ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -- Merrimack College head coach Kelly Morrone understands the challenge second-seeded Fairfield will present in the MAAC Women's Basketball semifinals, but that doesn't mean the Warriors will enter the matchup feeling any sense of intimidation.
"I respect that success a great deal," Morrone said of the Stags, who entered the postseason ranked No. 25 in the country. "But you can't be intimidated by anything if you want it. We're just going to play really, really hard and we're not going to back down to anybody."
The third-seeded Warriors (20-11, 15-5 in MAAC) earned a spot in the semifinals after a second-half surge propelled them past Mount St. Mary's on Saturday. The Stags (26-4, 19-1 in MAAC) advanced to the conference semifinals after they beat No. 7 Sacred Heart on Friday.
Morrone believes the Warriors will make the most of the moment.
"They're so hyped for this," Morrone said. "I mean, it's March. You get confidence in your overall body of work in the regular season. "I don't think I need to motivate them at all," she continued. "I think we have our mindset right, and we're going to be ready to go."
Playoff road
The MAAC playoffs started with a bang after the Warriors defeated Mount St Mary's 62-48 on Saturday afternoon. Madison Roman led the way with a double-double (22 points, 18 rebounds) while Molly Manion was perfect (3-for-3) from beyond the arc en route to 17 points.
Hot streak
The Warriors have been victorious in eight of their last nine games, holding opponents to fewer than 60 points in six of them. The Warriors were winners of their final two regular-season games against Canisius and Niagara before they eliminated the Mountaineers.
The award mantel
The Warriors hauled in a handful of regular-season awards, including Kelly Morrone claiming the MAAC Coach of the Year, Paloma Garcia being named the Defensive Player of the Year all while Oralye Kiefer was named to the All-Defensive team and Lydia Melashanko was recognized as a Third Team All-MAAC selection.
Roman empire
Roman was named a First Team All-MAAC honoree after she led the conference in rebounds and ranked 12th in all of Division I in double-doubles (17 in 29 regular-season games). Roman, who earned MAAC Player of the Week in the final week of the regular season, is coming off a performance in which she finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds against the Mountaineers.
Paloma power
The MAAC Defensive Player of the Year proved why she was deserving of the recognition as she contributed four steals in Merrimack's playoff win over Mount St. Mary's. Garcia entered the postseason having secured a program record for steals in a single game (nine vs. Canisius). She stuffed the stat sheet with six points, eight assists and seven rebounds against the Mountaineers.
Manion magic
Manion is hitting her stride at the perfect time for the Warriors. She's scored 14 points in a regular-season finale against Niagara before scoring 17 against Mount St. Mary's. Manion has been efficient from long range, shooting 5-for-6 from beyond the arc in her previous two games.
