Last Second Heroics From Christian Gives Women's Basketball Victory Over Central Connecticut

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS. – Diamond Christian laid it in as time expired, giving the Merrimack College women's basketball team a 69-67 victory over Central Connecticut State University. Christian finished the game with a career-high 19 points after knocking down eight shots from the field, including three threes. Kaylee Thomas tied her career-high of 19 points off the bench in the victory. She went 10-11 from the free throw line. Jayme DeCesare and Amaya Staton were the two other Warriors in double figures with 10 points.

The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 69, Central Connecticut 67
Records: Merrimack (5-13, 2-4 NEC) | Central Connecticut (5-13, 2-5 NEC)
Location: Lawler Arena

Rapid Recap

• The first quarter started with a 10-point run by Merrimack highlighted by threes from Christian and Makenzie Bray. After a Blue Devil three the Warriors scored four points, going up 11. A Thomas three with three minutes to play in the first quarter put the Warriors up 13. After free throws from Thomas late in the quarter, Central Connecticut hit a jumper to head into the second down 14. Merrimack opened the second quarter on a six-point run, going up 20. The kept the lead at 20, up until the six minute mark. The Blue Devils then went on a 10-point run cutting the lead in half. Great free throw shooting from Merrimack for the rest of the quarter gave them a 12-point lead heading into halftime.
• Central Connecticut opened the second half with a four-point run, making the advantage eight. A three by Christian brought the lead back up to 11. The Blue Devils then added 12 straight points to flip the game and go up one. A Christian three stopped the run. A DeCesare layup with five seconds left in the third gave the Warriors a one point lead heading into the fourth. After finding themselves down two, DeCesare and Staton combined for a five-point run, making the head three. Both teams went back and forth, tying the game multiple times. With the score tied at 65, Thomas hit a jumper with 38 seconds left to push Merrimack up two. Central Connecticut responded with a bucket of their own to tie the game. After a DeCesare missed three, Christian grabbed the rebound and scored on a layup, giving the Warriors a two-point win.

 
Notes and Numbers

• Merrimack help Central Connecticut to 26% from three.
• Christian is averaging 13.7 points in her last three games.
• The Warriors scored 32 points in the paint.

 
Up Next
Merrimack heads to New Jersey to take on Fairleigh Dickinson University on Saturday afternoon. Game time is set for 1 p.m.