NORTH ANDOVER, MA – Freshman
Kevair Kennedy scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Merrimack men's basketball team to a 72-65 win over Maine in the home opener Wednesday night.
Kennedy, the reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week, made 6-of-9 field goals as he scored in double-figures for the third-straight game and fourth time in his five collegiate games. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out five assists.
"The coaches have just been telling me 'just be aggressive from the jump,'" Kennedy said. "I'm just playing with confidence now, attacking off the rip, trying to get my teammates open, trying to find myself."
"I had a point guard here who played in the 70s, who said 'man that kid Kennedy is good, but you have to let him loose a little more,'" Gallo said. "I said 'how much more loose can I let him,' what are we talking about."
Junior
Ernest Shelton had 14 points, for his fifth-straight double-figure scoring game to start the season. Junior
Todd Brogna scored 11 points for the second-straight game, making 3-of-6 three-pointers. Brogna is 7-of-14 from three in the last two games.
Grad student Andres Marrero also had 11 points, for his third time double-figure scoring in five games.
Merrimack led by as many as 12 early in the second half after a jumper by sophomore
Tye Dorset, but Maine would battle back.
"(We've got) 10 new guys, that have never been in that situation before," Merrimack head coach
Joe Gallo said. "I thought they really rallied. I hope after getting these two, they have a lot of confidence and just kind of staying with the process."
The Warriors go back out on the road to face defending National Champion Florida on Friday at 7 p.m.
