Merrimack Runs Past Men's Basketball, 105-67


Moreton scored 19 of his career-high 22 points in the second half tonight. (PHOTO BY SportsPix)

Moreton and Twitty combine for 42 to lead Skyhawks

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (November 29, 2017) – Merrimack College, ranked tenth in this week's D2SIDA East Region media poll, shot a shade under 60-perent in both halves to fire its way to a 105-67 victory over Stonehill College in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action on Bert Hammel Court at the Volpe Athletic Complex tonight.

Junior Ryan Boulter (Mansfield, Massachusetts/Mansfield) led the way for Merrimack with a game-high 34 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including 8-for-11 from three-point range, to go with seven rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Jaleel Lord (Jersey City, New Jersey/Saint Anthony's) added 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, draining 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, with nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, while classmate Idris Joyner (Plainfield, New Jersey/Saint Anthony's) contributed 11 points and six boards. Sophomore Juvaris Hayes (Paterson, New Jersey/Saint Anthony's) dished out 11 assists for the Warriors, while freshman Khalief Crawford (Linden, New Jersey/Linden) chipped in ten points.

Sophomores Will Moreton (Minneapolis, Minnesota/Edina) and Brandon Twitty (Randolph, Massachusetts/Catholic Memorial) combined for 42 of Stonehill's 67 points, shooting a combined 15-for-27 from the field (55.6-percent), including 8-for-14 (57.1%) from three-point distance, compared to 31.3-percent shooting (10-32) for the rest of the team, including 5-for-17 (29.4%) from beyond the arc. Moreton scored 19 of his team and career-high 22 points in the second half, while adding seven rebounds and two steals, while Twitty had 13 of his career-best 20 points in the first half, finishing 7-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-5 from deep.


Twitty tallied a career-best 20 points, including 13 in the first half. (PHOTO BY SportsPix)

Freshman Owen Chose (Eden Prairie, Minnesota/Eden Prairie) made 3-of-7 three-pointers for nine points in his Stonehill debut, while senior KJ Lee (Huntington Station, New York/Long Island Lutheran) dished out seven assists.

Merrimack jumped out to a 14-point lead less than six minutes into the game (20-6), with five different players contributing points during the opening stretch. The Warriors lead reached 19 (28-9), keyed by back to back Boulter threes, before cresting at 32 (49-17) with five minutes left in the first half after a run of three-straight triples, including two by Lord.

Merrimack carried a 29-point (57-28) lead into the second half, and while Stonehill scored the first 12 points of the second half, including eight by Moreton, who drilled a pair of threes, to draw within 17 (57-40) after three and a half minutes, the Skyhawks would get no closer. Stonehill was still within 17 (64-47) after a layup from senior Ryan Roach (Weymouth, Massachusetts/Cardinal Spellman) with 14:20 still to play, but Merrimack scored 15-straight to regain a 30-point margin (79-47) midway through the half to end the comeback hopes.

Stonehill (2-5, 1-3 NE10) is back in action on Saturday, when it hosts Franklin Pierce University for an NE10 matchup at Merkert Gymnasium at 3:30 p.m. Merrimack (5-3, 2-1 NE10) hosts Saint Anselm College on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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