SPOKANE, WASH. – The Merrimack College men's basketball team was down just 11 at halftime against Gonzaga University on Thursday night. For the fourth game in a row,
Jordan Minor led the Warriors, scoring 17 points. The Kingston, Mass native also pulled down seven rebounds.
Ziggy Reid had one of his best games of the season so far, scoring 16 points, after knocking down four threes.
Mikey Watkins chipped in with eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the defeat. The matchup against the Bulldogs marks the first time that Merrimack has played against a ranked team in program history.
The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 55, #5 Gonzaga 80
Records: Merrimack (4-7) | #5 Gonzaga (8-2)
Location: McCarthey Athletic Center | Spokane, Wash.
Rapid Recap
- Gonzaga jumped out to a quick six-point lead. Reid got the scoring going for the Warriors with a runner in the paint. The next time down the floor, Watkins knocked down a jumper to put Merrimack down two. The Bulldogs added four more points to go back up six. With just under 14 minutes to go in the half, Minor scored on a layup to put the Warriors down three. Gonzaga then scored two buckets to go up seven. Reid then knocked down one of his four threes to make the advantage four. The Bulldogs added four more points, going up eight. With four minutes before halftime, Devin Jensen hit a three to put the Warriors down six. Gonzaga then went on a 7-0 run to take its biggest lead of the half at 14. The Warriors battled back, going on a five-point run of their own to cut the lead to nine. In the last minute the Bulldogs scored four points. Malik Edmead knocked down a jumper as time expired to head into the locker room down 11.
- The second half started with Gonzaga going on an 8-0 run to swell their lead up to 19 points. A jumper by Minor stopped the run. Reid knocked down a three on the next Warriors possession to go down 16. The Bulldogs then scored 10 unanswered points to go up by 26. A Reid three stopped the scoring drought for the Warriors. With eight minutes to play, Minor scored on a layup to put Merrimack down 23. A Reid three with 5:43 left in the game cut the Bulldog advantage to 20. The Warriors fought hard, but ended up losing the game by 25.
Notes and Numbers
- Minor has now scored in double figures six games in a row. He has three double-doubles during the stretch.
- The Warriors forced 17 Bulldog turnovers. That is the most that Gonzaga has committed so far this season.
- After struggling in the beginning of the season, the Warriors have shot the ball much better from the free throw line. The squad from North Andover shot 81% in the loss.
Up Next
Merrimack stays on the road and heads to Bloomington to take on the Hoosiers. Game time is set for noon and can be seen on the Big Ten Network.
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