Men's Basketball Resumes Rivalry with Bentley Tuesday

Matchup	Bentley (6-3, 4-2 NE10) at  Merrimack (8-3, 5-1 NE10)
Date/Time	Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017 (7:30 p.m.)
Venue	Hammel Court // North Andover, Mass. (Tickets)
Multimedia	Live Stats // Video // Twitter // Instagram

 
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program aims for a season-long five-game winning streak on Tuesday night when the Warriors host Bentley University at 7:30 p.m. from Hammel Court. The contest marks Merrimack's penultimate home game of 2017 and final game overall until New Year's Eve against Dominican College (N.Y.).    

TOYS FOR TOTS: 

• Fans are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy to Hammel Court on Tuesday as part of Merrimack's participation in the Toys for Tots initiative. Cash donations will also be accepted, and all proceeds will be donated to Boston Children's Hospital
• Any fan who donates toys or cash will receive a free ticket to Tuesday's game
• Toys/cash can be donated to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.), who will be located in the lobby next to Hammel Court

Last Time Out:

• Merrimack broke away from Saint Michael's College on Saturday afternoon for a 71-64 win in Colchester, Vt. 
• The game featured 14 lead changes and seven ties, with the 14^th and final lead change occurring during a 15-6 Warriors' run that turned a 36-35 deficit early in the second into a 50-40 lead with under 10 minutes to play
• Freshman guard Khalief Crawford (Linden, N.J.) continued the strongest week of his younger career by netting 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting that included a trio of three-pointers. He shot 6-of-11 from distance during Merrimack's two victories last week
• Sophomore Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, N.J.) led the team with 14 points, six assists and a season-high six steals

Team Leaders:

• Hayes has scored in double figures in three games in a row and nine of 11 overall to lead Merrimack in scoring at 18.6 points per contest
• Nationally, Hayes increased his lead in both assists (94) and steals (41). He leads the country with 8.5 assists per game and is second with 3.73 steals per contest
• Merrimack ranks sixth in the NE10 in scoring offense (77.3) and fourth in scoring defense (70.6 ppg)
• Defensively, the Warriors are forcing their opponents into 15.4 turnovers per game, the second-most in the NE10

The Falcons:

• Bentley's high-powered offense leads the conference at 89.8 points per game, entering tomorrow's action as the 15^th-highest scoring team in the nation
• The Falcons also pace the NE10 and are No. 15 nationwide in field-goal percentage (51.0)
• Junior guard Ryan Richmond ranks fourth in the conference in points per game, with an output of 21.9 per contest. He averages a league-leading 8.3 field goals per game
• The Falcons are currently winning games by an average of 18.0 points per contest, the 12^th-highest margin of victory in the country

The Series:

• Tuesday will be the 94^th all-time meeting between Merrimack and Bentley, with the Falcons holding a 57-36 advantage
• The two local rivals split the season series last year, with the road team winning on each occasion. Merrimack's win in Waltham was the first for the program in 13 years
• In last season's game at Hammel Court, Hayes notched a double-double with 19 points and 12 assists while redshirt-senior Tawayne Anderson Jr. (New York, N.Y.) posted a career performance with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting

Up Next
Merrimack will enjoy a 19-day layoff before returning to action on New Year's Eve when the Warriors host the Chargers for a 12 p.m. tilt at Hammel Court.