River Hawks Start Second Half of Conference Action vs. UAlbany

Wednesday 1st February vs UAlbany (6pm)
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The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team (17-6, 5-4 AE) starts the second half of its America East Conference schedule against UAlbany on Wednesday, February 1st.

A WIN WOULD
A win against the Great Danes would improve UMass Lowell’s record to 18-6, continuing the program’s best start since 2002-03. It would also raise the program record for wins in a season at the DI level to 18. A win would also put the River Hawks 12-0 at home and extend the program record.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Two River Hawks average double digits, like Abdul Karim Coulibaly boasts 12.9 points while adding the team’s best 8.5 rebounds. right behind him Everett Hammond adds 12.7 points per game when 43% are shooting from the field. The most important playmaker this season Ayinde Hikim 88 total assists with 9.8 points. Max Bach adds 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and accelerates the team with 41 blocks.

LAST TIME-OUT

All in Stump scored 17 points as UMass Lowell fell 69-65 to New Hampshire. The River Hawks took an early lead by three thanks to a triple by Everett Hammond and a layup of Mikey Watkins. The Wildcats leveled the score with a three, but UMass Lowell grabbed a 6-0 burst to take a 17-11 lead. After a 10-4 run from New Hampshire tied the game at 22-22, the River Hawks caught fire on offense as Blunt made back-to-back shots behind the arc and Watkins added one of his own and UMass gave Lowell a six-pointer -Buffer. Though a three-pointer by the hosts halved the lead, the River Hawks scored the last two baskets of the half to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room. Both teams traded baskets early to start the second half, but New Hampshire connected with two threes and pulled them back within one. Blunt tried to stop the Wildcats’ momentum by sinking a basket from the top of the arc, his third treble of the afternoon, to regain a four-point lead by 13:34. However, UNH retaliated with an 8-2 equalizer to take a 50-48 lead, the first of the half. The River Hawks made the next three baskets to regain the lead, but the Wildcats retaliated by scoring seven of the game’s nine points to create a one-point lead. With five minutes remaining, Hammond put UMass Lowell back on top with a jump, but New Hampshire made the next three baskets to take a 63-59 lead with 47 seconds remaining. Hikim halved the lead with two free throws, but the home side sunk four free throws in the final seconds to pull away.

STREETWOES
The road is shaping up to be an unfriendly place in the American East this conference season as all nine league schools have so far posted an 11-25 record on the road.

THE THREE IS THE KEY
Three-point shooting has proven key to the River Hawks’ success so far, as the roster goes 11-0 in games where they sink at least seven three-pointers.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The January 22 win over Bryant was the team’s 17th win that season and extended the new Division I program record for single-season overall wins.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The River Hawks are 11-0 at home so far, setting a new program record and beating the 10-0 at home from the 2002-03 season. This record is also the second best home perfect record in the nation. In addition, the team achieved their ninth consecutive win at a home game in 2022/23. With a previous 11-0 record at home, UMass Lowell is now 159-94 ahead of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.

COSTELLO ROCKING CLUB
For the first time in Division I, the River Hawks played to a full house at the Costello Athletic Center.

ALL ABOUT THE BIG

Abdul Karim Coulibaly and Max Bach combined to leave the field on January 18 with 44 points against UMBC 22-to-28. Coulibaly set a new career high with 24 points, while Brooks had a best 20 points of the season with 20 points.

HELPING HANDS
The River Hawks had a season-high 23 assists in the win against UMBC on Jan. 18. The team is currently second in the league with 14.8 assists per game. Individually, with his 11 assists against Sacred Heart on November 16, Ayinde Hikim After that, set a new Division I program record Ryan Jones first logged 10 in 2018 compared to NJIT.

SHARING IS CARING
Coach Duquette has said this is his most comprehensive and talented team to date. Nine different River Hawks have led the team as top scorers this year, and seven of those have led the team as top scorers in at least two games. The River Hawks have scored at least eight goals in 22 of their first 23 games, including 11 against Emerson. In the competitions against Fisher and Emerson, the team scored a total of six double-digit goals for the first time since 2017-18 (in Maine, 01/31/18). At least four River Hawks have hit double digits in 11 of their 23 games.