Dartmouth Edges Merrimack in Comeback Fashion, 49-45

Sunday, December 10

North Andover, Mass. / Lawler Arena

1:00 PM

Dartmouth College

4-4,0-0Ivy League

Merrimack

3-8,0-0NEC

Dartmouth

Merrimack

Nina Minicozzi's team-high 15 points were key in the comeback win

Photo by: Kyle Relf

Dartmouth Edges Merrimack in Comeback Fashion, 49-45

12/10/2023 4:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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The Big Green trailed by 10 at halftime, but earned their second straight win with another dominant finish

By: Kyle Relf

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. — The Dartmouth women's basketball team trailed by 10 at halftime, but that didn't stop the Big Green from earning their second straight win, 49-45, at Merrimack on Sunday afternoon.

Dartmouth, now with back-to-back wins for the second time this season, evened its record at 4-4. Merrimack, which has played three straight Ivy League opponents and recently defeated Yale, dropped to 3-8.

The Big Green used a last-second 3-pointer to beat the Warriors a season ago, but no late-game heroics were needed on Sunday. The Dartmouth defense, which allows an Ivy League-best 52.4 points per game, surrendered only three points to Merrimack in the fourth quarter. The Big Green trailed by as many as 12 early in the third quarter, but trimmed the deficit to four by the start of the fourth. An and-one at the 2:54 mark of the fourth was all Merrimack could muster in the final 10 minutes.

Nina Minicozzi, whose career-high 19 points helped lead the Big Green to victory against Navy on Friday, scored a team-high 15. Clare Meyer grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds and Doreen Ariik narrowly missed her second consecutive double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Victoria Page provided 12 points and four assists. Merrimack was led by Jayme DeCesare's game-high 16 points and another 15 from Diamond Christian.

The Big Green had an 11-3 lead late in the first quarter, but saw their lead disappear after DeCesare scored eight points across three straight Warrior possessions to end the frame. The second quarter belonged to Merrimack, who went 5-of-9 from deep to eventually build a double-digit lead.

Merrimack matched its largest lead, 34-22, with a bucket on its first possession of the third quarter. Minicozzi began to heat up, draining a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession for her first of 13 second-half points. Seven straight Dartmouth points, including Ariik's and-one, had the Big Green within two (38-36) at the 2:14 mark of the third. Back-to-back Merrimack scores stretched the lead back to six, but Minicozzi's jumper in the final minute helped the Big Green regain momentum entering the fourth.

Buckets from Meyer and Minicozzi opened the fourth quarter and allowed Dartmouth to the the game, 42-42. Ariik sank a free throw with 5:27 remaining to give the Big Green their first lead since the opening quarter and they wouldn't trail again. Minicozzi had Dartmouth's last field goal at the 4:43 mark and she went on to sink clutch free throws, along with Ariik, who was good on one of two at the line with three seconds remaining to give Dartmouth the necessary four-point lead to seal the game.

Dartmouth's three-game road trip continues with a visit to UAlbany on Tuesday, Dec. 12. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+, and fans can follow live stats on DartmouthSports.com. The road stretch concludes at UMass Lowell on Thursday, Dec. 14 before the Big Green are back at Leede Arena Thursday, Dec. 21 for Education Day against Lafayette.