Recap | Boxscore

Feb 18, 2009

Women’s Basketball Inches Closer to Playoffs with 78-70 Win over Saint Rose

ALBANY, NY – Behind 29 points from Amanda Shannon (North Andover, MA), the Merrimack women’s basketball team moved closer to a playoff spot with a 78-70 victory over the College of Saint Rose Wednesday night.

With the win, coupled with a loss by UMass Lowell to AIC tonight, Merrimack (8-17, 7-13 NE-10) leads the River Hawks by two games for the 12th and final playoff spot with two games to go. A Warrior win in either of its final games against Southern Connecticut or New Haven, or a loss by the River Hawks in either of its final games against New Haven or Southern New Hampshire will put the Warriors in the Northeast-10 Tournament with first round play slated for Sunday March 1.

Merrimack hosts Southern Connecticut Saturday at 1 p.m. with the lone senior, Shannon, being honored before the game as part of Senior Day.

Merrimack led for most of the first half, using a 15-5 run to build a 35-25 lead after back-to-back three-pointers from Tiffany Colon (Lawrence, MA). Shannon, who scored 13 first-half points, finished the half with a lay-in to give the visitors the 42-35 lead at halftime. Gennifer Roy (Granby, MA) continued her late offensive surge with 10 early points on 4-of-5 shooting. The Warriors shot 53% from the field and from behind the arc in the first half and forced nine Golden Knight turnovers.

But the Golden Knights did not quit as they cut the lead to one at 51-50 with 10 minutes to play. Shannon responded right back though with a three pushing the lead back to four. Two minutes later, Shannon hit another three, her fourth of the game, to give the Warriors the 57-52 advantage.

After Shannon hit a jumper with 4:16 remaining, Dana Brown sank a three to cut Merrimack’s lead to three at 64-61. But Colon followed with a pair of free throws, and, on Saint Rose’s next possession, Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, NC) stole the ball from Brown, and got it to Shannon, who drained another three to push the lead to eight, Merrimack’s biggest advantage of the second half at 69-61.

The Golden Knights desperately fouled in the waning moments, but Casey Miller (Fairbanks, AK) and Shannon hit free throws to seal the big road victory for the Warriors.

Shannon’s 29 points, one short of her career high, marked the 13th straight game she has scored in double digits and the 22nd time in 25 games this season. She finished with six three-pointers in eight attempts and was 10-for-18 overall. Miller tallied 14 points and was six-for-seven at the free throw line, while Roy finished with 12 points and six boards. DeGraffinreed added seven points and seven boards while battling foul trouble.

The Warriors shot 58.3% from three-point range on 14-of-24 shooting, which is a season-high for three-point shooting percentage.

Lauren Revesz led the way for Saint Rose, posting a double-double on 26 points and 10 rebounds. She was 12-for-12 from the free throw line.


Cross Country (M) Cross Country (W) Field Hockey Football Soccer (M) Soccer (W) Volleyball Basketball (M) Basketball (W) Ice Hockey Baseball Lacrosse (M) Lacrosse (W) Softball Tennis (M) Tennis (W) Lawler Completion Project Athletic Staff Directory Blue Line Club Cheerleading Compliance Composite Calendar Directions Facilities From the AD's Desk Intramurals Marketing & Promotions Merrimack Championships Quick Facts Recruiting Questionnaires SAAC SID Downloads Sponsorship Sports Medicine Strength and Conditioning Visitors Guide	Home \| Roster \| 2009-10 Schedule \| Standings \| Statistics \| News \| Coaches \| Record Book \| Women's Basketball on LinkedIn! \| Facebook Group \| Watch Home Games Live! \| Archives \| 2009 Team Pictures \| Career Stats \| All-Time Results [Printer Friendly] Recap \| Boxscore Feb 18, 2009 Women’s Basketball Inches Closer to Playoffs with 78-70 Win over Saint Rose Boxscore ALBANY, NY – Behind 29 points from Amanda Shannon (North Andover, MA), the Merrimack women’s basketball team moved closer to a playoff spot with a 78-70 victory over the College of Saint Rose Wednesday night. With the win, coupled with a loss by UMass Lowell to AIC tonight, Merrimack (8-17, 7-13 NE-10) leads the River Hawks by two games for the 12th and final playoff spot with two games to go. A Warrior win in either of its final games against Southern Connecticut or New Haven, or a loss by the River Hawks in either of its final games against New Haven or Southern New Hampshire will put the Warriors in the Northeast-10 Tournament with first round play slated for Sunday March 1. Merrimack hosts Southern Connecticut Saturday at 1 p.m. with the lone senior, Shannon, being honored before the game as part of Senior Day. Merrimack led for most of the first half, using a 15-5 run to build a 35-25 lead after back-to-back three-pointers from Tiffany Colon (Lawrence, MA). Shannon, who scored 13 first-half points, finished the half with a lay-in to give the visitors the 42-35 lead at halftime. Gennifer Roy (Granby, MA) continued her late offensive surge with 10 early points on 4-of-5 shooting. The Warriors shot 53% from the field and from behind the arc in the first half and forced nine Golden Knight turnovers. But the Golden Knights did not quit as they cut the lead to one at 51-50 with 10 minutes to play. Shannon responded right back though with a three pushing the lead back to four. Two minutes later, Shannon hit another three, her fourth of the game, to give the Warriors the 57-52 advantage. After Shannon hit a jumper with 4:16 remaining, Dana Brown sank a three to cut Merrimack’s lead to three at 64-61. But Colon followed with a pair of free throws, and, on Saint Rose’s next possession, Hannah DeGraffinreed (Raleigh, NC) stole the ball from Brown, and got it to Shannon, who drained another three to push the lead to eight, Merrimack’s biggest advantage of the second half at 69-61. The Golden Knights desperately fouled in the waning moments, but Casey Miller (Fairbanks, AK) and Shannon hit free throws to seal the big road victory for the Warriors. Shannon’s 29 points, one short of her career high, marked the 13th straight game she has scored in double digits and the 22nd time in 25 games this season. She finished with six three-pointers in eight attempts and was 10-for-18 overall. Miller tallied 14 points and was six-for-seven at the free throw line, while Roy finished with 12 points and six boards. DeGraffinreed added seven points and seven boards while battling foul trouble. The Warriors shot 58.3% from three-point range on 14-of-24 shooting, which is a season-high for three-point shooting percentage. Lauren Revesz led the way for Saint Rose, posting a double-double on 26 points and 10 rebounds. She was 12-for-12 from the free throw line.