SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Merrimack College Women's Basketball team battled their way to an intense battle against the Bryant University Bulldogs. The Warriors got off to a hot start, but then the Bulldogs found their game and eventually toppled the Warriors by a score of 73-67.
Merrimack had several impressive individual performances one of which was yet another double-double from sophomore,
Teneisia Brown, who was a part of the offense since the opening tip. She finished with 13 points on the offensive glass and 10 rebounds, seven of which were defensive. Senior,
Kate Mager, lead all scorers with 15 points while going 5-9 from the field and 3-5 from beyond the arch. Fellow senior,
Carla Balague, also had one of her best games as a Warrior so far this season. The Barcelona, Spain native ended this contest with 11 points while shooting 62% from the field.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 67, Bryant University 73
Records: Merrimack (4-11, 2-5 NEC) | Bryant University (5-13, 3-4 NEC)
Location: Smithfield, R.I.
Rapid Recap
- The first quarter started out really well for the Warriors as they went on a 9-2 run to open the game. Everything started with Brown who got inside position on her defender and softly laid a shot off the glass and in. Then after a defensive stop the Warriors turned up the pace and got the ball to Mager who buried the three-point shot to have the Warriors buzzing early. After Bryant got back on the board with a three of their own, Merrimack then went to work on the offensive side. They got the ball to junior, Jayme DeCesare, who then drove the lane and dished the ball out to an open Balague who swished home the shot from beyond the arch. Balague then went on to score the next six points for the Warriors to conclude the opening frame.
- The second quarter saw the Warriors and Bulldogs both at their best on Friday night. After the Bulldogs got a couple of baskets to start the quarter, Merrimack got on the board with a Brown bucket and then dug in on defense to get the ball back. That's when graduate student, Mayson Kimball, got a perfect pass from Mager and delivered with a three ball that found nothing but net. Then both sets of defenses stepped up and there was no scoring on either side for a good two minutes. The scoring drought was broken when Mager drove the lane and pulled up for two. Then as the clock down to less than two minutes to go in the half, junior, Kaylee Thomas, got the ball at the top of the key, dropped back and nailed a three to extend the Warrior lead before the end of the half.
- After both teams got the necessary rest in the locker rooms, they both came out ready to play. The Warriors and the Bulldogs both finished the quarter with 18 points setting up a crucial final quarter of play to see who was going to win this one. In the third though, Merrimack got big points from Mager and also from sophomore, Amaya Staton, who picked up some big minutes when Brown got into foul trouble. Staton ended this game with six points, four of which came in the third quarter while also collecting four total rebounds.
- In the fourth quarter the Warriors were looking to edge of the Bulldogs and run away with this one, but Bryant had different plans for the Warriors. Merrimack got to the foul line plenty of times in the final frame, but just couldn't capitalize outside of that in fourth quarter. Inevitably, the Bulldogs ran away with this one in the final ten minutes for the victory.
Up Next
Merrimack plays yet another home game when they travel to Wagner on Sunday afternoon to take on the Seahawks at 4 PM.
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