Women’s Basketball Drops 72-57 Decision to Merrimack

Tuesday, November 26

Providence, R.I.

7:00 PM

Brown University

3-4

Merrimack

4-3

Merrimack

Brown

Women’s Basketball Drops 72-57 Decision to Merrimack

11/26/2019 9:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Sophomore forward Ashley Ducharme scored a career-high 10 points, but Brown University women's basketball fell to Merrimack College, 72-57, on Tuesday night at the Pizzitola Sports Center.

The Bears (3-4) and Warriors (4-3) remained tied at 42-42 with 3:34 to go in the third quarter before the visitors outscored the hosts, 23-6, over the next 8:31 to pull ahead 65-48 with 5:03 to play in the fourth quarter.

"Give credit to Merrimack – they made a lot of plays and shot it well from the 3-point line," Brown head coach Sarah Behn said. "We need to execute better on both ends of the floor, but it's early in the season for a young team. We'll learn from this and make adjustments for Holy Cross on Sunday."

After missing her freshman season due to injury, Ducharme (Milton, Mass.) scored in double figures for the first time in her collegiate career, netting her 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting.

Senior guard Justine Gaziano (Natick, Mass.) posted nine points and two blocks, while making 5-of-5 free throws. Junior guard McKenna Dale (Storrs, Conn.) notched seven points, six rebounds, and two blocks, and junior guard Dominique Leonidas (Stone Mountain, Ga.) tallied seven points and three assists.

Sophomore guard Maddie Mullin (Wellesley, Mass.) chipped in five points, four boards, and three assists, freshman guard Lexi Love (Oakland, Calif.) tacked on for points, four boards, and three assists, and senior center Haley Green (Salem, Va.) added four points and six rebounds.

For Merrimack, Kate Mager scored a game-high 21 points, while making 4-of-5 3-pointers, Jayme DeCesare netted 16 points, and Denia Davis-Stewart totaled a double-double on 15 points and 14 rebounds alongside six blocks.

For the game, the Warriors hit 9-of-18 triples (50.0 percent) while Brown shot 3-of-18 (16.7 percent) from 3-point distance. For the Bears, 11 different student-athletes scored, and 10 different players grabbed rebounds.

The Bears took an early 9-3 lead as Mullin connected on a 3-pointer, and Green, Dale, and Leonidas all hit jump shots. Brown moved ahead 16-7 with a 6-0 run behind a pair of jumpers from Ducharme and a floater from freshman forward Fiona Finn (West Roxbury, Mass.). The hosts remained ahead 16-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Baskets from Leonidas, Gaziano, and Dale pushed Brown ahead 22-16 with 6:53 to go in the second quarter before Merrimack tied the score at 22-22. After the Warriors took a 29-26 lead with 3:32 left in the half, Finn converted a fast break layup and Dale knocked down a 3-pointer inside of the final minute, giving the Bears a 31-29 edge at the break.

In the first half, all 13 active Brown student-athletes appeared in the contest with eight players scoring. The Bears led 14-6 in points off turnovers, forcing the Warriors into 13 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

Baskets from Love and Ducharme and free throws from Gaziano and freshman forward Dani Short (Aliquippa, Pa.) kept the Bears and Warriors tied at 42-42 with 3:34 to go in the third quarter. Merrimack then used an 11-0 run to pull ahead 53-42 before jumpers from Ducharme and freshman guard Sydney Rosant (Foster City, Ga.) brought Brown within 53-46 heading to the fourth quarter.

The Warriors netted the first seven points of the fourth frame and used a 12-2 run to start the quarter to pull ahead 65-48 with 5:03 to play. Inside the final four minutes, Leonidas made a 3-pointer, and Green, Love, and Ducharme all scored baskets, but the Bears could pull no closer than 13 points.

Next, Brown hosts Holy Cross on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+, NESN, WPRV-AM 790).

Video of all Brown women's basketball home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

Tickets for all Brown women's basketball games can be purchased online, by calling the Brown Athletics Ticket Office at (401) 863-2773, or by walking up to the box office located in the Pizzitola Sports Center, open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.