ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - The top-seeded Merrimack Warriors defeated No. 5 Marist in a 58-57 thriller in the MAAC Men's Basketball semifinals at Boardwalk Hall on Sunday night.
Tye Dorset scored a career-high 23 points (10-for-17 from the field) with a pair of crunch-time 3-pointers twice giving the Warriors the lead in the final minutes. Dorset added a team-high six rebounds and four steals.
"In games like this you need someone to step up," head coach Joe Gallo said while talking about Dorset. "Tye had it going and he's feeling it right now."
Kevair Kennedy, the MAAC Player of the Year, stole the ball in the final seconds before Marist could get off a desperation shot. It was the biggest of Merrimack's 12 steals, as the Warriors forced 20 turnovers while turning it over just nine times themselves.
"You can't put a value on that," Gallo said of the turnover margin. "We had 12 steals, and that was a numbers advantage."
Kennedy finished with 16 points (5-for-17 from the field) while adding four assists and two steals.
Ernest Shelton, a fellow First Team All-MAAC selection, scored 13 points (3-for-9 from the field) while playing all 40 minutes.
Todd Brogna finished with four points, four rebounds and four blocks. KC Ugwuakazi, the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year, scored two points with five rebounds, three blocks and one steal.
The Warriors advance to the MAAC Men's Basketball Championship where they will face No. 3 Siena at Boardwalk Hall on Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on ESPN2.
