Men's Hoops Hosts Stonehill Saturday to Kick Off Five-Game Homestand
The Particulars:
Merrimack opens up a stretch of five-straight home games February 4 as it hosts Stonehill. The Warriors are 10-10 on the year and 7-9 in the Northeast-10 Conference entering the contest. The Skyhawks own a 14-6 overall record with a 11-5 mark in the league this season.
All-Time Series:
Merrimack trails in the all-time series against Stonehill, 37-66. The Warriors suffered a 73-64 overtime-loss earlier this season on the road to the Skyhawks.
Last Time Out [Merrimack 78, Benltey 81]:
The Warriors endured an 81-78 loss January 31 at Bentley. Wayne Mack scored 25 points to lead Merrimack. Mike Clifford netted 19 points and grabbed eight boards for the Warriors. With 15 points, Aaron Strothers became the 39th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points. Roland Davis dished out a team-high five assists in the loss.
Duo Joins Elite Millenium Club:
Senior Roland Davis netted his 1,000th career point in Merrimack's season-opening victory over Bloomfield. Davis poured in 33 points to become the 37th member of the 1,000 point club at Merrimack.
Senior guard Wayne Mack amassed 1,000 career points with a 22-point performance in Merrimack's 85-75 victory over Franklin Pierce November 16. Mack became the 38th player in program history and second this season to eclipse the millenium mark.
Strothers Sinks 1,000th Career Point:
Senior forward Aaron Strothers became the 39th member of the 1,000 career point club at Merrimack January 31 with a 15-point performance at Bentley. Strothers joins Wayne Mack and Roland Davis as Merrimack players who amassed the millenium mark this season.
Nothin' But Net:
Merrimack ranks second in the Northeast-10 with 549 field goals made this season. Wayne Mack is fifth in the conference with 119 made buckets while Aaron Strothers is sixth with 118.
Minute Minders:
Wayne Mack and Roland Davis rank in the top ten in the Northeast-10 Conference in minutes played this season. Through 18 contests, Mack has played 762 minutes to lead the league while Davis has been on the court for 657. In Merrimack's overtime loss at Stonehill November 27, Mack logged a career-high 45 minutes.
Consistency Counts:
Aaron Strothers is second in the Northeast-10 and 17th nationally in field goal percentage this season. He has connected on 59.6% of his attempts from the floor. Last year, Strothers led the league with a 64.6 field goal percentage while also ranking eighth nationally.
Boarding School:
Wayne Mack ranks tied for second in the league with 112 defensive rebounds this year. Mike Clifford is fifth in the conference with 54 offensive boards this season while Aaron Strothers is seventh with 49.
Reserve Funds:
The Merrimack bench outscored the opposition's nonstarters in seven contests this season. The Warriors bench combined for 18 points in the season-opening victory over Bloomfield. The next night, Merrimack's nonstarters contributed 23 points in the win over Felician. The Warriors' bench outdueled the opponent's bench on five occasions last year.
All-Time Record:
In its 56-year history, the Merrimack men's basketball team has compiled a 693-680 all-time record. The Warriors began play in 1954-55, going 8-15 on the year.
Northeast-10 Conference Season Honors:
Roland Davis
- Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week (Nov. 14)
Wayne Mack
- Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Week (Dec. 5)
Preseason Prognostications:
Merrimack was chosen to finish seventh in the 2011-12 Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Warriors concluded the 2010-11 campaign tied for 10th in the league standings after being ranked third in the preseason poll.
Merrimack Head Coach Bert Hammel:
In his 32nd season, Warriors' head coach Bert Hammel has compiled a record of 469-433. The 1973 graduate of Bentley College won his 400th game on January 22, 2008 at St. Anselm. He has taken Merrimack to the NCAA tourney six times, including three staright trips from 2008 to 2010. Hammel has guided the Warriors to the Northeast-10 playoffs in each of the past nine seasons.
Same Court, New Name:
On October 22, 2011, Merrimack College renamed Volpe Gym in honor of longtime head coach Bert Hammel. In a special dedication ceremony, Hammel Court was unveiled in front of numerous alumni, fans and friends of head coach Bert Hammel.
Follow From Home:
Once again this season, Merrimack has partnered with AmericaOne to provide webstreaming for all home basketball games. Live stats will also be available at www.merrimackathletics.com.
