Merrimack College Athletics

Women's Basketball Falters in Season Opener, 69-55, at Georgian Court Saturday

11/12/2016 12:00:00 AM

Links: Box Score

LAKEWOOD, N.J. – Senior point guard My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.) posted 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting in the first game of her second season, but the host Georgian Court Lions outscored the Merrimack College women's basketball team by 24 points in the middle two quarter to prevail, 69-55, on Saturday afternoon in the first day of the GCU Invitational from the GCU Wellness Center.

The Basics
Score: Georgian Court 69, Merrimack 55
Records: Merrimack (0-1) | Georgian Court (1-0)
Location: GCU Wellness Center| Lakewood, N.J.

How It Happened

• The Warriors started off strong, taking a 10-4 lead at the 5:11 mark of the first quarter after consecutive triples from sophomores Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) and Lindsay Werner (Groton, Mass.)
• Neild's second triple of the quarter gave the Warriors their largest lead, 13-5, and freshman Giulia Orlando (Haverhill, Mass.) sank her first-ever shot from beyond the arc to make it 19-14 after 10 minutes of play
• The hosts used a 15-7 run over the first 5:19 of the second quarter to take their first lead of the day, 29-26, on a triple from Jada Atchison. Merrimack endured a scoring drought of nearly seven minutes before a jumper from sophomore Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) ended the Lions' run. Georgian Court made the final bucket of the half to make it a 37-28 game at intermission
• The Georgian Court defense continued to play well in the third quarter, limiting the Warriors to eight points as the hosts extended their lead to 19, 55-36, entering the final quarter of play
• In the fourth quarter, Merrimack bested its foes from the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Senior captain Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) and freshman Denia Davis-Stewart (Dorchester, Mass.) hit back-to-back buckets less than two minutes into the frame.
• Alston connected on consecutive lay-ups to pull the Warriors within 12, 58-46, but that was as close as Merrimack would get
• Junior Cecilia Reyes (Haverhill, Mass.) along with freshmen Emily Houle (Attleboro, Mass.) and Alyssa Torres (Bohemia, N.Y.) played in their first career minutes in the fourth, and each scored their first-ever points

Inside The Numbers

• Alston finished one point shy of tying her career high of 16 set last season. Her seven field goals, however, were a new personal best
• Neild set a career high with 10 rebounds during the first game of her second season in the Navy and Gold. The sophomore finished with eight points, two shy of her first career double-double
• Merrimack was hampered by 26 turnovers that turned into 33 points for the Lions
• Alliyah Berger – who started her career at the Division I level at Towson University – led all scorers with 29 points
• Field Goals (%): MER 21-54 (38.9) // GCU 28-64 (43.8)
• Three-Point Field Goals (%): MER 6-17 (35.3) // GCU 7-23 (30.4)

Up Next
Merrimack concludes play in the GCU Invitational tomorrow afternoon when the Warriors take on Concordia (N.Y.) at 12 p.m.

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