MOUNT ST. MARY'S vs. MERRIMACK
Sunday, February 23 | Noon
Emmitsburg, Md. | Knott Arena

NEC FRONT ROW | LIVE STATS | GAME NOTES         

EMMITSBURG, Md. (Feb. 22, 2020) – Looking to match their longest win streak in six years and secure two possible home games in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship, Mount St. Mary's welcomes a worthy challenger in the Merrimack College Warriors to Knott Arena Sunday. 

THE MATCHUP 

This is the second contest with the Warriors, newcomers to the NEC this year. Merrimack is responsible for one of the two defeats in conference for the Mount, when they prevailed 76-55 back on January 13th at their home in North Andover. The Mountaineers shot 77 times - by far a season high - but managed just 26 percent from the floor. Aryna Taylor led the visitors with 13 points, while Merrimack received 14 points from three different players, including Denia Davis-Stewart, who added 13 boards for a double-double.  

MOUNTAINEER REPORT  

A victory for the Mount Sunday would equal the win streak by the 2013-14 team towards the conclusion of their season at eight games. 

The most satisfying accomplishment in the streak was also the most recent, as the Mountaineers took down the defending NEC champion Robert Morris 62-59 on the road last Friday. The Colonials were undefeated coming into the contest. Kayla Agentowicz led the charge with a season-high 20 points, which encompassed a career-high eight makes from the charity stripe. The redshirt junior added a season best four steals. 

The win also keeps Mount in the running for an NEC regular season title - the squad's first since the 2000-01 season. A sweep of the regular season's four remaining contests would guarantee the regular season title, a No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the tournament. Meanwhile, the Mount needs just one more victory to clinch the No. 2 spot, which would mean a quarterfinal home game and a semifinal should they advance. 

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS

Merrimack has been surprising teams across athletics in their first NEC season, and the women's basketball team is no exception. Davis-Stewart is under consideration for the most dominant player in the league this year, averaging a double-double of 18.2 points and 13.5 rebounds. She is bolstered on the outside by guard Kate Mager, who sinks 45 percent of her shots from three-point range. 

The Warriors match the Mountaineers in points scored at 67.4, but the New Englanders are stingier on defense with 58.5 allowed. Mount is slightly better in the shooting percentage column and the sides are even on rebound margin and assists. Thanks in large part to Davis-Stewart and her 107 blocks this year, the Warriors almost double the Mount in blocks averaged, with 6.2 compared to 3.3.  

LOOKING AHEAD

Mount heads to Saint Francis U for its last regular season road game of the year Saturday (Feb. 29). The team will conclude its prepared schedule with Robert Morris and Fairleigh Dickinson at home the first week of March.