JERSEY CITY, NJ - The Merrimack College women's basketball team heads down to the Garden State for a primetime matchup against the Peacocks at 7 p.m.
Cooking in 2026
The Warriors are rolling in the New Year, winning five of their last seven games. The Merrimack defense has kept opponents under 60 points in five of the seven victories. In their last win, the Warriors used two 20 point performances from Lydia Melaschenko and Madison Roman to defeat the Siena Saints by 17. The 82 points scored by the Warriors is the most against a MAAC opponent since joining the conference in the 2024-25 season.
Who to Watch
- The MAAC's leading rebounder Madison Roman made it seven games in row with a double-double in the teams game against Quinnipiac. Roman had 12 points and 10 rebounds. During the seven game span, Roman has averaged 16.1 ppg and 12.9 rpg. In the teams game against Iona when she shot over 50%, scored 13, and came down with 12 rebounds. She tallied a double-double in the win over Siena two weeks ago. She scored 21 and came down with 13 rebounds. Roman put up a double-double in the teams last home game against Marist, posting 14 points and 13 rebounds. Roman powered her way to a 21-point game with a season-high 17 rebounds against the Peacocks. She had 12 points and 11 rebounds against Rider and she exploded for a 20-point and 14-rebound double-double against Mount St. Mary's. The Connecticut native shattered her season high in steals tallying five against the Mountaineers.
- Lydia Melaschenko has hit 20 3-pointers in her last seven games, putting herself in fourth in the MAAC in 3PG. In the team's contest against Siena, Melaschenko went off from six 3-pointers made and led the team to a 17-point win. Melaschenko electrified the Warriors second half domination with four three pointers in the win over Saint Peter's two weeks ago. Her 10 points at Rider marked her eighth double-figure scoring game of the season, and her fifth consecutive. Melaschenko hit 50% of her shots against Fairfield scoring 13. In the Warriors contest against High Point, Melaschenko erupted for seven 3-pointers coming just shy of the school record. The 21 points at High Point was a new career high.
Grad Year Balling
The conference leader in blocks, Oralye Kiefer, is averaged 2.3 blocks per game. Keifer has been a force in the paint for the Warriors shooting just shy of 50% during the season. She added 10 points in their midweek matchup against Iona and added on six assists. Kiefer scored 15 points two weeks ago in their dominant win over Siena. She added six rebounds and a season-high five assists. She scored 12 points against Rider and had tallied her first double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Mount St. Mary's. She averaged 13.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in the month of December.
