COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College women's basketball team nearly doubled Merrimack College in rebounds on Tuesday, parlaying the advantage into a 60-40 Northeast-10 Conference victory in the Ross Sports Center. The Purple Knights are 5-5 overall and 2-4 in the NE-10, while the Warriors fell to 2-6 and 1-5.

The hosts outrebounded Merrimack, 50-26, including 24-3 on the offensive glass, which contributed to their 18-4 advantage in second-chance points. Sophomore Alexa Long (Waterford, Conn./Waterford) had a double-double, totaling exactly 10 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Nicole Adach (Schenectady, N.Y./Mohonasen) tallied a game-high 18 points to go along with nine rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Junior Megan Olsen (Glenmont, N.Y./Bethlehem Central) tallied 16 points behind 3-of-4 three-point shooting, sophomore Cara Deroy (Hamden, Conn./Hamden) had four steals, and senior Samantha Steinmetz (Washington, Conn./Shepaug Valley) tied her career high with three blocks.

Senior Gennifer Roy (Granby, Mass./Granby) and junior Kelly Schatzlein (Tolland, Conn./Tolland) each had 11 points for Merrimack, with Schatzlein totaling three steals and four of her team's 10 blocks.

Saint Michael's never trailed, as Merrimack forced early three ties, the last at 7-7 on Roy's three-pointer at 14:55 of the opening half. Up 11-10, the hosts scored 14 of the next 16 points, forging ahead 25-12 on Long's long jumper at 2:50. Adach scored six points in the run, while Olsen played a role in eight points, scoring three and assisting a pair of buckets. The Purple Knights were outshot in the opening stanza, 30.4 percent to 28.1 percent, but turned a 23-14 rebounding advantage into a 28-16 lead by halftime.

Merrimack trailed by single digits only once during the second stanza, at 33-24 by 12:43, and Saint Michael's blew open a 46-35 game with 12 straight points in 3:25 during the final five minutes. Adach scored the first four points before Long and junior Kayla Carnell (Burlington, Mass./Burlington) each had a trio of points.

The Purple Knights break until Jan. 3, when they host Pace University for a 5:30 p.m. contest.