FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 27, 2015
Merrimack's Gelvis Solano, pictured, scored 34 points as the fifth-seeded Warriors knocked off fourth-seeded New Haven during the opening night of the 2015 Northeast-10 Conference Men's Basketball Championship.
The four seed in the Northeast Division Saint Michael's defeated the five seed from the Southwest Division in the other First Round matchup.
#5 NE Merrimack 79, #4 SW New Haven 63 | BOXSCORE
WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Merrimack shot 50 percent in the first half while holding New Haven to just 18 points and the Warriors never looked back as the Warriors held on for the 79-63 victory in the First Round of the Northeast-10 Championship. Merrimack secured the program's first postseason win since the 2009-10 campaign, snapping a three-game postseason losing streak.
NE-10 First Team selection Gelvis Solano led all scoreres with 34 points, as he knocked down seven three-pointers in the win.
The Warriors will continue on in the NE-10 Championship to take on Southern New Hampshire on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in the quarterfinal round. Merrimack defeated the Penmen twice in the regular season, the only team in the Northeast Division to accomplish that feat.
#4 NE Saint Michael's 68, #5 SW Saint Rose 65 | BOXSCORE
COLCHESTER, Vt. - A 10-0 run in the final seven minutes gave Saint Michael's the lead for good on Friday as it held off Saint Rose, 68-65, during a Northeast-10 Conference Championship First Round game in Ross Sports Center.
The Purple Knights, who are the fourth seed from the Northeast Division, improved to 17-10, while the Golden Knights ended the season 9-19. Saint Michael's heads to Southwest No. 1 Southern Connecticut State University, the 23rd-ranked team in Division II, on Sunday for a quarterfinal at 3 p.m. The Purple Knights won the regular-season series with the Owls, 2-0.
Seniors James Cambronne and Mike Holton Jr. scored 16 points apiece for Saint Michael's, which is ranked ninth in the latest NCAA East Region poll, while classmate Corey Crawford II totaled 14 points and seven rebounds. Cambronne netted all 16 of his points while shooting 7-of-9 in the second half, and Holton added four steals.
Sophomore Matt Bonds notched 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting with six rebounds off the bench, senior Mike Thompson had eight rebounds, and classmate Dom Ditlefsen dished out four assists.
Saint Rose was led by Chris Dorgler and Jamaal Greenwood, who each had 15 in the loss.
Additional reporting for this release provided by the Merrimack and Saint Michael's athletics communications staffs
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
– #NE10 –
