Links: Box Score
NEW BRITAIN, CONN. – After a strong second half the Merrimack College women's basketball team beat Central Connecticut State University 65-56 Saturday afternoon. The Warriors outscored the Blue Devils 33-22 in the second half. Sophomore guard
Kate Mager led the way with a career-high 24 points in the contest. Mager knocked down six threes, which matches her season-high. Senior
Denia Davis-Stewart continued her double-double streak that is now at seven games. She scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds, as well as had four blocks. Graduate student
Courtney Clasen was one-point shy of a double-double scoring nine points and pulling in 12 rebounds.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 65, Central Connecticut 56
Records: Merrimack (9-6, 2-2 NEC) | Central Connecticut (1-14, 0-4 NEC)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium | New Britain, Conn.
Rapid Recap
- Central Connecticut opened the game up with a 15-5 lead. Merrimack came storming back in the later half of the quarter going on a 13-0 run, highlighted by three triples by Mager. Davis-Stewart also had seven points in the quarter. The Warriors ended the frame down one point.
- The second quarter was the definition of back-and-forth. The Blue Devils went up four points with just over five minutes to play in the second quarter. Mager and Davis-Stewart responded by knocking down shots on two straight possessions to put Merrimack up one. Clasen hit a layup as time expired to give the Warriors a lead of two heading into halftime.
- Freshman Alana Fursman gave Merrimack a four-point lead after knocking down a jump shot two minutes into the third quarter. Mager knocked down a three two minutes later that put the lead at seven. Merrimack took a lead of five into the final quarter after Ashley Burube hit a jumper.
- Central Connecticut cut the lead to one after buckets on two possessions early in the quarter. A jumper by freshman Jayme DeCesare gave Merrimack a three-point lead with just over seven minutes to play. Berube cut the lead to two that was answered right away by another DeCesare jumper keeping the lead at four. Merrimack knocked down its free throws and ended up winning the game by nine.
Notes and Numbers
- Clasen had a season-high 12 rebounds on the afternoon. She is the third player on Merrimack with double-digit rebounds in a game this season.
- Davis-Stewart has a conference leading 13 double-doubles so far this year
- Merrimack scored 11 second chance points compared to Central Connecticut that scored eight
Up Next
Merrimack gets right back to work on Monday when Mount St. Mary's comes to town. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and will be shown on NEC Front Row.
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