Jan 14, 2009
Strong First Half Leads Women’s Basketball to 72-51 Win over Saint Anselm
MANCHESTER, NH – The Merrimack women’s basketball
team used a 17-0 and 39-6 first-half run en route to a 72-51
victory over Saint Anselm College Wednesday night in a Northeast-10
Conference game.
Merrimack started quickly, scoring the game’s first seven
points but the Hawks responded, using a 16-2 run to take an early
16-9 lead before Casey Miller (Fairbanks, AK) sank
three straight jumpers, two from behind the arc, to reclaim the
lead for Merrimack at 17-16. Tiffany Colon (Lawrence,
MA) and Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, NY)
followed with three’s of their own, while Miller picked up a
steal and a layup, and Benischek followed with another three,
increasing Merrimack’s lead to 28-16, as the visitors scored
17 straight points to take a 12-point lead.
Benischek and Miller drilled consecutive threes with the first half
winding down, giving Merrimack the 44-20 lead. They finished the
first half leading 49-22, scoring an incredible 39 of the final 45
points in the first half.
The Warriors, who reached a single-season high for points in the
first half, finished the first 20 minutes with ten three-pointers,
led by three from Miller.
The visitors shot 40% in the second half, cruising to the 21-point
victory.
Amanda Shannon (North Andover, MA) and Miller each
led the Warriors with 17 points, while Colon added 13.
Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, NC) posted 13
boards, as the Warriors outrebounded Saint Anselm 39-37.
The Warriors (4-10, 3-6 NE-10) continue their three-game road trip
at Southern Connecticut State University Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
