NORTH ANDOVER, MA - Winners of six of the last seven, the first-place Merrimack men's basketball team hosts Manhattan on Sunday at noon on ESPN+.
THE LATEST
• First-place Merrimack is off to a 4-0 start to MAAC play for the second time in as many seasons in the league and looking for a 5-0 start to MAAC play for the second time in two years. The Warriors opened 2024-25 league play 5-0 on the way to a 2nd place finish. The Warriors are 18-6 in two seasons of MAAC regular-season play.
• Kevair Kennedy scored a career-high 24 points and Ernest Shelton had 22 points as Merrimack defeated Mount St. Mary's 75-65 on Friday to improve to 4-0 at home
• The Warriors #MakeChaos zone defense has been causing problems for opponents, especially in the last 7 games. Merrimack has allowed over 66 points only once in the last 7 games and and is holding opponents to 64.0 points per game in that stretch.
• Merrimack is led on offense by Philadelphia natives Ernest Shelton and Kevair Kennedy, who were teammates at Father Judge High School. Kennedy leads the team and is 3rd in the MAAC in scoring at 15.9 points per game, having scored in double figures in 14 of his 15 collegiate games - including 13 straight. He leads Merrimack and is 9th in the conference in assists (3.7 apg) and ranks 9th in the league in steals (1.7 spg). Kennedy has been huge in the Warriors eight victories, averaging 18.5 ppg. He came two assists shy of a triple-double in the win at BU (16 pts, 11 rebs, 8 assists). Shelton, a Division II transfer from Gannon University in Erie, PA, is second on the team in scoring and is 6th in the MAAC in scoring (15.4 ppg). He has scored 20 or more points four times, and in double figures in 12 of the 15 games. He has made a 3-pointer in every game and multiple 3-pointers in 13 of the 15 games.
• Andrés Marrero made 4-of-9 3-pointers on his way to 14 points in the win at Sacred Heart. He scored a career-high 23 points against Rider, making 9-of-14 field goals and 4-of-9 3-pointers. Marrero has made a 3-pointer in all but one game.
• Among 10 new players, sophomore Tye Dorset is thriving as a returning contributor from last season. Dorset has scored in double-figures in 7 of his last 8 games
• KC Ugwuakazi leads the MAAC in blocks per game (2.1 bpg) with three blocks in each of the last three games. Ugwuakazi is averaging 7.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in the last three games.
• The Warriors have traveled over 14,000 miles so far this season, but have been almost perfect playing in New England (6-1) and is a perfect 4-0 at home.
