UMass Lowell (5-3) vs. Merrimack (4-4)
Hammel Court, North Andover, Massachusetts; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: UMass Lowell and Merrimack look to bounce back from losses. UMass Lowell fell 73-63 at home to Brown on Wednesday. Merrimack lost 61-60 on the road against Boston University on Sunday.
STEPPING UP: The dynamic Jordan Minor is averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks to lead the way for the Warriors. Mikey Watkins has paired with Minor and is producing 9.6 points and 2.6 steals per game. The River Hawks are led by Justin Faison, who is averaging 9.6 points and 2.3 steals.
KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: Watkins has had his hand in 41 percent of all Merrimack field goals over the last three games. Watkins has 13 field goals and 13 assists in those games.
STREAK SCORING: Merrimack has won its last three home games, scoring an average of 69 points while giving up 51.
ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The River Hawks have recently gotten baskets via assists more often than the Warriors. Merrimack has an assist on 27 of 64 field goals (42.2 percent) over its past three matchups while UMass Lowell has assists on 44 of 95 field goals (46.3 percent) during its past three games.
DID YOU KNOW: Merrimack has committed a turnover on just 17.3 percent of its possessions this season, which is the second-best percentage among all NEC teams. The Warriors have turned the ball over only 11 times per game this season.
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