NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Junior center Amiya Rankins (Somerset, N.J.) and sophomore guard Cameron Corbett (Staten Island, N.Y.) both set career highs on Saturday evening in the Concordia College (N.Y.) women's basketball team's contest against Merrimack College, a 93-62 setback to the host Warriors.
NOTES
• Concordia falls to 0-2.
• Merrimack improves to 2-0.
STANDOUT PERFORMERS
• Rankins (Somerset, N.J.) scored a career-high 24 points with seven rebounds and two blocks.
• Corbett pulled down a personal-best nine rebounds while matching her career-high with five assists.
• Junior guard Nicole Nicholson (Staten Island, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Saundra Cleckley (Queens, N.Y.) both tallied two assists.
• For Merrimack, Alysa Casey scored 31 points with 13 rebounds while Karlee Alves recorded 13 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• After a scoreless minute to open the contest, Rankins got the Clippers on the scoreboard with a jump shot. A pair of free throws and another jumper from Rankins extended the separation to 6-0 with 7:40 remaining in the quarter, but a pair of three pointers for the hosts sandwiching a Rankins' basket quickly cut the separation to two at 8-6 with 6:58 left in the quarter. Merrimack took its first lead of the contest at 10-8 with 6:18 remaining after a pair of free throws and layup before back back-to-back jumpers from Rankins and Nicholson flipped the two-point advantage in Concordia's favor at 12-10 with 5:17 remaining. The Warriors reclaimed the lead with a 7-0 run to make it 17-12 with 3:28 left in the quarter and held the Clippers to just two baskets for the remainder of the frame while adding nine points to their total to hold a double-digit advantage at 26-16 going into the second quarter.
• Following a Warriors' jump shot, Rankins and Clement connected on back-to-back baskets to cut the gap down to single digits at 28-20 with 7:57 left in the half. Merrimack extended the separation with seven-straight points before a Cortbett triple ended the run, only for back-to-back threes for the hosts creating a 41-23 lead with 4:06 left. Concordia used a 9-2 stretch with baskets from Cleckley, Corbett and Rankins to make it 45-32 with 1:27 left in the frame, but Merrimack ended the quarter on a 6-2 run to lead 51-34 at the half.
• Merrimack opened the second half with seven-straight points, with Concordia responded with a 6-0 run off points from freshman guard Sara Hopkins (Mountain Top, Pa.) and Clement to make it 58-40 with 6:28 remaining in the quarter. The Warriors continued adding to its lead before five-consecutive made free throws from Hopkins, Rankins and Corbett made it 64-49 with 1:41 remaining in the quarter. The Warriors ended the frame on a 9-4 run with Corbett and Rankins scoring for Concordia to make it 73-53.
• Nicholson scored the opening basket of the final quarter, but a 19-4 stretch for the Warriors with Corbett and Rankins scoring for Concordia made it 92-59 with 2:29 remaining. Sophomore forward Jordyn Hornbuckle (Hopkinsville, Ky.) connected on a free throw and layup while Merrimack added a made free throw to their total to create the final score.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Clippers converted on 25-66 shots, going 1-7 from three-point territory and 11-19 from the free throw line.
• Merrimack finished 34-78 from the field, 11-35 from distance and 15-21 from the free throw line.
• Concordia dished out 18 assists versus 23 for the hosts.
• Concordia committed 25 turnovers, resulting in 15 points for Merrimack. The Warriors committed 15 turnovers, leading to 15 points.
• Merrimack held a 48-44 advantage in rebounds
• Concordia' bench scored 12 points while Merrimack got 26 from its bench.
• Concordia recorded four steals with two blocks while Merrimack stole the ball 17 times with five blocks.
UP NEXT
The Clippers hosts Mercy College on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. in the home opener
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