Links: Box Score
LAKELAND, Fla. – The Merrimack College men's basketball program led by as many as 20 points on Saturday evening against Saint Leo as the Warriors played the Lions in their final game of the Terrace Hotel Classic hosted at Florida Southern's Jenkins Field House. The Lions made a late rally, however, coming within three points in the waning seconds, but Merrimack held on for an 85-81 win.
The Warriors were particularly prolific from the field in the first half, shooting 56 percent from the field and 62 percent from long range for a season-best 51 points in the opening stanza. Senior
Ryan Boulter and junior
Juvaris Hayes combined for 45 points on 16-of-31 shooting from the field to lead the attack.
The Basics
Score: Merrimack 85, Saint Leo 81
Records: Merrimack (4-3) |
Saint Leo (2-4)
Location: Jenkins Field House | Lakeland, Fla.
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack started the game on a 14-4 run, prompting Saint Leo to use an early timeout with 16:26 remaining in the opening stanza. The Warriors shot 5-of-8 to start the day from the field, including nine points from Hayes. The Lions scored six unanswered out of the stoppage to trim their deficit to four, but Boulter responded with two straight 3-pointers to put the Warriors back up double digits, 20-10, with under 13 minutes left in the half
- Merrimack reached 30 points by the midway point of the half, as Boulter posted 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from distance over the game's first 10 minutes. Junior Jaleel Lord and Hayes combined for a quick 5-0 spurt the ballooned the Warriors' advantage to 17 (38-21) as the Warriors opted for their first timeout there with seven minutes to play in the half
- With the score at 38-27, the Warriors used an 11-2 run to bring their lead to 20 for the first time. Freshmen Mikey Watkins hit a pair of field goals, while Lord added an exclamation point to the run by canning a triple following a cross-court feed from senior Troy McLaughlin. That bucket made it a 49-29 contest, and the Warriors took a 51-35 lead to the locker room
- Merrimack appeared to be in complete control through the second half's first 12 minutes. The Warriors' lead grew to 19 points, 66-47, after Boulter converted an old-fashioned three-point play. The Mansfield, Mass. native then pushed the Warriors' lead to 20, 75-55, with 7:35 remaining after a fast-break layup
- The Lions' rally started there, using a 16-2 run to trim their deficit down to six (77-71) with 3:40 remaining. Merrimack never trailed in the game, but Saint Leo made it a one-possession game with 20 seconds to play (81-78). The Warriors finished 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to hold off their opposition
Notes and Numbers
- After not scoring 20 points in a game over the first five, Boulter posted consecutive 20-point efforts including Saturday's season-best 25. He also set career highs in field goals (9) and 3-pointers (6)
- Hayes flirted with his third career triple-double, totaling 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists
- Merrimack took advantage of Saint Leo's miscues, scoring 22 points of 11 Lions turnovers
- McLaughlin and Watkins provided production off the bench, combing for 15 points on 8-of-10 shooting on the night
- On Saturday, Merrimack completed its first set of games played in the Sunshine State since the end of the 2003 calendar when the Warriors picked up three wins in Florida against Nova Southeastern, Barry and Florida Tech.
Up Next
The Warriors will spend another day in Florida before returning to campus Monday, when Merrimack will begin preparations for a trip to Stonehill at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.
