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| Press Release |
Press Release
MERRIMACK CRUISES TO SWEEP OF PURPLE KNIGHTS
SMC men drop 99-84 decision; Purple Knight women suffer 69-56 setbackFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION
December 4, 2004 Contact: Seth Cole
Phone: (802) 654-2537COLCHESTER, Vt. – Merrimack College relied on torrid shooting and big first halves to post a pair of Northeast-10 Conference basketball victories versus Saint Michael’s College on Saturday at the Ross Sports Center. In the opener, the Merrimack men outscored the Purple Knights, 99-84, while the Warrior women notched a 69-56 win in the nightcap.
In the men’s contest, Merrimack (6-1, 3-1 NE-10) shot 52 percent from the field in recording the 700th win in program history. Senior Basil Wajd (Boston, Mass.) led the Warriors in his first start of the season, scoring a career-high 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Classmate Pierre Downing (Trenton, N.J.) added 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, sophomore Micky Burtnyk (Phoenix, Ariz.) chipped in 17 points and six assists, and junior Bobby Murgo (Watertown, Mass.) netted 15 points.
For the Purple Knights, junior BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) recorded 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while classmate Mike Keating (Saint Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) scored 20 points and added a pair of blocks. Freshman James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) added 13 points in his first collegiate start as Saint Michael’s (3-4, 0-2 NE-10) dropped its fourth straight contest.
Merrimack dictated the tempo early, as the visitors raced out to a 35-20 lead 12 minutes into the contest. Following a timeout, Saint Michael’s went on a 10-0 run to pull within 35-30. The Purple Knights never got closer than five, however, as Wajd’s 18 first-half points gave the Warriors a 50-36 lead at intermission.
The Warriors sealed the win by opening the second period with an 11-2 run, and led by as many as 28 points, 74-46. Saint Michael’s never got closer than 15 after that, despite 17 second-half points from Robertson.
In the women’s game, Merrimack, ranked fourth in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, raced out to a 45-15 halftime lead and held off a spirited Purple Knights’ rally in the second half. Senior Jenny Smith (Freetown, Mass.) led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points, while junior Joelle Martin (Somerville, Mass.) added 15 points and six steals. Senior Eileen Brosnihan (Dudley, Mass.) chipped in 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting as Merrimack (6-0, 4-0 NE-10) shot 51 percent in the contest, including 62 percent in the opening period.
Sophomore Dani Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) led the Purple Knights with a career-high 22 points, 21 of which came after intermission. Junior Brigid Hegarty (North Andover, Mass./Central Catholic) added 13 points, while freshman Katie Barthelmes (Contoocook, N.H./Hopkinton) chipped in nine points as Saint Michael’s (2-3, 0-2 NE-10) lost its third consecutive game.
Merrimack sealed the victory over a nine-minute stretch in the first half, as the Warriors turned a 10-9 lead into a 32-9 advantage. During the scoreless drought, Saint Michael’s missed 12 shots and committed six turnovers, as the Purple Knights shot just 4-of-27 from the floor in the period.
The hosts rallied in the second half, as Saint Michael’s cut a 32-point deficit to 17 midway through the stanza, and to 15 with 5:41 remaining. The Purple Knights, however, went without a point over the next 3:20, and never got closer than the final margin.
Saint Michael’s returns to action on Tuesday, as the Purple Knights host league-rival Saint Anselm College at the Ross Sports Center. The women tip things off at 5:30 p.m., with the men beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002