Late Run Spurs Merrimack Past Franklin Pierce, 80-67
Warriors close game out with 17-4 run, shoot 62.5% in second half
RINDGE, N.H. (February 12, 2004) - Merrimack College used a game-ending 17-4 run to post an 80-67 victory over Franklin Pierce in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at the Franklin Pierce Fieldhouse tonight.
Merrimack erased an eight-point (43-35) halftime deficit as it hit 62.5-percent (15-24) of its shots from the field over the final half, including 4-7 from three-point range. Freshman guard Kenny Jones (Norwich, Conn./Norwich Free Academy) scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half as he also finished with five assists on the night.
Senior forward Justin Leith (Mercerville, N.J./Princeton Day) led the Warriors with 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore guard Bobby Murgo (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) totaled 14 points as he hit five-of-seven shots from the field, including 4-6 from three-point range, and added three rebounds and three assists. Senior Craig Griffin (Jaffrey, N.H./Conant) registered 14 points, six boards, four assists and two steals.
Senior preseason All-American Jimmie Hunt (Utica, N.Y./Mount Ararat (Maine)) led Franklin Pierce with a game-high 18 points, aided by 4-8 shooting from three-point range, three rebounds and two assists. Freshman Marques Norris (Jamaica Plain, Mass./Benson (Ore.)) totaled 13 points, three rebounds and three steals, while classmate Darryl Minifield (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) chipped in ten points, five boards, five assists and four steals. Senior guard Derek Rodgerson (Newburgh, Maine/Hampden Academy) pulled down a career and game-best ten rebounds, all of which came in the opening half.
The Ravens were hurt by a 33.3% (10-30) shooting effort in the second half after hitting 48.6% (17-35) in the first half to open the eight-point lead at the break. Franklin Pierce canned just 2-10 three-pointers over the final 20 minutes after hitting 6-11 in the first.
Franklin Pierce led by ten points (45-35) after Hunt opened the second half with a lay-up, but Merrimack reeled off an 11-0 run to take a 46-45 lead with 14:56 to play. Jones canned a pair of three's and junior Basil Wajd (Boston, Mass./Charlestown) drained one of his own during the rally.
The game was knotted a 63 after a pair of Leith free throws with 6:42 to play. The Warriors scored the next ten points over a 3:20 span to take their first double-digit lead of the game. Murgo totaled five points and Griffin capped the run with a conventional three-point play.
A jumper by Rodgerson with 2:59 to play pulled the Ravens within eight points, but that would be the final Franklin Pierce points of the contest and Merrimack iced the win by canning 5-6 free-throw attempts down the stretch.
Franklin Pierce (11-12, 8-11 NE-10) returns to action on Saturday when it travels to Smithfield, R.I., to face Bryant College at 3:30 p.m. Merrimack (15-8, 10-8 NE-10) hosts Pace University Saturday at 3 p.m.