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Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's basketball team played in its first home game of the season on Friday afternoon, hosting Wagner College in Northeast Conference play. The visiting Seahawks pulled away in the second half to claim victory, 56-43. The loss dropped the Warriors to 0-3 (0-3 NEC) on the year while Wagner improved to 4-2 (4-1 NEC).
The Warriors used a 12-0 second-quarter run to turn an early deficit into a two-point game, 26-24, and only trailed by six at halftime. The Seahawks were able to distance themselves from the Warriors over the final two quarters, however, leading throughout the second half.
Senior
Alyssa Casey posted a team-high 12 points in 18 minutes, shooting 66.7 percent (6-9) from the field. Junior
Kate Mager added a career-high tying nine rebounds. Three Seahawks scored in double figures included a double-double for Emilija Krista Grava.
The Basics
Score: Wagner 56,
Merrimack 43
Records: Merrimack (0-3, 0-3 NEC) | Wagner (4-2, 4-1 NEC)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
Rapid Recap
- The opening quarter was a low-scoring first 10 minutes. Senior Mayson Kimball started the scoring with a left-wing triple and after four unanswered points from Wagner, Merrimack used a 5-0 burst to take an 8-4 lead. Mager hit a triple of her own as part of the burst. Wagner answered with a 5-0 stretch of its own, however, and held a 11-10 edge entering the second
- The Seahawks started the second quarter strongly, opening a 26-12 advantage. Merrimack's best sustained play of the first half began from there, as the Warriors scored the next 12 points. Sophomore Alana Fursman, freshman Nadeshka Bridgewater and Casey combined to give Merrimack effective minutes off the bench to spark the run. The trio scored all 12 of the points including 10 combined from Bridgewater and Casey. With one minute left, the Warriors only faced a two-point deficit, but Wagner scored four quick points to end the quarter. The score read in Wagner's favor, 30-24, at halftime
- Wagner's lead reached double digits again in the third quarter, 38-28, with 6:10 on the clock. Casey's bucket with 1:44 left in the third brought the Warriors within seven, 38-31, but Wagner netted a 6-0 run to close the third and build a 13-point going to the final frame
- Sophomore Jayme DeCesare hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to keep Merrimack within striking distance. From there, however, the Seahawks were able to quell the Warriors' comeback attempt, growing their lead to 16 points with under three minutes to play
Notes and Numbers
- Friday marked the 40th time in Casey's career that she has scored in double figures, doing so for the first time in over a calendar year. The Andover, Mass. native last scored 10 or more points in a game against Vermont in December of 2019
- Mager's posted nine rebounds for the second time in her career, tying the nine boards she collected at Adelphi in 2019
- Kimball also tied a career high, finishing with a game-high four steals
- The Warriors posted a season-high 11 thefts overall
- Merrimack owned the edge in bench scoring, 22-9, while Wagner scored 19 points off turnovers compared to the Warriors' 10
Up Next
The Warriors return to Hammel to face Wagner for a second time tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
