The Merrimack men’s basketball team will end its regular season with a game against Niagara on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Warriors, holding a 20-10 overall record and 16-3 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), have already secured the conference’s regular-season championship.
Last week, Merrimack clinched the MAAC Regular Season Championship after defeating Iona in double overtime. This win ensured that the Warriors will be the top seed in next week’s MAAC Championship and have beaten every team in the conference this season. “Joe Gallo and the Warriors have won 4 conference regular season championships in 7 years in Division I and Gallo’s 4th 20-win season in 10 years as a head coach,” according to the team’s statement.
Since joining the MAAC last season, Merrimack has compiled a league-best 30-9 record over two seasons, outperforming Quinnipiac (26-13) and Marist (26-14). In their last 40 MAAC games, they have been first place entering a contest on 34 occasions.
Freshman Kevair Kennedy is leading both his team and the league in scoring with an average of 18.5 points per game overall and 20.9 points per game during conference play. He has also earned recognition as MAAC Rookie of the Week six times and swept both Player and Rookie of the Week honors for two consecutive weeks. Kennedy has scored at least ten points in all but one collegiate game—including a streak of 28 straight—and is among league leaders in assists (4th, with 4.1 per game) and steals (4th, with two per game).
Ernest Shelton, who played high school basketball alongside Kennedy at Father Judge High School in Philadelphia, ranks second on Merrimack’s roster with an average of 15.9 points per game—6th highest in the MAAC. Shelton transferred from Gannon University, has made at least one three-pointer every game this season, including thirteen over his past five appearances.
Merrimack had an eight-game winning streak ended by Canisius on Friday but has still managed to win ten out of its last twelve contests and is now 18-4 over its previous twenty-two games.
At home, Merrimack finished undefeated for only the second time since going unbeaten during home games in the 1990-91 season.
The Warriors are undefeated this year when scoring seventy or more points and currently lead their conference in turnover margin (+3.03), while ranking second for steals (8.20 per game). Their zone defense has held opponents under sixty-six points during regulation play sixteen times over their last twenty-one games.
Tye Dorset has contributed offensively by scoring across three straight games—five out of his last six—and making seven three-pointers over his past three appearances.
