LORETTO, PA. –
Malik Edmead drove to the bucket with under a minute to play to give Merrimack men's basketball team a two-point lead and eventual victory over Saint Francis (PA).
Mikey Watkins nailed a pull up three in regulation to propel the Warriors into overtime.
Jordan Minor finished with his eighth double-double of the season after scoring 16 points and pulling down 16 rebounds.
Ziggy Reid scored 14 points and added to his team-high free throw percentage, after going 7-8 from the line. Watkins and
Jordan McKoy added 10 points in the victory.
The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 65, Saint Francis 64
Records: Merrimack (9-14, 5-6 NEC) | Saint Francis (PA) (7-16, 3-9 NEC)
Location: DeGol Arena | Loretto, Pa.
Rapid Recap
- Minor started the scoring for the Warriors after posting up a Red Flash defender and scoring the first two of the game for Merrimack. Mykel Derring added a three to put the Warriors up three. Back-to-back buckets by Minor put Merrimack up seven with 15 minutes to play in the first half. After a Red Flash score, Watkins scored on a runner to put Merrimack up by seven again. After a Saint Francis three, Minor found Reid cutting in the lane and he took care of the rest dunking it over a defender. The Red Flash then went on a seven-point run to flip the game and go up by one. Both teams went back and forth for a few minutes. Reid tied the game on a three after Saint Francis took the lead. An Edmead layup and McKoy three gave the Warriors a five-point advantage with just over two minutes to play until halftime. Merrimack went into the locker rooms up four after a three by the Red Flash with under a minute to play.
- Derring got the scoring going for the Warriors in the second half to keep them up four after Saint Francis scored first. A Minor layup on the next offensive possession sent them up six. The Red Flash then scored seven unanswered points to go up by one with 13 minutes left in regulation. A Nick Filchner jumper gave Merrimack back the lead by one. After a three, Saint Francis went up by four. After trading buckets for a number of minutes, a McKoy three found the bottom of the net and tied the game at 47. The Red Flash added two free throws to go up by two. Watkins found a lane and tied the game back up at 49 and then knocked down a free throw giving Merrimack a one-point advantage. Reid added two free throws to put the Warriors up by a possession. Saint Francis scored to go down one. Reid added a layup on the next Merrimack possession to go up by three again. The Red Flash were up by three with 54 seconds to play. Watkins dribbled up the court and pulled up from beyond the arc and nailed a three that sent the game into overtime.
- In overtime, Reid cut hard in the lane, drew a foul and knocked down both free throws to send the Warriors up by two. The Red Flash then went on a four-point run going up by two. Reid tied the game up from the line with just under two minutes left. An Edmead layup with 51 seconds remaining proved to be the difference. Merrimack won the game by one.
Notes and Numbers
- Minor added his team-high eighth double-double of the season. His 16 rebounds on Saturday were a career-high. Minor also played a career-high 45 minutes.
- The Warriors forced 10 Red Flash turnovers.
- Merrimack scored 36 points in the paint during the victory.
Up Next
The Warriors get back to action on Thursday night when Central Connecticut visits Hammel Court. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
