Men's Basketball Suffers One-Point Loss to Sacred Heart Friday

North Andover, Mass. – Merrimack College men's basketball lost to Sacred Heart University on Friday night 60-59. Adam "Budd" Clark was one of two Warriors who finishes in double figures, scoring 18 points in the defeat. Matt Becht added 11 in the loss.

The Essentials
Score: Merrimack 59, Sacred Heart 60
Records: Merrimack (14-13, 11-5 MAAC) | Sacred Heart (12-14, 8-7 MAAC)
Location: Hammel Court

Rapid Recap

• Sean Trumper drove the lane for two points to get the scoring going in the first half. The Pioneers answered back with a bucket of their own to tie the game at two. For the next minute and a half, both teams traded scores, tying the game at six. Clark dove the lane for two, giving the Warriors a two-point advantage. Sacred Heart then jumped on a six-point run, going up four. David Murray converted on an and one layup to cut the lead down to one. With nine minutes to play, the Pioneers found themselves up four. Merrimack then went on a 10-point run to swing the momentum. The run was highlighted by two threes from Becht. Sacred Heart answered back with a seven-point run of their own, taking the lead by one. Clark stopped the run with a jumper, giving Merrimack back the lead. After some back and forth play from both teams to end the half, the score was tied at 29.
• Sacred Heart struck first in the second half, going up two. Bryan Etumnu then had a thunderous dunk to tie the game at 31. Etumnu added a three to put the Warriors up a possession. The Pioneers added five-points to go up two. Clark knocked down two free throws to tie the game at 36. With 13 minutes left in the game the score was tied at 40. Sacred Heart hit a three. Malik Edmead answered with a drive in the lane, putting the Warriors down one. After a Pioneer free throw, Edmead found a clean path to the hoop and slammed it down to tie the game at 44. Down one with seven a half minutes left in the second half, Becht found the bottom of the net from deep to put Merrimack up two. Sacred Heart answered with a three of their own to go back up one. They added four more points to take a five-point advantage. Devon Savage hit a three to make it a one possession game. The Pioneers hit a jumper to go back up four. Savage then hit another three to put the Warriors down just a minute and a half left. Sacred Heart hit two free throws to go up three with 22 seconds left. Becht was fouled shooting a three. He hit two of three free throws. Merrimack could not get the rebound and would lose the game by one.
   

Notes and Numbers

• Etumnu finished the game with seven points and a career-high 14 rebounds.
• The Warriors forced 15 turnovers and scored 12 points off the giveaways.
• Trumper finished the game with eight points.

Up Next
Merrimack hits the road to take on Iona University. Game time is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday.