Career Day From Bray Propels Women's Basketball to Victory Over Stonehill

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – The Merrimack College women's basketball team beat Stonehill College on Saturday afternoon for its first Northeast Conference win of the season. Makenzie Bray had a career-high 22 points after going 6-10 from long range and 7-12 overall. Brey also had four rebounds and two assists. Amaya Staton also had a career-high 17 points and seven rebounds for the Warriors. She went 7-8 from the free throw line, which was a team-best. Jayme DeCesare was the other Merrimack player in double figures with 12 points, which included knocking down two threes. The senior point guard also added six rebounds   

The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 80, Stonehill College 72
Records: Merrimack (2-12, 1-3 NEC) | Stonehill College (5-12, 1-3 NEC)
Location: Hammel Court

Rapid Recap

• The Skyhawks opened the game on a four-point run. Staton scored the first bucket for the Warriors. Stonehill then proceeded to go on a five-point run to go up seven. Staton hit a jumper to once again stop the run and make the lead five. With five to play in the first, Merrimack was down five. Kaylee Thomas found the bottom of the net with a three to make it two. Both teams went back and forth, Lydia Melaschenko laid one in to tie the game at 21 with two and a half minutes left in the first quarter. Staton converted an and one to put the Warriors up three heading into the second. DeCesare and Bray matched threes to go up nine early on in the second quarter. The Skyhawks then added five points to get the lead down to four. With three and a half to play Bray hit her second three of the afternoon to put Merrimack up by seven. The Warriors went into halftime up six.
• Stonehill opened the second half on a seven-point run to take the lead by one. Melashenko ended the run with a layup, putting Merrimack up one. The Skyhawks then added five points to take the lead by four. DeCesare went on a four-point run by herself to tie the game at 48 with five and half left in the third quarter. After a back-and-forth rest of the quarter, Bray hit a three with 28 seconds left to put Merrimack up five heading into the final quarter. Free throws by Staton and a layup by Ava Owens gave the Warriors a nine-point lead a minute into the fourth. A Diamond Christian three and Owens jumper gave Merrimack a 12-point lead with six minutes left in the game. After pushback from Stonehill, Bray hit two threes to put Merrimack up 10. A flurry of scoring at the end of the game gave the Warriors an eight point win.

 
Notes and Numbers

• Merrimack shot 53% from the field, 50% from three, and 80% from the free throw line.
• The Warriors forced 12 turnovers and scored seven points off them.
• Merrimack got 16 points from their bench, compared to Stonehill who had 0.

 
Up Next
The Warriors get back to action on Monday night against Wagner College. Game time is set for 5 p.m.