New Haven at Merrimack
Saturday, Jan. 31 - 3:00 p.m.
North Andover, Mass. - Volpe Center
Game Coverage: Video | Live Stats
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Tip
The University of New Haven men's basketball wraps up Northeast-10 Conference cross-division play Saturday at Merrimack. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
Last Time Out
Jonny Ocasio (Queens, N.Y./Charlotte (Fla.)/Hillsborough Community College) scored 18 points to lead three New Haven players in double figures, but the Chargers were upended by the Southern New Hampshire Penmen 77-55 in a Northeast-10 Conference matchup on Thursday evening at Charger Gymnasium.
Ocasio scored his 18 points by hitting 7-of-10 shots from the field including a 3-for-4 performance from beyond the arc. Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) recorded his 12th double-double of the season behind 11 points and 13 rebounds. Jemal Mosley (Spring Valley, N.Y./Don Bosco Prep/Putnam Science Academy) added 10 points for the Chargers.
The first half was a tight contest that saw neither team hold more than a seven point lead. An Ocasio layup with just more than three minutes to go in the stanza tied the game at 29-29 before Southern New Hampshire took a 38-34 lead into halftime.
Early in the second half, the game looked like it would remain tight. New Haven took a one point lead at 44-43 on a trey by Levy Gillespie (Meriden, Conn./Capital Preparatory Magnet) four minutes into the frame. After a quick Penmen run, the Chargers brought the game back to a single point at 48-47 on a layup by Anderson with 12:46 remaining. From there, Southern New Hampshire used a 22-4 run to pull away
Scouting Report
Merrimack comes into Saturday with a record of 10-7 overall and is 5-7 in the NE-10. After starting 0-6 in conference play, the Warriors have won five of their last six league games, most recently dispatching Adelphi 74-72 on Jan. 24. Merrimack's only loss in 2015 was a 94-92 setback against Southwest Division leading American International.
Five players, all juniors, average double figures for the Warriors, topped by Gelvis Solano who leads the NE-10 and is fifth in the East Region at 23.2 points per game. Troy Hammel scores 17.3 per night while Anthony Berry, James Kennedy and JT Strickland tally 11.2, 10.8 and 10.5 a contest respectively.
In his 35th season at the helm of the Warriors, Bert Hammel is the longest tenured coach in the NE-10 and second longest in the East Region (Herb Magee, Philadelphia - 48 years). During that time, he has compiled a record of 505-474, taking his team to the NCAA Tournament five times.
All-Time Series
Saturday is the 31st meeting between New Haven and Merrimack in a series dating to the 1969-70 season. The Warriors hold a 20-11 all-time advantage, but the Chargers have won three games in a row. Ted Hotaling is 3-2 in his career against Merrimack.
Freshman Impact
Freshman Tommy Hunt and Levy Gillespie have made significant contributions for New Haven in their first seasons with the program. Both are averaging more than 22 minutes a game and are scoring a combined 10.5 points per game. The pair of three-point sharpshooters are hitting on 34.2 percent from beyond the arc. The 6.1 points per game that Hunt nets per night is the most for the New Haven freshman since Eric Anderson scored 9.3 per game in 2011-12. The last Charger to average double-figure scoring as a freshman was Justin Exum at 14.7 a game in 2010-11.
A First Time for Everything
Senior Jonny Ocasio performed well in his first career start on Thursday, scoring 18 points on the strength of a 7-for-10 performance from the field that included a 3-for-4 effort from beyond the arc. In his last nine games, Ocasio has provided a solid scoring punch for New Haven, tallying 14.0 points per night.
Double Your Fun
With his 11-point, 13-rebound performance Thursday night, Eric Anderson recorded his 12 double-double of the season and the 52nd of his career. That total ranks him second among active players in Division II behind Garret Kerr from University of the Sciences. Anderson is third among active student-athletes at all levels in double-doubles.
Up Next
New Haven returns to divisional play, traveling to crosstown rival Southern Connecticut State University on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
