Derkack Nets Career-High as Men’s Basketball Holds Off UMass Lowell

NORTH ANDOVER, MASS.  – Sophomore guard Jordan Derkack scored a career-high 33 points in the Merrimack College men's basketball victory over UMass Lowell on Saturday night. Derkack knocked down nine shots from the field and 14 free throws. Devon Savage was the only other Warrior in double figures with 12 points in the victory.

The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 74, UMass Lowell 68
Records: Merrimack (4-5) | UMass Lowell (5-2)
Location: Lawler Arena

Rapid Recap

• Savage set the tone in the first thirty seconds with a three. After a River Hawk bucket Bryan Etumnu found a lane for a dunk, putting the Warriors up three. Both teams then traded scores for a number of minutes. UMass Lowell had a four-point lead with 14 minutes left in the first half. Derkack scored to cut the lead to two. The River Hawks then went up by six. Derkack and Savage combined for a four-point run to cut the lead back down to two. With five minutes to go before halftime Merrimack was down by five. Jaylen Stinson found the bottom of the net with a three cut slice the deficit to two. Derkack later banked one off the glass for two, tying the game at 26. Jacob O'Connell hit a three to put the Warriors up three. Savage then added a three of his own to make it a six-point advantage with two minutes to go before halftime. Merrimack would go into halftime up by four.
• Derkack would score three of the first five points in the second half to put the Warriors up five. The River Hawks would get the lead down to three with 16 minutes to play in the game. Merrimack then went on a seven-point run to go up by 10. With just over 10 minutes to play UMass Lowell was down six. The Warriors were able to get it back up to nine with eight minutes left to play. Samba Diallo hit a three to push the advantage up to 10. With three minutes to play the River Hawks went on a seven-point run to make it a one possession game. Good free throw shooting down the stretch gave the Warriors a six-point victory.

 
Notes and Numbers

• Merrimack now takes a one game series lead all-time against UMass Lowell 22-21
• O'Connell led the team with seven rebounds.
• The Warriors forced 17 River Hawk turnovers. They scored 12 points off the turnovers.

Up Next
Merrimack will be back in action on Tuesday night at the University of Florida. Game time is set for 7 p.m.