Men’s Basketball Suffers Eight-Point Loss to Samford

HOMEWOOD, ALA.  – The Merrimack College men's basketball team lost to Samford University on Friday afternoon 79-71. Both Devon Savage and Adam "Budd" Clark finished the game with 16 points each to lead the way offensively for the Warriors. Jordan Derkack finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in the loss.

The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 71, Samford 79
Records: Merrimack (3-3) | Samford (4-2)
Location: Pete Hanna Center

Rapid Recap

• It took almost two minutes for someone to score. Samba Diallo finally broke the silence with a three, putting Merrimack up early. After a Bulldog bucket, Derkack found the bottom of the net, giving the Warriors back the lead. Bryan Etumnu would slice down the lane for a dunk, putting Merrimack up five. Nearly three minutes went by without scoring. Samford would add six points to go up one. Savage would hit a jumper to give the Warriors back the lead. With eight minutes to go before halftime, Clark scored to put Merrimack up five. The Bulldogs would claw back to tie the game at 22. Both teams battled back and forth, tying the game at 26 and then again at 28. The Warriors would head into halftime down by three.
• Samford opened up the second half on a 11-point run to go up by 14 points. The Warriors would battle back getting the lead back down to seven after a Jordan McKoy three. With 10 minutes to play in the game a layup by Clark, followed by a three from Savage got the advantage down to three points. Clark would convert on a layup to get the lead down to one. With six and a half minutes left Jaylen Stinson hit his first three of the night to put Merrimack up two. The Bulldogs matched the three to retake the lead. Both teams once again battled. With four and a half to play Samford was up four. Two free throws from Etumnu would get the lead down to one possession. Samford then went on a seven-point run to go up nine and they would not look back from there, winning the game by eight.

 
Notes and Numbers

• Etumnu had the most compete stat line of the night, scoring nine points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking five shots.
• Clark and Derkack both had three steals.
• The Warriors shot 88% from the free throw line.

Up Next
Merrimack will play one more game in the Samford MTE against Alabama State on Saturday. Tip off is set for 1 p.m.