#7 MEN'S BASKETBALL ADVANCE IN NCAA EAST REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AFTER UPSETTING #2 MERRIMACK COLLEGE

Manchester, N.H. (3/16/19) The seventh-seeded Dominican College men's basketball team upset the second-seeded Warriors of Merrimack College, 64-50, this afternoon to advance to the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA East Regional Tournament, hosted by the top seed, St. Anselm College.

Photo courtesy of Jim Stankiewicz
Photo courtesy of Jim Stankiewicz

Team Stats

March 16, 2019

Manchester, N.H. (3/16/19) The seventh-seeded Dominican College men's basketball team upset the second-seeded Warriors of Merrimack College, 64-50, this afternoon to advance to the semifinals of the 2019 NCAA East Regional Tournament, hosted by the top seed, St. Anselm College.

With the win, Dominican (24-7) will square off against #6 St. Thomas Aquinas College tomorrow evening at 5pm in Stoutenburgh Gymansium.

Junior guard Jonathan Garcia (Springfield, Mass.) had a stellar day after posting the game's only double-double of a career high and game best 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Ian Gardener (Norwalk, Conn.) contributed 13 points and seven caroms, while sophomore Donnell Hill (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored a career high 11 points and five boards.

Junior Daniel Grant (Middletown, N.Y.) had seven points, five rebounds, three steals and three assists, while Daraja Rodwell (Baldwin, N.Y.) also had five rebounds and three assists.  Tavon Ginyard (Brentwood, N.Y.) grabbed nine rebounds (all on the defensive end).

The Warriors held a 23-13 lead with 6:14 left in the first half when a 7-0 spurt by the Chargers cut the deficit to 23-20 with a little over four minutes left in the half.  Gardener connected on a layup as time expired to once again bring DC within three, 26-23 at the intermission.

The Charger offense dominated the first nine minutes of the second half, outscoring their opponents, 20-2 to turn the tide and put them ahead 43-28.  They would lead by as many as 18 points (51-33) as Garcia hit both free throws with 7:22 left in regulation.

Dominican netted 42 scond half points to Merrimack's 24 in the second frame and out rebounded their counterparts, 49-32 for the game.

Saturday, March 16 - Quarterfinals
Game 1: #6 Saint Thomas Aquinas 61, #3 Le Moyne 59
Game 2: #7 Dominican 64, #2 Merrimack 50
Game 3: #1 Saint Anselm 81, #8 Molloy 71
Game 4: #4 New Haven 72, #5 Daemen 67

Sunday, March 17 - Semifinals
Game 5: St. Thomas Aquinas vs. Dominican - 5 p.m. (LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS)
Game 6: St. Anselm vs. New Haven - 7:30 p.m. (LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS)

Tuesday, March 19 - Championship
Game 7: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 - 7 p.m. (LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS)

The aim of Dominican University New York is to promote educational excellence, leadership, and service in an environment characterized by respect for the individual and concern for the community and its needs. Founded by the Dominican Sisters of Blauvelt, the university is an independent institution of higher learning, Catholic in origin and heritage. In the Dominican tradition, it fosters the active, shared pursuit of truth and embodies an ideal of education rooted in the values of reflective understanding and compassionate involvement.  Committed to building its programs upon a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, the university maintains a student-centered climate and serves a diverse community of students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university empowers this community of learners to excel, lead and serve with integrity and to engage responsibly in the pursuit of a more just, ethical and sustainable world.  Dominican also sponsors 17 varsity intercollegiate sports that compete at the NCAA Division II level.  To learn more about Dominican University New York, please visit www.duny.edu.