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Highlights
NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The visiting Wagner College Seahawks forced overtime late in regulation and prevailed in the extra session over the Merrimack College women's basketball team, 74-68, on Saturday afternoon in Northeast Conference (NEC) action from Hammel Court. Wagner hit a put-back with under two seconds to play in regulation to tie the game at 64-all, and outscored Merrimack, 10-4, in the final five minutes to emerge victorious.
The Warriors enjoyed a strong start to the game, hitting five 3-pointers in the first quarter to create a 19-15 lead, and built on that advantage over the next two frames, holding a 48-40 advantage going into the fourth quarter. Merrimack led by eight, 61-53, with 2:31 left in regulation, but Wagner went on an 11-3 run to close the fourth and force overtime.
Junior
Kate Mager led all scorers with 21 points and four 3-pointers. Senior
Alyssa Casey added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds while senior
Mayson Kimball contributed 11 points. Wagner saw four players score at least 10 points on the day, led by 19 for Khaleah Edwards.
The Basics
Score: Wagner 74,
Merrimack 68
Records: Merrimack (0-4, 0-4 NEC) | Wagner (5-2, 5-1 NEC)
Location: Hammel Court | North Andover, Mass.
Rapid Recap
- Merrimack enjoyed a superb shooting performance in the opening quarter, particularly from beyond the arc. Mager and sophomore Jayme DeCesare each hit a triple as part of an 8-3 start to the game. Mager would hit a second long ball in the quarter and Kimball joined the action from deep as well. With Merrimack holding a 16-15 lead, sophomore Alana Fursman netted the fifth triple of the quarter, giving the hosts a four-point edge after 10 minutes
- Wagner went ahead, 25-24, by the 4:31 mark of the second quarter, but Merrimack closed the half on a positive note to regain control. Freshman Teneisia Brown hit a layup followed by another Mager triple to give Merrimack five straight points. After the visitors closed within one, 29-28, Casey converted a layup to make it 31-28 and put the Warriors ahead after 20 minutes
- The hosts had a pair of six-point leads in the early stages of the third quarter, but a Wagner triple brought the margin to one possession once more, 38-35. Still leading by three and with under four minutes until the final quarter, the Warriors ended the third on a 7-2 run to own a 48-40 advantage when the third quarter horn sounded.
- Merrimack led by nine, 51-42, with 8:03 to go in the fourth following a 3-pointer by sophomore Diamond Christian. Wagner started to chip away, but five straight points from Mager left the score in Merrimack's favor, 61-53, at the 2:31 mark. The Seahawks surged forward at that point, outscoring Merrimack by eight the rest of the way to force overtime
- In the extra period, DeCesare scored four points for the hosts to keep Merrimack within a possession at 71-68 with 2:05 remaining. Wagner held on to its lead over the final two minutes, however, to prevail
Notes and Numbers
- Mager's 21 points and seven field goals made were both season highs. It marked the sixth 20-point game of her career
- Casey's double-double was her first of the season and eighth of her career
- Kimball scored in double figures for the first time this season and 38th time in her career
- Merrimack set season bests in 3-pointers (9) and total rebounds (45). The Warriors outrebounded the Seahawks by 13, including a 16-10 edge on the offensive glass
Up Next
Merrimack visits Saint Francis University next week for two games out in Loretto, Pa.
