First-Place Men's Basketball Hosts Siena Friday At 8 P.M. On ESPNU

NORTH ANDOVER, MA - The MAAC-leading Merrimack men's basketball team hosts Siena Friday night at 8 p.m. on ESPNU, in a game that could clinch the Warriors a share of the MAAC Regular Season Championship.

If Iona defeats Saint Peter's in a 7 p.m. tip-off in New Rochelle, a Warrior win would clinch a share of the regular season championship. It would be the Warriors first MAAC Regular Season Championship, in its second season in the league, and Merrimack's fourth regular season championship in the last 7 years.

THE LATEST
•  The Warriors have the best MAAC conference record since joining the league last season, with a 28-8 conference record, ahead of Quinnipiac (26-11) and Marist (23-14) for the best record over the last two seasons. For the 31st time in 37 MAAC games, the Warriors enter a contest in first place in the conference standings. 

• Kevair Kennedy scored 24 points, his 7th time with over 20 points in the last 9 games, as the Warriors defeated Quinnipiac Sunday. Ernest Shelton added 12 points as Merrimack won it's 6th-straight, 8th in the last 9 games, and 12th time in the last 14 games.

• The Warriors jumped out to a 29-10 on the way to a 63-59 win over Siena on Jan. 9 Ernest Shelton had 17 points and Kevair Kennedy had 14.

• Kevair Kennedy has put himself in position to sweep the MAAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. He just swept the MAAC Player and Rookie of the Week awards on Monday and is now a 5x MAAC Rookie of the Week. Kennedy is leading the league in scoring in conference games at 20.1 points per game. He is second in the league in scoring in all games at 17.7 points per game and has scored in double-figures in all but one collegiate game - including 25 straight. He  leads Merrimack and is 4th in the conference in assists (4.1 apg) and ranks 4th in the league in steals (2.0 spg). 

• Ernest Shelton, a high school teammate of  Kevair Kennedy at Philadelphia's Father Judge High School, is second on the team and 6th in the MAAC in scoring at 15.9 points per game.  Shelton, a Division II transfer from Gannon University in Erie, PA, has scored 20 or more points 6 times, and in double figures in 23 of the 27 games. He has made a 3-pointer in every game and multiple 3-pointers in 22 of the 26 games. 

• The Warriors have won 8 of the last 9 and are 16-3 in the last 19 games. Merrimack is 9-0 at home. The Warriors are 10-0 when it scores 70 points or more and are 2nd in the MAAC in turnover margin (+2.74).

• The Warriors #MakeChaos zone defense has continued to cause problems for opponents. Merrimack has allowed over 66 points only 4x in the last 19 games and held teams under 60 points in three-straight games and six of the 6 of the last 8. 

• Merrimack has held 5 of its last 6 opponents - Marist (-17.5) Iona (-13.4), Saint Peter's (-13.2), Sacred Heart (-17.0) and Rider (-19.1), Marist (-17.0) well below their season average. Merrimack is holding opponents to 62.0 points per game in the last 15 games. 

• Tye Dorset is averaging 12.9 points per game in conference play and has scored in double-figures in 8 of the last 11 games. He has made a 3-pointer in 7-straight games.