Merrimack Warriors at Northwestern Wildcats
· NCAA Men's Basketball
71 - 61
Merrimack stuns Northwestern 71-61 behind Jensen, Hayes
Merrimack (1-1) trailed 55-50 with 9 1/2 minutes remaining before taking command with a 17-4 run to open a 67-59 advantage with just under a minute to go.
Merrimack lost 84-64 in its opener Wednesday at Maine.
Pete Nance had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead Northwestern in its season opener.
Northwestern scored just 26 points on 10-for-30 shooting in the second half.
NU's Miller Kopp scored the game's first eight points to get Northwestern off to a fast start, but Merrimack rallied for a 26-24 lead on a 3-pointer by Ziggy Reid with just over eight minutes left in the first half.
Jensen had 17 first-half points as Merrimack took a 36-35 halftime lead.
Northwestern was able to open a five-point lead on two occasions in the second half, but Merrimack kept rallying.
BIG PICTURE
Merrimack: The Warriors had a lot of success recently on the Division II level and showed they can compete on the Division I level in this one. They clearly were the more-poised team down the stretch.
Northwestern: Nearly three years removed from a 20-12 record and the school's first appearance in the NCAA tournament, the Wildcats are in the early stages of a massive rebuild and will be hard pressed to match last season's 13 wins.
UP NEXT
Merrimack plays Dartmouth on Nov. 15 at Lowell, Mass.
Northwestern hosts Providence on Wednesday as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games.
How can I watch Merrimack vs. Northwestern?
Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 71 - 61 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 71 - 61 |
| 2nd 0:07 | Devin Jensen Defensive Rebound. | 71 - 61 |
| 2nd 0:11 | Pat Spencer missed Jumper. | 71 - 61 |
| 2nd 0:16 | Juvaris Hayes made Free Throw. | 71 - 61 |
Statistics
 MRMK |
 NU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 22-49 | FG | 20-53 |
| 45 | Field Goal % | 38 |
| 9-29 | 3PT | 2-16 |
| 31 | Three Point % | 13 |
| 18-25 | FT | 19-24 |
| 72 | Free Throw % | 79 |
| 32 | Rebounds | 33 |
| 6 | Offensive Rebounds | 8 |
| 26 | Defensive Rebounds | 25 |
| 15 | Assists | 14 |
| 9 | Steals | 1 |
| 2 | Blocks | 2 |
| 11 | Turnovers | 13 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 11 | Total Turnovers | 13 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 19 | Points Off Turnovers | 9 |
| 12 | Fast Break Points | 9 |
| 24 | Points in Paint | 30 |
| 19 | Fouls | 19 |
| 10 | Largest Lead | 6 |
Game Information
Location: Evanston, IL
Attendance: 5,014 | Capacity:
2025-26 Metro Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack | 17-3 | - | 23-11 |
| Saint Peter's | 14-6 | 3 | 17-12 |
| Siena | 13-7 | 4 | 23-12 |
| Marist | 12-8 | 5 | 19-12 |
| Quinnipiac | 12-8 | 5 | 19-13 |
| Fairfield | 11-9 | 6 | 21-13 |
| Mount St. Mary's | 11-9 | 6 | 15-17 |
| Iona | 10-10 | 7 | 18-14 |
| Sacred Heart | 9-11 | 8 | 14-19 |
| Manhattan | 8-12 | 9 | 12-20 |
| Canisius | 5-15 | 12 | 10-21 |
| Niagara | 5-15 | 12 | 8-22 |
| Rider | 3-17 | 14 | 4-25 |
2025-26 Big Ten Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 19-1 | - | 37-3 |
| Nebraska | 15-5 | 4 | 28-7 |
| Michigan State | 15-5 | 4 | 27-8 |
| Illinois | 15-5 | 4 | 28-9 |
| Wisconsin | 14-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Purdue | 13-7 | 6 | 30-9 |
| UCLA | 13-7 | 6 | 24-12 |
| Ohio State | 12-8 | 7 | 21-13 |
| Iowa | 10-10 | 9 | 24-13 |
| Indiana | 9-11 | 10 | 18-14 |
| Minnesota | 8-12 | 11 | 15-18 |
| USC | 7-13 | 12 | 18-14 |
| Washington | 7-13 | 12 | 16-17 |
| Rutgers | 6-14 | 13 | 14-20 |
| Northwestern | 5-15 | 14 | 15-19 |
| Oregon | 5-15 | 14 | 12-20 |
| Maryland | 4-16 | 15 | 12-21 |
| Penn State | 3-17 | 16 | 12-20 |