| Matchup |
Merrimack (0-4, 0-4 NEC) at Saint Francis (8-4, 6-0 NEC) |
| Date/Time |
Thursday, February 4, 2021 // 6 p.m.
Friday, February 5, 2021 // 4 p.m. |
| Venue |
Loretto, Pa. // Degol Arena |
| Links |
Live Stats // Watch // Merrimack Game Notes |
| Socials |
Twitter // Instagram |
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College women's basketball program looks to knock off first-place Saint Francis University when the Warriors visit the Red Flash for two games this week. Merrimack and SFU play on Thursday and Friday this week out in Loretto, Pa. Thursday's game begins at 6 p.m. at Degol Arena while Friday's action starts at 4 p.m. Both games can streamed for free on NEC Front Row and the NEC On The Run app.
LAST TIME OUT
Merrimack played its first two home games of the season last week when the Warriors met Wagner College at Hammel Court. Wagner won the opener, 56-43, before a back-and-forth contest played out in the second contest. Junior
Kate Mager led Merrimack with 21 points and four 3-pointers, playing almost the entire game. Mager was part of a scorching start for Merrimack that saw the team make its first four 3-point attempts and five overall in the first quarter. The Seahawks came on strong, however, erasing an eight-point deficit in the final three minutes to force overtime. Wagner won in the extra session, 74-68.
SERIES HISTORY
Merrimack and Saint Francis had never played prior to last season. Last year, Merrimack won against the Red Flash, 71-56, taking down a program that boasted a 5-1 NEC record going into the game. Mager and sophomore
Jayme DeCesare combined for 26 points and five 3-pointers in the win. Sophomore
Diamond Christian scored eight points on 4-of-8 shooting in 17 minutes of the bench. Saint Francis was the lone NEC team last season to visit Hammel Court, and Merrimack will not host SFU once more this season.
SCOUTING THE RED FLASH
After losing four non-conference games to start the year, Saint Francis has won its last eight games including six straight in NEC play. They have won their league games by a margin of 8.3 points per game. In NEC play, the Red Flash rank third in scoring offense (67.5) and second in scoring defense (59.2). Senior guard Karson Swogger leads SFU in scoring at 15.1 points per game and assists at 4.8 per contest, ranking among the top five in the NEC in both areas.
Matchup Comparison
| Category |
Merrimack (0-4, 0-4 NEC) |
Saint Francis (8-4, 6-0 NEC) |
| Scoring Offense |
55.8 |
65.3 |
| Scoring Defense |
65.8 |
66.4 |
| Field-Goal % |
37.3% |
41.3% |
| Field-Goal % Defense |
41.8% |
41.4% |
| 3-PT Field Goal % |
28.0% |
28.4% |
| 3-PT Field Goal % Defense |
28.6% |
33.5% |
| 3-PT Field Goals (Made-Attempts) |
23-82 |
61-215 |
| Free-Throw Percentage |
62.7% |
79.5% |
| Winning Percentage |
0-4 (.000) |
8-4 (.667) |
| Rebounding Margin |
+3.3 |
+2.8 |
| Assists/Game |
11.3 |
12.3 |
| Steals/Game |
9.0 |
6.3 |
| Turnovers/Game |
19.0 |
16.9 |
| Blocks/Game |
2.3 |
3.3 |
| Total Fouls |
73 |
183 |
MILESTONES APPROACHING
Merrimack has a few individuals within striking distance of milestones as the 2020-21 season commences. Senior
Alyssa Casey boasts 878 points and 389 rebounds. She would become the 22nd 1,000-point scorer in school history. Senior
Mayson Kimball - who missed last season due to injury - has played in all four games this season and is also nearing 1,000 points, sitting on 680. Mager is approaching Merrimack's 3-pointers made record, needing 38 more to set establish a new mark. She's hit 152 triples over 63 games.
NEW FACES ON THE ROSTER
The Warriors' 2020-21 roster includes four freshmen as well as a transfer student-athlete who will become eligible for her first season at Merrimack. Freshmen guards
Nadeshka Bridgewater (Lawrence, Mass.),
Grace Clary (Whitehall, Pa.) and
Cassandra Hawthorne (Hartford, Conn.) are on the roster for the first time while first-year forward
Teneisia Brown is the newest edition to the Warriors' frontcourt. Bridgewater has appeared in all four games as a reserve while Brown has played in three of four games. The former has scored 11 points and added five steals over 10 minutes per game, headlining the group.
THE MORRONE CAPSULE
Kelly Morrone begins her tenure as the seventh head coach in the history of the Merrimack College women's basketball program. Morrone brings 117 career victories with her, spending the past seven seasons at DII John Carroll University in Ohio. Morrone brought that program to new heights, reaching its first three NCAA Tournaments over her seven-year stretch. She boasts plenty of DI experience too, playing at the University of South Carolina while coaching at William & Mary (2012-13), Rhode Island (2010-12), Davidson (2008-10) and Buffalo (2005-08).
AROUND THE NEC
Merrimack is among the NEC leaders in a few different areas. The Warriors are the top defensive rebounding team in the league, average 27.5 per game. They rank third in 3-point percentage defense, (.286), third in rebounding margin (+3.2). They also rank fifth in steals at 9.0 per game and are sixth in 3-pointers made with six per game.
Up Next:
The Warriors are on track to play four home games next week, beginning on Tuesday night against Long Island University at 7 p.m. at Hammel Court.
