First-Place Men's Basketball Plays At Iona Thursday At 7 P.M.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The first-place Merrimack men's basketball, winners of six of the last seven games, head to Iona for a 7 p.m. tip-off Thursday night.

THE LATEST
• Merrimack has held at least a share of first-place in the MAAC standings for all of conference play this season and is entering a MAAC regular season game in first place for the 24th time in 30 MAAC games, since joining the league in the 2024-25 season.

• Merrimack is off to a 8-1 start to MAAC play and is 22-7 in MAAC regular season play since joining the league last season. The Warriors opened 2024-25 league play 5-0 on the way to a 2nd place finish. Merrimack is impressive 80-34 (.702) in D-I conference play (since 2019-20), including 5 seasons in the NEC. 

• Kevair Kennedy scored 20 points for his 6th 20-point game in the last 10 contests as Merrimack improved to 3-1 on the road in MAAC play with a 68-55 win at Marist Monday. Ernest Shelton had 18 points and Tye Dorset had 17 in the win.

• The Warriors have won 6 of the last 7 and 10 of the last 12 games. Merrimack has won 4 of its last 6 games away from home and are 11-3 on the road in MAAC play over the last two seasons. Merrimack is finishing a stretch of 4 out of 5 on the road and will return home to play 5 of the next 8 at home, where they are 6-0. The Iona game makes is the 15th game away from Lawler in the first 21 contests for the Warriors.

• The Warriors #MakeChaos zone defense has continued to cause problems for opponents. Merrimack has allowed over 66 points only 3x in the last 12 games and held teams to 60 points or less 2x in the last 4 games after holding a Marist team that entered the game averarging 72.5 points per game to 55. Merrimack is holding opponents to 64.6 points per game in the last 12 games. 

• Merrimack is led on offense by Philadelphia natives Ernest Shelton and Kevair Kennedy, who were teammates at Father Judge High School, and are both top-4 in the MAAC in scoring. Kennedy, who earned his 4th MAAC Rookie of the Week honor on Tuesday, is 2nd in the MAAC in scoring at 16.7 points per game. He leads the MAAC in scoring in conference games, averaging 19.4 points per game and  has scored in double-figures in 19 of his 20 collegiate games - including 18 straight. He leads Merrimack and is 5th in the conference in assists (4.3 apg) and ranks 5th in the league in steals (1.8 spg). Shelton, a Division II transfer from Gannon University in Erie, PA, is 2nd on the team in scoring and is 4th in the MAAC (15.9 ppg). He has scored 20 or more points four times, and in double figures in 16 of the 19 games. He has made a 3-pointer in every game and multiple 3-pointers in 16 of the 19 games. Shelton is averaging 18.2 points per game in his last 7 games.

• Tye Dorset is averaging 13.1 points per game in conference play, which ranks 16th in the league. He has scored in double-figures in 11 of the last 13 games.