Women’s Basketball Marches to NE10 Quarterfinals with 13-Point Win vs. Southern Connecticut

Links: Box Score
Video: Highlights // Lindsay Werner Interview

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – The fourth-seeded Merrimack College women's basketball team outscored fifth-seeded Southern Connecticut State by 17 points in the second half of Friday night's Northeast-10 Championship First Round tilt at Hammel Court, overcoming a halftime deficit for the second time in as many games to advance to the quarterfinals of the NE10 Championship, 75-62. Merrimack started the third quarter on an 11-0 run to take the lead for good, and used a 13-4 spurt to start the fourth quarter that put the game away.

Merrimack advanced to the NE10 Quarterfinals for the second time in the last three years, and will head to Syracuse, N.Y. on Sunday afternoon to face the Southwest Division champs and top-seeded Le Moyne College Dolphins at 2 p.m. from Ted Grant Court. The Warriors will have a chance to reach the program's first NE10 Semifinals in six years (2012-13) with a victory.

Overall on the season, the Warriors won their 20^th game of the year to record just the fourth 20-win season in school history and first in 14 years. Senior Lindsay Werner led four Warriors in double figures with 18 points, hitting four 3-pointers to reach 190 career triples to establish a new program record. Junior Denia Davis-Stewart racked up another double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, and senior Karlee Alves dished out 10 assists to lead Merrimack's effort.

The Basics
Score: Merrimack 75, Southern Conn. 62
Records: Merrimack (20-9) | Southern Conn. (14-15)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.

2019 NE10 Championship Schedule
First Round ­ Friday, March 1^st: 
Game 1:  Merrimack def. Southern Connecticut, 75-62
Game 2:  AIC def. SNHU, 79-55
Quarterfinals ­ Sunday, March 3^rd:
Game 3:  Merrimack (No. 4 seed NE) at Le Moyne (No. 1 seed SW) – 2:00 PM
Game 4:  AIC (No. 4 seed SW) at Bentley (No. 1 seed NE) – 3:00 PM
Game 5:  Saint Anselm (No. 3 seed NE) at Adelphi (No. 2 seed SW) –3:00 PM 
Game 6:  New Haven (No. 3 seed SW) at Stonehill (No. 2 seed NE) – 3:00 PM
Semifinals ­ Thursday, March 7^th (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 10^th (at highest remaining seed):
Game 9:  Game 8 winner vs. Game 7 winner (1:00 PM)

Rapid Recap

• Merrimack scored eight of the night's first 12 points, taking a four-point lead by the 6:45 mark of the first quarter. The Owls answered with a 7-0 run to take an 11-8 advantage midway through the frame. Four different Warriors proceeded to score as part of a 9-0 stretch that sent Merrimack ahead, 17-11, with 2:39 left in the quarter. Momentum shifted towards the Owls, however, as the visitors closed the frame on a 7-1 spurt to tie the contest after 10 minutes
• Both offenses started the second quarter quietly, with the score knotted at 24-all with 5:53 until halftime. A 7-0 Southern Connecticut made it a 31-26 game in favor of the Owls with 3:44 on the clock until halftime. Senior Lexi Martin came on late in the quarter and finished with six points, keeping Merrimack in the game. The Owls led by four, 36-32, at intermission
• The Warriors started the third on an 11-0 run, their best stretch of the night to that point. Davis-Stewart sank at layup at the 7:48 mark that broke a 36-36 deadlock, and followed with two free throws. Werner sank the record-tying triple with 5:57 on the clock that ended the run. The Owls did close within four twice in the latter half of the frame, but the Warriors entered the fourth with a five-point advantage, 52-47
• Starting the fourth quarter with a bang, Werner drilled a corner triple in front of the Merrimack bench to mark the 190^th of her career. After an Owls basket, Davis-Stewart followed with a lay-in and freshman Kate Mager sank a right-wing trey that ballooned Merrimack's lead to double digits, 60-49, with 8:02 left
• From there, the Warriors' lead never dipped below 10 points. Sophomore Mayson Kimball joined the three-point party at the 6:05 mark, increasing the advantage to 14 points for the first time. A Southern Connecticut trey brought the edge down to 10 with under a minute to play, but Merrimack hit its final three free throws of the night to bring the contest to a 75-62 final

Notes and Numbers

• Merrimack's 20-win campaign is the first for the program since a three-year run of at least 20 wins from 2002-05 that featured both of the program's Final Four berths. Head coach Monique LeBlanc is just the second coach in school history to reach the 20-win plateau
• The Warriors will appear in the quarterfinals for the third time in the last eight years under LeBlanc, posting a 1-1 record in their first two appearances
• Werner broke the 189 treys hit by Chloe Rothman '15, a record that stood for four seasons. Werner owns both the single-season (70) and career (190) 3-point records, setting both marks this season. She bested her previous single-season mark of 63 treys set last year
• Davis-Stewart picked up her team-leading 15^th double-double of the year, doubling up for the second time against the Owls. Her five rejections were the most over her last nine contest
• Alves posted double-digit assist for the eighth time this season. She rose to ninth all-time in NE10 history for helpers in a single year. She finished on point shy of a double-double
• Both Mager (14) and Kimball (13) finished in double figures. The former hit three treys off the bench while the latter added eight rebounds
• Merrimack scored 20 points off 16 Southern Connecticut turnovers while the Owls only turned 12 Warrior turnovers into three points

Up Next
Merrimack faces Southwest Division champion Le Moyne on Sunday in the NE10 Quarterfinals. Tip-off from Ted Grant Court in Syracuse, N.Y. is set for 2 p.m.