By: Akin Taylor | November 22, 2021
After a rough first half of play, the Great Danes battled throughout, including a 17-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter, but it was not enough against the Merrimack Warriors Tuesday night falling to 1-1 on the season.
The Great Danes struggled from the field in the first half. They shot 31% from the field and failed to make a single shot from three-point range. They also had trouble getting to the free throw line. UAlbany only visited the line 4 times the entire night, going 2-4 from the stripe.
Down 53-35 in the second half, the Great Danes came roaring back in the final period. After the Warriors made the first basket of the quarter, UAlbany went on a 17-0 scoring run, lasting seven minutes, to bring the game to a one-possession score, 55-52.
UAlbany guards Ellen Hahne and Morgan Haney lead the charge for the 17-0 run, scoring 18 of the team's 31 points in the fourth. Merrimack would respond with a 10-0 run of their own to hold off UAlbany for the final two minutes to take the win, 65-52.
Coach Mullen was proud of the team’s resilience despite the loss. “Although it is not the outcome we wanted, I am really proud of how this team fought and competed down the stretch, '' said Mullen. “Credit to Merrimack, they played tough and hit big shots tonight. Fortunately, we have time to learn and improve from this game before taking on Cornell next week.”
Next up for the Great Danes, they will continue on the road at Cornell. They’ll look to get back in the win column as they take on the Bears on Wednesday.