Merrimack College’s women’s basketball team is preparing to face Fairfield in the MAAC semifinals, with head coach Kelly Morrone expressing respect for their opponent but emphasizing her team’s determination.
“I respect that success a great deal,” Morrone said about Fairfield, who entered the postseason ranked No. 25 nationally. “But you can’t be intimidated by anything if you want it. We’re just going to play really, really hard and we’re not going to back down to anybody.”
The Warriors, seeded third with a record of 20-11 overall and 15-5 in conference play, reached the semifinals after defeating Mount St. Mary’s in the quarterfinals. Fairfield advanced after beating Sacred Heart.
Morrone said her players are motivated for the challenge ahead. “They’re so hyped for this,” she said. “I mean, it’s March. You get confidence in your overall body of work in the regular season. I don’t think I need to motivate them at all,” she added. “I think we have our mindset right, and we’re going to be ready to go.”
In their playoff opener against Mount St Mary’s, Merrimack won 62-48 with Madison Roman leading the team by recording a double-double of 22 points and 18 rebounds. Molly Manion contributed efficiently from three-point range, scoring 17 points on perfect shooting from beyond the arc.
The Warriors have won eight of their last nine games and have limited opponents to under 60 points in six of those contests.
Several Merrimack players received recognition for their performances this season. Kelly Morrone was named MAAC Coach of the Year; Paloma Garcia earned Defensive Player of the Year honors; Oralye Kiefer was selected for the All-Defensive Team; and Lydia Melashanko was chosen as a Third Team All-MAAC selection.
Madison Roman was named First Team All-MAAC after leading the conference in rebounds and ranking twelfth nationally in double-doubles during regular-season play.
Paloma Garcia continued her defensive contributions with four steals against Mount St. Mary’s and set a program record earlier this season with nine steals in one game against Canisius.
Molly Manion has also played well recently, scoring 14 points against Niagara before her performance against Mount St. Mary’s and making five out of six three-point attempts over her last two games.
