Jan. 12, 2010

 

Box Score

 

 

Freshman G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, CT) registered 17 points and senior F Jen Valente (Prospect, CT) added 16 as UMass Lowell defeated Adelphi, 59-52, Tuesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball tilt at the Center for Recreation and Sport.

With the victory, UMass Lowell improved to 9-5 overall and 5-5 in the NE-10 entering Saturday’s key home clash against American International (2:00). The loss was the fifth straight for the Panthers, who slipped to 2-12 overall and 0-10 in the Conference.

Simmons converted 7 of 11 shots from the floor (3-5 from 3-point range) and scored 12 of her points in the first half. She also added five rebounds and four assists.

Valente, who scored 12 of her points in the second half, converted 7 of 10 field goal attempts and grabbed six rebounds. Sophomore Sha’Nay Bushner (Akron, OH) grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds in addition to scoring six points.

Sophomore G Erika Cottle led Adelphi with 15 points as she converted 5 of 10 field goal attempts, including 3 of 4 from long range. Junior F Ashley Caiafa chipped in 13 points and five rebounds.

“It was not a pretty win, but it was a win,” said UML Head Coach Kathy O’Neil, who recorded career win No. 395. “We executed down the stretch.”

The River Hawks, who trailed 29-24 at the half, shot 14-25 in the second half (.560), opposed to 8-25 shooting by Adelphi (.320).

UMass Lowell opened the second half with a 14-4 to post a 38-33 lead with 12:30 left to play. Valente led the surge with six points while Simmons and freshman C Sarah Bennett (Newark, OH) each added 3-point plays – Simmons from long range and Bennett the conventional.

Adelphi knotted the score at 38 apiece with 9:27 left, but the River Hawks countered with a 13-4 spurt, led by a pair of layups by Valente and jumpers by senior G Amanda McGrew (Santa Monica, CA), to snatch a 51-42 cushion with 4:19 to play.

The Panthers came within 53-50 behind a pair of treys by Cottle, but a jumper by Simmons (off a Valente steal) and free throws by Bushner and Valente in the final minute sealed the win.

UMass Lowell, which has outscored opponents’ benches by an average of 23.9 to 10.7 this season, bested that of Adelphi’s 30-7. The Panthers, however, forced 22 turnovers from the River Hawks (while committing 18) and posted a 23-13 edge in points off turnovers.