Liam MacKenzie – Student Reporter Photo: Bill Burt, The Eagle Tribune
North Andover, MA – A sellout crowd was inside Lawler Arena on a Friday Night, where a big-time game of MAAC Conference Basketball Play took place between the visiting Siena Saints and the Merrimack College Warriors as it would be nationally televised on ESPNU. This was the first time a Merrimack College Basketball game at Lawler Arena sold out since the 2024 NEC Championship game between the visiting Wagner Seahawks and the Merrimack College Warriors, as that game was aired on ESPN2.
Not only was there national attention during the game, but a local news outlet by the name of WCVB NewsCenter 5 stopped by to cover the action inside the arena. Reporter Josh Brogadir was on site to set the scene for what was not just a conference matchup, but one that was a huge moment for the Merrimack community and the town of North Andover, Massachusetts.
Sell Out Crowd Was Loud and Proud – The attendance from the crowd reached a total of 2,919 spectators, ranging from Students to Alumni to local residents of North Andover, Massachusetts, with most of them wearing “I Heart (Love) Joe Gallo” shirts, which is Merrimack’s version of the “I Heart (Love) Drake Maye” shirt. The crowd would cheer for their home team Warriors, from start to finish, as it would take overtime to decide the result, which went in Merrimack’s direction, as they would give Siena their first loss when leading after the first half.
At the end of the game, Coach Gallo and his players as of recently would go over to the student section, which has been called Gallo’s Gang during this most recent amount of time. During an interview with Tim Welsh after the victory, many students surrounded their beloved coach, giving him their bows, and as the interview was coming to an end, the camera focused on the Coach celebrating with Merrimack Students as excitement continued to burst through Lawler after the game concluded.
A Game Fueled by Fan Energy – Merrimack Basketball has a motto that goes by “Make Chaos,” which applies to the Jim Boeheim 2-3 Zone specialty that is run with vocality being in the mix. Not only does it apply from a communication standpoint from the coach to the players, but it applies with the crowd, which keeps opposing teams on their heels when they come into Lawler Arena to play this group of Warriors from Merrimack College.
The crowd also factors towards the offense where it might be quite as they go to work, but they tear the roof off of Lawler once that big shot occurs which was the case for Tye Dorset putting the Warriors in the lead 50-47 in the second half after the big time three pointer along with Todd Brogna hitting a corner three to make it 75-70 in overtime. Another guy who got the crowd going was Kevair Kennedy as they witnessed him having a career high 32 points in the game as he continued his case not only for MAAC Rookie of the Year, but also for MAAC Player of the Year.
National Spotlight Brought Local Passion – With this game being on national television, it made the game very significant for both the program and for how it would shape the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference moving forward. The Halftime Shows that have been a part of most recent games, which is thanks to the new Athletic Director Joe Foley, also have most likely played a factor in the national spotlight, along with the giveaways of Roku TVs, Xbox Consoles, and Xbox Controllers.
For some of the previous halftime performances, they have included Red Panda and Air Elite Dunkers, while this game against Siena had Christian and Scooby perform, which resulted in the crowd cheering on the beloved dog Scooby, who wowed the crowd with his terrific tricks. The Halftime Show was just the beginning of the fun; it was not until the giveaways of the Roku TVs, Xbox Consoles, and Xbox Controllers that got the crowd even more pumped up, as it added a little cherry on top of the energetic crowd in Lawler.
Overtime Thriller Boosted Fan Impact – As Regulation came to an end tied at a score of 66-66, the atmosphere got even louder as fans could only witness what would happen next. In a game that had a final score of 79-72 in overtime to win at least a share of the conference regular-season title, the crowd reaction to the Brogna three in the corner made it one of the loudest moments that Lawler has ever experienced in a conference play-type game, with the cheerleaders, dance team, and fans in full jubilation.
For the people who went to Lawler on that Friday Night of February 20th, 2026, it really wasn’t about watching a college basketball game, but rather it was about witnessing a Tolle Lege moment for the program, where fans realized something bigger was unfolding and responded with passion when it mattered most. Not only is this a night that will be remembered by Warrior Nation for the victory claimed by this Basketball team, but for the atmosphere that was created inside Lawler Arena, which made it one of the most intimidating game sites in mid-major basketball, along with the MAAC on any night.
