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Juvaris Hayes Postgame Comments
FAIRFIELD, CONN. – Behind a stat-sheet filling performance from senior
Juvaris Hayes, the Merrimack College men's basketball program defeated Sacred Heart University, 65-57, on Thursday evening in the Warriors' Northeast Conference (NEC) debut at the Pitt Center on the Pioneers' campus. Merrimack improved to 7-7 overall and 1-0 in league play while Sacred Heart dropped to 7-7 (0-1 NEC).
Hayes totaled 17 points, eight steals, seven rebounds and six assists, leading a havoc-causing Merrimack defense that scored 31 points off Sacred Heart's 18 turnovers. Trailing 31-30 at halftime, the Warriors started the half on a 14-0 run that gave Merrimack a lead it never relinquished. Sacred Heart climbed within six in the final minutes, but the Warriors held the Pioneers off to preserve the conference victory.
The Warriors' point guard became the fifth NEC player this century to record eight steals, becoming the fifth league player since 2000 to post an eight-steal performance. Merrimack's defense held Sacred Heart – picked to finish as the runner-up in the NEC – to a season-low 57 points; the Pioneers began league play ranked second in the NEC in scoring average.
The Essentials
Score:
Merrimack 65, Sacred Heart 57
Records: Merrimack (7-7, 1-0 NEC) | Sacred Heart (7-7, 0-1 NEC)
Location: Pitt Center | Fairfield, Conn.
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack started the night on an 8-4 stretch that saw sophomore Mikey Watkins hit a pair of lay-ins. After a layup for senior Jaleel Lord put Merrimack up three, 10-7, the Pioneers responded with a 7-0 run to snatch a 14-10 edge with 10:56 left in the first half
- Freshman Jordan McKoy hit three straight free throws while junior Devin Jensen and Lord connected on one trey each to keep Merrimack right within Sacred Heart, 19-19, at the 8:21 mark. From there, guards Watkins and senior Juvaris Hayes spurned an 8-0 Merrimack with steals on three straight possession; Hayes had two steals and four points during the run while Watkins added a theft and one field gola
- Sacred Heart had the half's last answer, however, answering the Warriors' run with eight unanswered points of their own, tying the game at 27-all with 3:09 remaining. The team's scored just seven combined points the rest of the half; Jensen hit a 3-pointer at the 0:53 mark, making it a 31-30 game in favor of the Pioneers at halftime
- The Warriors raced out of the gates in the second half, scoring the half's first 14 points. The run ballooned to a 27-10 stretch by the 13:35 mark, proving Merrimack with its largest lead of the game, 49-33
- After Merrimack kept its lead in double figures, Hayes connected on consecutive field goals to bring Merrimack's lead back to 16, 57-41, with 7:55 remaining. From there however, the Pioneers netted a 10-0 run to trim the visitors' advantage to six with under five minutes remaining
- Defensively, Merrimack suffocated the Pioneers the rest of the way. The Warriors held the hosts to two made shots over the final 4:49 and six points overall. Watkins banked-in a triple that beat the shot clock to snap Sacred Heart's run, and sent Merrimack onto victory
Notes and Numbers
- Hayes became the sixth player nationwide this season to record at least eight thefts in a game, setting the NEC single-game high in the process. It was tied for the 11th most steals in a single game in league history
- The league leader in steals per game became the 11th player nationally in the last decade with a single game with at least 17 points, seven rebounds, six assists and eight steals
- Offensively, he shot 8-of-14 from the field to set a season high in field goals made. It was his second highest scoring output and ninth double-figure game of the year
- Sacred Heart entered the game averaging 78.2 points per game, but Merrimack's league-leading defense held serve to hold the Pioneers below 60 points for the first time this year
- The hosts only attempted 48 shots, which also was a season low
- Merrimack held Sacred Heart's Cameron Parker – one of the nation's top-three distributors – to a season low one assists. As a team, the Pioneers totaled a season-low seven helpers
- Watkins scored 16 points, his third game in double figures over his last four
- Jensen hit three 3-pointers on five attempts. He increased his season percentage to 42.3 percent (25-59)
Up Next
The Warriors play their first-ever NEC on campus on Saturday when Merrimack hosts Robert Morris for a 4 p.m. tip-off at Hammel Court.
