MANCHESTER, N.H. - Merrimack College men's basketball coach Bert Hammel became the 24th coach in Division 2 history to post his 400th win.

Last night, Hammel's Warriors held off Chris Vetrano and the St. Anselm Hawks, 69-63, on the road to reach the exclusive plateau.

Hammel, who lives in Londonderry, N.H., improves to 400-385 in his Merrimack career, which began in 1980.

He joins three other Northeast-10 coaches in the 400-win club: Last night's victim Keith Dickson of St. Anselm; Stan Spirou of Southern New Hampshire and Brian Beaury of St. Rose.

His Merrimack clubs won Northeast-10 championships in 1992 and 2000. The last Hammel team to make the NCAA tournament was in 2000 as well.

This season's edition improves to 11-7 and 6-7 in NE-10 play. Darren Duncan paced the Warriors with 21 points. Lawrence's Olatungie Lightfoot-Taylor added six points and six rebounds for the Warriors.

Andover's Vetrano scored 14 with four assists for the Hawks.

Hammel will be honored at Merrimack's Volpe Complex with a reception following tomorrow night's game with Southern Connecticut State, which tips off at 7 p.m.

...

North Andover's Amanda Shannon drilled a 3-pointer to give the Merrimack College women the lead for good at 55-53 on the way to a 74-64 win at St. Anselm.

Shannon, one of five Warriors in double figures, finished the night with 13 points. Kara Borelli paced Merrimack, now 6-14 overall and 2-12 in the Northeast-10 Conference, with 14 points.

Londonderry's Rachel Reilly had five points, five assists and five rebounds for St. A's, also 2-12 in NE-10 play.

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Hammel heroics

(1980-2008, 28 seasons, 400-385)

Win 1 -vs. Merchant Maritime Academy, 76-66, Dec. 1, 1980

Win 100 - vs. Bryant, 56-52, Dec. 5, 1987

Win 200 - vs. Assumption, 84-70, Jan. 15, 1994

Win 300 - vs. Bryant, 86-65, Feb. 27, 2000

Win 400 - vs. Saint Anselm, 69-63, Jan. 22, 2008

NE-10 titles: 1992, 2000

NCAA Tournaments: 1991, 1992, 2000

Career Highlights

2007 Literacy Champion Award presented by the National Associate of Basketball Coaches.

Two-time Paul Schoenfield Sportsmanship Award Winner.

77 of 81 players have graduated on time.

Two-time honoree by City of Lawrence for his work with the Boys and Girls Club.

Received UMass Amherst Sports Management Program Service beyond Recognition Award in 2000 for founding and coordinating the yearly Academic Basketball Awareness (ABA) Camp.