Merrimack clinches a share of NEC regular-season crown in win over FDU

The Warriors can clinch the outright regular-season title, and the No. 1 seed in the NEC Tournament with a win on Saturday against Sacred Heart

Merrimack clinched at least a share of the Northeast Conference regular-season championship after Thursday's 74-55 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.

The Warriors will still lead Central Connecticut by one game in the standings. The NEC regular season wraps up on Saturday. Merrimack will play at Sacred Heart, and CCSU will host Stonehill.

Merrimack will clinch the outright regular-season title and a No. 1 seed in the NEC Tournament with a win on Saturday. The Warriors will also clinch the No. 1 seed with a loss, as long as Central Connecticut loses to Stonehill.

If Merrimack (13-2) and Central Connecticut (12-3) finish in a first-place tie, the Blue Devils would win the tie-breaker by having a better record against the third-place team (Sacred Heart). For there to be a tie, the Warriors would have to lose on Saturday, which would put them 1-1 against the Pioneers, and it would lock up the No. 3 seed for Sacred Heart. CCSU is 2-0 against the Pioneers this season.

The first tie-breaker is head-to-head, and Merrimack and CCSU split the regular-season series. The next tie-breaker is record against individual opponents, starting with the No. 1 team and running through the standings until a difference is found. For a first-place tie, the first tie-breaker would be record against the third-place team (Sacred Heart).

It was no surprise who led the Warriors in Thursday's win. Jordan Derkack scored 23 points, and Budd Clark added 21 points. Clark was 10 for 17 from the field and had four steals.

The win clinched a share of the NEC regular-season title for a second straight year and the third time in the five seasons since Merrimack joined the conference in 2019.

Merrimack and Sacred Heart (9-6) tip off at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Central Connecticut will host last-place Stonehill (2-13) at 1 p.m

.