EMMITSBURG, MD - The Merrimack College women's basketball team heads to Maryland this Saturday to face the Mountaineers or Mount St. Mary's. Tip off from Knott Arena is slated for 1 p.m.
Cooking in 2026
The Warriors are rolling in the New Year, winning six of their last eight games. The Merrimack defense has kept opponents under 60 points in six of those games. In their last win over the Peacocks, the Warriors used a career high 28 points from Lydia Melaschenko. Melaschenko hit eight 3-pointers, one shy of the program record. Madison Roman came two rebounds shy of a program record after coming down with 22 in the win over Saint Peter's. Oralye Kiefer had a career high 5 blocked shots in the victory over Saint Peter's.
Who to Watch
The MAAC's leading rebounder Madison Roman set a career high in rebounds in the teams latest victory coming down with 22 and added on 12 points to make it eight games in a row with a double-double. During the eight game span, Roman has averaged 15.6 ppg and 14.0 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.
In the teams last win over Saint Peter's Lydia Melaschenko exploded for a career high 28 points on eight 3-pointers. 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. 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.
Grad Year Balling
The conference leader in blocks, Oralye Kiefer, is averaging 2.2 blocks per game. Keifer has been a force in the paint for the Warriors shooting just shy of 50% during the season. In the teams last game, she added 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with five blocked shots. That was her second double-double of the season. She had 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 tallied 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.
