Warriors struggle from distance in loss at Tarleton State
Tarleton State 76, Merrimack 62
Ernest Shelton poured in 20 points for the second straight game, but it wasn’t enough for the Warriors to close the gap against Tarleton State on Tuesday night, falling 76–62 to the Texans.
Shelton shot 33 percent (3-for-9) from beyond the arc, but the Warriors again struggled as a team from distance. Merrimack hit just 17.9 percent from three-point range (5-for-28), and outside of Shelton, the rest of the roster combined to go 2-for-19 (10.5 percent).
Kevair Kennedy was the only other Warrior in double figures, finishing with 12 points—eight of which came from the free-throw line (8-for-10).
The Warriors had their own script flipped in this one. Tarleton State forced 10 steals and turned Merrimack over 21 times, a key flip as the Warriors normally win the turnover battle.
Chris Mpaka led the Texans with 24 points, while Freddy Hicks added 18.
Shelton and Tye Dorset each logged 36 minutes for Merrimack, with Kennedy playing 28. Dorset recorded three steals, and Kennedy added two more.
The Warriors are off until Saturday, when they travel to Boston University. The Terriers are 1–1 with a win over Northeastern and a loss last Friday at Northwestern. BU will face Brown on Wednesday before hosting Merrimack this weekend
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