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Comeback Effort for Women's Basketball Falls Short in Double OT, 76-70, at Saint Anselm Saturday

Comeback Effort for Women's Basketball Falls Short in Double OT, 76-70, at Saint Anselm Saturday

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MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Merrimack College women's basketball team erased an 11-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter on Saturday at Saint Anselm to force overtime, and rallied again down six in overtime to send the Northeast-10 Conference matchup to a second extra session, but the Hawks held on in the final five minutes to prevail by six, 76-70.

The Basics
 Score: Saint Anselm 76, Merrimack 70
Records: Merrimack (3-5, 2-2 NE-10) | Saint Anselm (4-3, 2-3 NE-10)
Location: Stoutenburgh Gym | Manchester, N.H.

How It Happened

  • Out of the media timeout at the midway point of the first quarter, Emma Daly drained a 3-pointer to double the Hawks' lead, 12-6, at the 3:37 mark. A late two-pointer from senior Savannah Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.) pulled Merrimack within three points, but Saint Anselm used a late bucket to take a 17-11 advantage into the second quarter
  • After Johnson opened the next frame with a bucket, Saint Anselm used a 7-0 run to build its largest lead to that point, 24-13.
  • The Warriors answered with and 8-0 run of their own, forcing the Hawks into a scoring drought that lasted over four minutes. Sophomore Karlee Alves (Ellington, Conn.) came off the bench and scored two points while adding an assist and a steal during the run
  • Facing a 27-21 deficit with two minutes left in the half, the Navy and Gold scored four unanswered to end the second quarter. Senior captain My'Asia Alston (Cohoes, N.Y.) darted to the bucket on the Warriors' last possession to make it a two-point game entering intermission.
  • The Warriors took a brief 29-28 lead at the start of the third quarter, their first since the opening minutes of the game. Saint Anselm guard Candace Andrews responded with a personal 6-0 run to make it 34-29 Hawks with 6:49 left in the third
  • After a layup from Alves to make it a 37-33 game, the Hawks poured in six straight points to increase their lead to double digits, 43-33. A 3-pointer from the left wing by Clairee Putnam pushed the Hawks' advantage to 11, equaling their largest of the game, at the end of three quarters
  • The Navy and Gold chipped away at the deficit over the first five minutes fourth, capped off by a right-wing triple from sophomore Hannah Neild (Litchfield, N.H.) that made it a 50-46 game with 4:58 remaining
  • Trailing by seven with 3:08 to play, the Warriors held the Hawks scoreless over the remainder of the fourth to tie the game. Alston netted five points of Merrimack's 7-0 run to end the game, including hitting all three of her free throws to tie the contest after she was fouled attempting a 3-pointer
  • In overtime, Andrews surged forward to score the Hawks' first four points to give the hosts a 57-53 lead
  • With the score at 61-55 and only 73 seconds remaining in overtime, Merrimack began another comeback. Sophomore Lexi Martin (Franklin, Mass.) hit two layups in a span of 48 seconds to make it a one-possession game, 61-59. With the shot clock winding down and nine seconds left overall, Alston pulled up in the paint to tie the game at 61-all. Andrews missed the potential game-winner on the other end to send the game to a second overtime
  • The Warriors took a brief 63-62 lead at the start of the second overtime, but the Hawks used a 5-0 run to take a 67-63 lead and never looked back. Neild sank a straightaway three to make it 67-66, butPutnam answered with a triple of her own. Three turnovers over the final two minutes hampered the Navy and Gold's comeback effort as Saint Anselm held on for the win

Inside The Numbers

  • Alston's 24 points on the afternoon marked a new career high, besting her previous personal best of 16 points set last season. She posted her best shooting performance of the season, finishing 7-of-15 from the field, while adding a career-high five steals as well
  • Freshman Denia Davis-Stewart (Dorchester, Mass.) was a force on the glass, pulling down a season-high 15 rebounds, including half (7) of Merrimack's total on the offensive glass. The rookie forward added three blocks after entering the day fourth in the NE10 with an average of 1.6 per game
  • After not scoring in the first half, Martin combined to net all 18 of her points in the second half and the two extra sessions.
  • Andrews led all players with 24 points, but the Warriors defense forced her into a game-high 12 turnovers. The three-time all-conference selection added 10 caroms for a double-double
  • Saint Anselm boasted a 52-40 rebounding advantage that included a 25-14 edge on the offensive glass. The Hawks held a 20-8 advantage in second-chance points
  • The Warriors played in the programs first double-overtime game in over six years, the last one going to a third overtime session before the Navy and Gold knocked off Stonehill
  • Field Goals (%): MER 25-66 (37.9) // STA 27-75 (36.0)
  • 3-Point Field Goals (%): MER 3-14 (21.4) // STA 7-24 (29.2)

Up Next
 The Navy and Gold continue NE-10 play on Tuesday night when Merrimack hosts Franklin Pierce at 5:30 p.m. from Hammel Court. The first 200 students in attendance will receive a Merrimack-decaled shooting sleeve courtesy of the Athletics Department.

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For continuing coverage of Merrimack College Athletics, visit MerrimackAthletics.com and follow the Warriors on Twitter and on Facebook.

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