CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – In an affair where it seemed like no one could miss from beyond the arch, unfortunately the Merrimack College women's basketball team fell just short in a hard-fought battle against Harvard University.
There was a number of Warriors who grinded out the entire 40 minutes to give Merrimack a great chance to come away with a victory on Tuesday evening. Junior,
Jayme DeCesare, was dishing the ball to her teammates all night long as she ended the game tied for her career-high in assists with nine helpers. Graduate student,
Mayson Kimball, led all Warriors on the offensive side of the ball from start to finish as she was knocking shots down all night. The Webster, N.H. native went 8-16 from the field and 5-8 from three for a team high 21 points to keep the game close all night.
Merrimack has strung together back-to-back impressive offensive performances against Ivy League foes as they shot over 40% from the field in both contests. The Warriors also extended their season high in total points against Dartmouth and then did it yet again tonight against the Crimson.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 75, Harvard 99
Records: Merrimack (2-4, 0-0 NEC) | Harvard (3-4)
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
What They Said:
Head Coach Kelly Morrone: "When you break it down quarter by quarter we really competed. We had it within 12 with just under a minute left in the third and we were handing Harvard possessions with our turnovers. I was impressed by the team's ability to stay focused through all of that frustration and keep the game within a manageable deficit. They ended the quarter on a 5-0 run that we needed to answer back at the start of the fourth. That's the next step for this team, managing those runs and understanding when a stop is a must have. The beginning and end of quarters are where the momentum shifts are for teams and we need to do a better job of owning those moments. All in all, this was a great effort in a very high paced and high scoring game."
Graduate Student Mayson Kimball: "Tonight we showed that we can compete at an even higher level and faster pace on offense. They shot the ball very well and remained aggressive, but we didn't give up for 40 minutes. Once we reach that same intensity on the defensive end of things, I think it will be our best basketball."
Rapid Recap
- Both teams came out of the gates firing away to start this one as the Warriors sharp shooter, Kate Mager, got the offense going with a layup. With the Warriors shooting the ball well at 50% from the field and 83.3% from three, they also got a boost from sophomore, Teneisia Brown, who had a tremendous defensive sequence with an athletic steal to give the Warriors the momentum they needed going into the second quarter.
- After neither team seemed to miss in the opening quarter, the Warriors and the Crimson started out the second stanza by coming back down to level after hitting 11 threes in the opening 12 minutes. With both teams looking to break back out, points were at a premium to go into halftime and DeCesare had the answer for Merrimack. The junior, hit two big shots from beyond the arch to keep the Warriors in it. Just when Harvard looked like they were going to take the momentum away, sophomore, Amaya Staton, came screaming down the court during a Crimson fast break and swatted the ball away to prevent the bucket in the final minute. This allowed the Warriors to regroup and come out strong in the second half.
- To start the final 20 minutes, the Warriors came out hot with graduate student, Paige McCormick, who fired a sweet pass to Kimball who buried a three from deep. After a scrappy couple of minutes in the paint for both sides, DeCesare drew a charge and then Kimball iced a three to bring the game to within nine points. After Harvard answered with a three of their own, coach Morrone called a timeout to regroup and it paid off for Merrimack. Following a missed shot out of the timeout, McCormick sprang into action and snagged an offensive rebound. She then flung a perfect pass to Mager who nailed a huge triple. The remainder of the quarter saw both sides trading shots to allow for a tension filled final frame.
- The fourth quarter started out hot for both sides as they traded threes within the first minute. Unfortunately, the Warriors seemed to run out of gas on the defensive side and eventually fell to the Crimson.
Up Next
Merrimack will travel down south to Lexington, Kentucky this weekend for the biggest game in program history as they will take on the University of Kentucky.
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