Anthony J. Borgonzi – Jack Lawhorne – Undergraduate Communications Students
North Andover, MA – The Merrimack Warriors Men’s Basketball team dropped their third straight game on Friday night, suffering a heartbreaking defeat as the Warriors suffered the most consecutive conference losses in Joe Gallo’s history as Merrimack Head Coach.
On Friday night the Warriors hosted a familiar Sacred Heart Pioneers team that made its transition to the MAAC alongside Merrimack College this season. The Warriors tipped off for their final game at Hammel Court this season, as remaining home games will be played in the much more spacious Lawler Arena. The game started with a slow pace, as Sean Trumper and Budd Clark combined for the Warriors’ first 8 points of the game. The two teams traded buckets throughout the first four minutes of the game, however, the visiting Pioneers were able to spark a short 6-0 run coming out of the first media timeout to take their first two possession lead of the game.
The Pioneers maintained their lead for six minutes, however, the Warriors maintained the deficit as they allowed the largest Pioneer lead to get to 6 points. However, with 8:12 remaining in the half, Matt Becht was able to knock down two consecutive threes leading the Warriors to a timely killshot (10-0 run) that quickly launched them back into a 23-17 lead with 6:19 to play in the first half. The Pioneers were able to fight their way back into this game before halftime, tying the score at 29-29 heading into halftime.
Coming out of halftime, Bryan Etumnu got the Warriors going as he threw down an alley oop from Budd Clark, knocked down a three, and set the tone on the defensive end with two blocks as the Warriors trailed by 2 heading into the first TV timeout. The highlight of the game came at the 10:40 mark of the second half, when 5’10” Malik Edmead read the defense’s failure to rotate, punishing the Pioneers with a powerful one handed slam.
The Warriors and Pioneers traded buckets in an extremely tight game, as this was a one possession game until the 3:48 mark in the second half where the Pioneers opened the game up with a 5 point lead. However, the lead did not hold for long as Budd Clark grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to a restless Devon Savage waiting on the three point line and knocked down a huge bucket to cut the lead to two with 3:12 remaining. The next possession resulted in a Sacred Heart basket to extend the lead to four. With under two minutes remaining, the Pioneers had a chance to extend their lead, however Devon Savage had a timely chasedown block which converted to a heavily contested Savage three pointer to cut the Pioneer lead to 1 with 1:25 remaining.
The Warriors were running out of time and had to play the foul game, but luckily Sacred Heart missed their 1+1 free throw to close out the game, leaving the door open for Merrimack to come back. The Warriors called a timeout with 11 seconds left and Joe Gallo drew up the play to tie the game down 3. Matt Becht launched a three-pointer with three seconds remaining, which did not go in. BUT WAIT! They fouled Becht! Becht stepped up to the line cool as a cucumber, knocking down the first two free throws to make it a one point game. Becht’s final attempt missed off the back rim and the Warriors dropped their third straight game on Friday night, suffering a heartbreaking 60-59 defeat. Becht could be seen after the game being embraced and shown support from his teammates, as nobody doubts his ability to shoot the basketball!
Coach Gallo preaches, “The most important game is the next game,” and it most certainly was the case heading into a Sunday afternoon matchup against a familiar Iona Gaels team led by former NEC coach Tobin Anderson. This was the first and only matchup between the two schools this season, unless they meet in Atlantic City for the MAAC Tournament. The Warriors lost the last two games by a total of two points, as the results easily could have gone Merrimack’s way.
New Rochelle, N.Y. – After suffering agonizing defeat in their previous three games, the Merrimack Warriors Men’s Basketball team entered New York desperate for a win. In the depths of the most critical point of the season, the Warriors could not afford to have their 3-game losing skid extended to 4.
Merrimack came into the game with a record of 14-13 (11-5 MAAC), good enough for third place in the conference, upstaging Iona’s 5th-place mark at 12-15 (9-7 MAAC).
In a back-and-forth first half in which both teams seized leads, Iona scored 8 of the last 11 points to enter halftime with a 4-point, 33-29 lead.
The Gaels were in the driver’s seat for much of the second half, but in a closely-contested game where the Warriors would not go away. Iona even took a 7-point lead with just a minute and a half remaining. But the Warriors refused to surrender. With help from a clutch Devon Savage 3-pointer, Budd Clark put the team on his back, scoring 8 of his 27 points in the final 2 minutes of regulation, highlighted by a smooth step-back jumper which sent the game to overtime.
In the extended period, Merrimack opened the scoring with a Bryan Etumnu three-pointer which gave the Warriors a lead they did not lose thanks to sufficient free throw shooting. Etumnu finished with a stellar statline which included 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks, and Budd Clark finished with 27 points and added 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the 77-70 Merrimack win. Furthermore, with his game-sealing free throws at the end of overtime, Clark scored his 1,000th career point. Budd now finds himself in elite territory as a Merrimack Warrior.
The Warriors enter the final stretch of the regular season when they return to Lawler Arena Friday night where they will play host to the Rider Broncs, whom Merrimack defeated in a hard-nosed road victory earlier this month. Tip off is at 7 PM. Show some support, Merrimack!
Go Warriors!
