Delaruelle Scores Team-High 14 Points in 70-64 OT Loss to Merrimack

Wednesday, December 22

Durham, NH

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

3-7,0-0America East

Merrimack

4-6,0-0NEC

Team	1	2	3	4	OT 1	F
Merrimack	22	10	16	10	12	70
New Hampshire	11	9	22	16	6	64

Photo by: Andrew Yourell

Delaruelle Scores Team-High 14 Points in 70-64 OT Loss to Merrimack

12/22/2021 5:50:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

DURHAM, N.H. – Junior Héléna Delaruelle (Enghien-les-Bains, France) recorded 14 points and nine rebounds, but the University of New Hampshire women's basketball team was edged 70-64 in overtime by Merrimack College at Lundholm Gym on Wednesday afternoon.

Freshman Talia Davis (Dedham, Mass.) finished career highs in both points (12) and rebounds (six), while grad student Amanda Torres (Hudson, N.H.) tallied 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Merrimack was led by Mayson Kimball and Paige McCormick with 17 points apiece, while Tenesia Brown recorded a double-double of 11 points and 13 rebounds. Jayme DeCesare had six points, nine rebounds and five assists.

UNH is now 3-7 overall and Merrimack moves to 4-6.

PHOTO GALLERY

The Warriors scored the first points of the game on a 3-pointer by Kate Mager (10 points) and remained in front until senior Ivy Gogolin (Hopkinton, Mass.) made a driving layup to tie the score at 52 with 5:45 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Merrimack led 22-11 at the end of the first quarter on the strength of a .563 field goal percentage (9 of 16) and extended the margin to 15 points, 30-15, on McCormick's jumper at 5:22 of the second quarter.

Back-to-back baskets by Davis and Torres was followed by one made free throw from sophomore Adara Groman (Hopkinton, Mass.) to lift UNH within 10 points, 30-20, with 34 seconds remaining in the first half.

McCormick's field goal pushed the margin to 32-20 heading into halftime.

The Wildcats closed within single digits, 34-26, on Gogolin's putback at 7:26 of the third quarter.

DeCesare's 3-pointer extended the lead to 14 points, 46-32, at 3:40, but UNH responded with a 7-0 run – fueled by a pair of Delaruelle 3-pointers – to trim the deficit to 46-39 at 2:05.

MC called a timeout and Kimball's jump shot ended the run, but Delaruelle's third 3-pointer within two minutes made it 48-42 at the end of three quarters.

Senior Sophia Widmeyer (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia) made one foul shot, then drove the lane for a layup that lifted New Hampshire within 48-45 at 8:41.

UNH inched within two points, 52-50, on a steal and fastbreak layup by freshman Kenzie Matulonis (Raynham, Mass.) at 6:34. Gogolin forged the first tie of the game less than a minute later, and sophomore Bella Stuart (Clifton Park, N.Y.) hit a foul-line jumper to give the 'Cats their first – and only – lead of the game, 54-53, at 3:56.

Kimball answered with her third 3-pointer of the afternoon to put the Warriors back in front, 56-64, at 3:16, and McCormick's fastbreak basket pushed the margin to 58-54 with 1:43 remaining.

Widmeyer was fouled on a 3-point attempt and made two free throws to make it a one possession game, 58-56, with 1:01 on the clock.

The teams exchanged a pair of turnovers before DeCesare was sent to the foul line with 17 seconds to play, but she missed both attempts to keep the differential at two points.

Following a UNH timeout, Delaruelle drove down the left wing, found Torres underneath the basket on the other side of the lane, and Torres' layup tied the score at 58 in the closing seconds to send the game into overtime.

Brown made a pair of free throws at 3:26 to give Merrimack the first points of the five-minute extra session. She then put back her own miss to give the Warriors a 62-58 lead midway through OT.

Delarulle's free throws pulled the Wildcats within 63-61 at 1:57. A steal by Widmeyer gave UNH a chance to tie, but the 'Cats lost possession. DeCesare made one foul shot at 1:33 and then Kimball connected from beyond the 3-point arc to push the advantage to six points, 67-61, with 46 seconds on the clock.

A series of three free throws gave Merrimack a 70-61 lead with 21 seconds remaining. Torres' 3-pointer trimmed the deficit to 70-64 with 14 seconds to play. MC called time out but lost possession on a held ball, but then UNH did not attempt a shot in the closing nine seconds.

The Warriors made just 2 of 6 field goal attempts in OT, but maintained its early lead by going 7-for-10 at the foul line. In comparison, UNH was 1-for-5 from the floor and 3 of 4 at the free throw line in overtime.

New Hampshire returns to action Thursday, Dec. 30 for the America East conference opener against UMass Lowell. Game time at Lundholm Gym is 6 p.m.