Men's Basketball Showdown with Top-Seeded Stonehill Tuesday

Game Notes (.pdf)

NORTH ANDOVER, MA - Looking to claim a first round bye in the Northeast-10 Conference postseason, the men's basketball team takes on Stonehill College Tuesday at 7:30pm.

On Tuesday, Merrimack with hand out 500 FREE Merrimack Basketball t-shirts for the 2010 Warrior Whiteout at Volpe Gym during the basketball doubleheader.

 2009-10 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Standings*

 *top 12 teams earn a postseason berth

Last Time Out (Saint Anselm 64, Merrimack 61):              

With the low-scoring loss to Saint Anselm, Merrimack has made it two years in a row starting the month of February 0-2.  It is also the third time in four years the Warriors have done so.  On Saturday, Dee Mency scored 19 points, but 22 points from Thomas Baudinet sealed the win for Saint Anselm.

All-Time Series (Merrimack 35, Stonehill 64):

On a current three-game skid, Merrimack looks to avoid another three-game skid in the month of February.  Merrimack's last three losses have been by an average of 3.3 points, including a one-point loss on January 24, 2009 to snap a three-game win streak.

Previous Meeting [1/2/10] - Easton, MA  (Stonehill 65, Merrimack 60):                

Despite leading by as much as 16 in the first half and ahead as late as 4:50 remaining, Merrimack stumbled to a 1-3 start on the year and 0-2 Conference start against the two current top teams in the Conference.  In the loss, Wayne Mack scored a then-career high 20 points, but AJ Rudowitz of Stonehill scored a game-high 24 points on a deft 9-of-13 shooting.

Mency Becomes 21st All-Time Scorer With 19 against St. Anselm: 

Junior Dee Mency has compiled 1,320 points through 76 career games (17.4 ppg) at Merrimack following a team-high 19 against Saint Anselm.  He is currently tied with Daren Alix at 21st in Merrimack men's basketball history.

Quiet Offense Hinders Warriors:

With 76.7 points per game, Merrimack remains the top scoring team in the Conference despite averaging 60.0 points over the last two games.  The Warriors shooting from the field (44%) and from beyond the arc (37%) has suffered as of late, but 9.3 steals per game has allowed for a +3.55 turnover margin, good for third in the NE-10.

Shooting struggles:

In the last two outings, Merrimack has converted on just 24 field goals in each game while attempting 131 (36.6%).  They have struggled just as much from long range going 8-of-44 (18%) despite leading the league in three-pointers made per game.

Foul February:

For the second straight season, Merrimack has opened up the month of February 0-2.  A year ago, they dropped back-to-back contests to Southern New Hampshire (away) and UMass-Lowell (home).  Two seasons ago was the last time they did not open the month with a pair of losses, but it has been since February 1, 2006 that the Warriors won their first game of February.

Tough on Tuesdays:

With their sixth Tuesday game of the season against Stonehill today, Merrimack is 4-1 on the year when playing on the second business day of the week.

Mency Gets in Groove Against Saint Anselm:

After a two-point performance against Bentley coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him for four games, Dee Mency found his shooting touch against Saint Anselm with 19 points and a late three to bring the Warriors within two late in the game.

Duncan Eyes Top-Ten Division II???Assist List:

With (7) assists against Saint Anselm, Darren Duncan passed Jordan Canfield '97 of Washburn in 11th place.  He now needs seven (7) more to catch Chris Dunn of West Virginia State '06.

Duncan on Pace for 2,000:

Should Darren Duncan average his current 19.1 points per game through the remaining and at least one playoff game, he will become the fourth member of the 2,000-point club.  He is also likely to pass Gary Duda for 3rd all-time on the scoring list.

Win Streak Ends at 11 @ Pace:

With a loss on the road at Pace (Jan. 23), Merrimack ended their streak of consecutive regular season wins at 11.  That streak is the second longest this year in the Northeast-10 behind Bentley who currently rides a 13-game stretch into Wednesday.

Duncan Distances Himself as NE-10 Free Throw Leader:

Duncan, who is 664-for-845 (78.6%) for his career from the line and all-time leader at Merrimack, has set the new standard in the Northeast-10 Conference having passed the old mark of 642, held by Assumption's Drew Adderly.

Duncan Cracks Top Five at Merrimack:                                  

As one of only five players to score 1,800 points at Merrimack, Darren Duncan has averaged 19.1 points per game during his senior year to average 17.5 over his four-year career.  In his time at Merrimack, Duncan has started all 107 games of which he been a part of.  Starting his senior season as 12th all-time on the scoring list at Merrimack (1,490), Duncan has jumped six spots to check in at 5th on the all-time list with 1,872, most recently passing fellow Cousy Award finalist, Roger Damphousse ‘62.

Merrimack Head Coach Bert Hammel: 

In his 30th year, Warriors' head coach Bert Hammel has compiled a record of 441-405 at Merrimack through 20 games this season.  The 1973 graduate of Bentley College won his 400th game on January 22, 2008 with a win at St. Anselm. He has taken Merrimack to the NCAA tourney five times, two of which have occurred in the last two seasons.