Twitter // Instagram |
| TV/Radio |
Watch // Listen |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team will look to put Wednesday's defeat in the rearview mirror when the Warriors play their second of two games against Southern New Hampshire this weekend. Tip-off from the Stan Spirou Fieldhouse in Manchester, N.H. is set for 4 p.m. Merrimack will go for the regular season sweep of the Penmen, a feat they have not accomplished since the 2014-15. The Warriors control their own destiny to finish second in the Northeast Division, leading third-place Bentley by one game entering the weekend.
The contest will be broadcast nationally via
Fox College Sports and available via audio feed on WGIR-610 AM.
Five Things to Know:
- With Bentley also losing on Wednesday, nothing changed in the battle for the Northeast Division's second seed. Merrimack's 11-6 Northeast-10 Conference record bests the Falcons' 10-7 mark entering the week. The Warriors have already clinched a spot in the NE10 Championship
- Prior to Wednesday's game, Merrimack had won four consecutive contests and allowed less than 65 points in all four games. The Warriors lead the Northeast Division in scoring defense (67.0 ppg) – ranking second in the NE10 overall – while leading the conference in both steals per game (9.4) and turnovers forced (17.4)
- Individually, junior Juvaris Hayes creates a lot of the havoc and turnovers at the top of Merrimack's zone with a nation-leading 92 thefts on the year. With four more steals on Thursday, Hayes moved into third all-time in NE10 history with 306 career steals in 87 career games
- Hayes is also Merrimack's top offensive player averaging a career-best 19.0 points per game and currently riding a double-digit scoring streak of 11 games. Juniors Ryan Boulter and Jaleel Lord follow Hayes in double figures with 13.9 points and 11.2 points per game, respectively. The duo have hit 137 3-pointers combined, accounting for over 60 percent of Merrimack's production from deep. Boulter has moved within one 3-pointer (76) of tying the NE10 lead for triples
- Merrimack's top-ranked defense is also aided by junior Idris Joyner in the middle, who leads the conference with a career-best 43 blocks. Earlier this season, he became the first Warrior in eight years to record at least 40 blocks in a season. On the offensive end, Joyner leads the team in field-goal percentage (.641), ranking third in the conference
February Flashback:
- Merrimack won by six, 75-69, in the season's first meeting. The Warriors overcame a 14-0 run to start the second half for the Penmen, rallying to defeat the Penmen in regulation
- Hayes and Lord went off for 20-point performances each, combining for 51 points of the Warriors' 75 in the game. Hayes went 12-of-23 from the field while Lord hit four 3-pointers
- Merrimack's win pushed the Warriors within three games (28-31) of tying the all-time series
Scouting the Opposition
| Merrimack (16-8, 11-6 NE10) |
Stat Category |
SNHU (12-10, 8-9 NE10) |
| 75.3 |
Points Per Game |
77.7 |
| 67.0 |
Points Allowed Per Game |
75.9 |
| .462 |
Field Goal Percentage |
.472 |
| .365 |
Three-Point FG Percentage |
.360 |
| 32.0 |
Rebounds Per Game |
.364 |
| Juvaris Hayes (19.0 ppg) |
Points Leader |
Daquaise Andrews (21.3 ppg) |
| Idris Joyner (6.8 rpg) |
Rebounds Leader |
Shawn Montague (8.8 rpg) |
| Hayes (6.5 apg) |
Assists Leader |
Andrews (5.7 apg) |
| Hayes (4.0 spg) |
Steals Leader |
Andrews (1.5 spg) |
| Joyner (1.8 bpg) |
Blocks Leader |
Montague (1.4 bpg) |
Up Next:
The Warriors will return home next week to play their final two home games of the regular season, beginning on Wednesday against the Stonehill Skyhawks. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from Hammel Court.
