LE MOYNE (10-13, 5-4) vs. Merrimack College (14-10, 8-2)
Saturday, Feb. 10 - 3:00 p.m.
Hammel Court - North Andover, Mass.
Video: ESPN+
Radio: FOX Sports 92.5 FM/1490 AM
 
Syracuse, N.Y. – The Le Moyne men's basketball team ends its long road-trip against a red-hot Merrimack College squad on Saturday afternoon. Merrimack won the first meeting between the two in a close 66-62 matchup in Syracuse on January 13.
 
The Warriors are on a roll in the NEC. Merrimack won its first three conference games before dropping two straight to Central Connecticut State and Wagner. Since then, the Warriors have rattled off five consecutive victories. Their last two wins have been close ones, downing CCSU by three and beating Long Island on Thursday in overtime. Merrimack's 82-79 win over LIU was its first time eclipsing 80 points since January 6. The Warriors are currently tied atop the NEC with CCSU, posting an 8-2 record.
 
Merrimack's current five-game winning streak is its longest of the season. Opponents are averaging just under 59 points during the stretch. The Warriors are ranked 195th in the NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings, the highest of any NEC team. Merrimack is 8-1 at home in 2023-24, with its lone loss coming against Wagner in mid-January.
 
The Warriors are coached by Joe Gallo, who is in his eighth campaign at the helm. This season marks Merrimack's fifth at the Division I level. The Warriors won the NEC Tournament last year but were ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. Merrimack has never posted a losing record in NEC play. Merrimack holds a 19-18 advantage in the all-time series with Le Moyne, while Gallo is 4-3 against the Dolphins, including 1-1 in North Andover.
 
Northeast Conference top scorer Jordan Derkack leads Merrimack with 18 points per game. The guard has dominated the NEC, scoring 15+ in all but two matchups. Derkack is coming off his best game of the season against LIU where he dropped 34 points and went 17-25 from the free throw line. The sophomore shoots over 70% from the stripe and nearly 51% from the field. He also leads the Warriors averaging 6.2 rebounds and is second in assists. Derkack is a defensive threat as well, averaging over two steals per contest.
 
Behind Derkack, Adam "Budd" Clark and Devon Savage are effective options for Merrimack. Clark, a freshman guard, has scored 25+ in two of his last three games. He leads the Warriors in assists and steals and averages 11.9 points. Savage, a junior guard, puts up nearly 11 points per contest. Savage has hit a three-pointer in every game this season.
 
The Warriors have struggled shooting from beyond the arc in 2023-24, sitting last in the NEC at 29.4%. Merrimack is strong at limiting opponents, though, holding teams to just 32% on three-pointers.
 
Le Moyne enters Saturday's contest on the back of a massive 88-57 win over Stonehill College. The Dolphins dropped 80+ points for the fourth time in their last five games. The victory lifts Le Moyne to a positive record in the NEC.
 
Four different players scored in double figures for the Dolphins against Stonehill. Guard Kaiyem Cleary led the way, dropping 16 points and hitting three three-pointers in the win. It marked the 13th consecutive contest that the graduate student scored 10+. Cleary added five rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes of court time. On the season, he leads Le Moyne averaging 16.2 points and 5.7 rebounds.
 
Darrick Jones Jr. and Nate McClure both impressed on Thursday as well. Each player had 15 points in under 30 minutes. Jones Jr., a senior guard, hit three three-pointers, grabbed six rebounds, and had three steals. McClure, a graduate guard, knocked down four three-pointers and also recorded three steals.
 
Forward Luke Sutherland also was effective, scoring 13 points and corralling four rebounds. The graduate student hit three shots from beyond the arc, bringing his season clip to nearly 40%. Sutherland is second on the team in 2023-24 averaging 14.7 points.
 
Le Moyne returns home after its bout with Merrimack. The Dolphins face Central Connecticut State on Thursday before hosting Stonehill on Saturday, February 17.