New Scoreboards Highlight Merkert Improvements

Almost any game information needed can be found on Stonehill's new scoreboard.

New Scoreboards Highlight Merkert Improvements

North Easton, Mass. - Fans that flock to Merkert Gymnasium this coming fall and winter will notice several major improvements to one of the best home court advantages in the Northeast-10.

Over the summer months, the athletics administration replaced the heating and cooling unit with a state-of-the-art ventilation system that allows for better air flow through the facility and provides the fans and student-athletes an environment more conducive to athletic events.

"These type of improvements continue to show the level of commitment the College has to athletics," said head women's basketball coach Trish Brown. "These upgrades will not only enhance the fan experience but make Merkert Gymnasium an unbelievably attractive place to play."

The most noticeable update is the addition of an enhanced 6x17 purple and white scoreboard at the north end of the gymnasium. Its features include electronic team message displays, player stat panels that list the number, fouls and points of players currently in the game.

A unique feature of the new board displays the team leading during the game in green and the team trailing in red. When the clock goes under a minute, the time will be shown in red. Stonehill is the only school in New England to have these features.

A smaller scoreboard that shows the time, score, team fouls and timeouts has been added to the south end of the arena.

Each backboard has also been equipped with LED (light-emitting diode) strips that will assist officials with end of half and end of game shot determination.

The scorer's table has been adorned with three new panels that display the Northeast-10, Stonehill and the Division II logos.

As is customary, the playing surface was refinished in middle part of June, but a new wrinkle was thrown in by the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Committee. The men's committee agreed to move the three-point line back a foot to 20 feet, nine inches in May 2007. The women's governing body decided against the change, however, leaving their line at 19 feet, nine inches, meaning that there will be two three-point lines on the court when the season begins in November.