Jan. 12, 2010
Box Score
The UMass Lowell River Hawks took their show on the road, with a 54-51 Northeast-10 Conference victory at Adelphi on Tuesday evening. It is UMass Lowell's fifth consecutive win and eighth in conference play.
With the victory, the River Hawks improve to 11-3 overall on the year and boast an 8-2 record in conference action. The Panthers now stand at 14-3 on the year and have a 7-3 record in NE-10 play.
While the game was close through the first quarter of play, UMass Lowell held the Panthers without a point for over six minutes in the first. After a field goal with 11:11 left in the first to make it a 15-11 game in the Panthers' favor, Adelphi did not score again until just under five minutes remaining in the half. During that span, UMass Lowell went on a 10-0 run and came out on top of the 22-15 score.
"That was an old-fashioned conference battle tonight and we were fortunate to come out with a victory against a very good Adelphi team," head coach Greg Herenda said.
The River Hawks held Adelphi to just 33.3% shooting from the floor (19-57) and outrebounded their opponent 36-34 in the tilt. UMass Lowell's defensive prowess saw the River Hawks take five charges during the game to take possession of the ball and throw the Panthers off their rhythm. After they took the lead with 7:41 in the first, they never looked back.
"It is impossible to single out one player on our team," Herenda said. "It was a total team effort for 40 minutes tonight. We left it all on the floor."
Sophomore guard Kyle Caiola (Parma, OH) led the River Hawks with a 14-point performance, which saw him dish four assists on the evening and go 4-for-12 from the floor. The nation's fifth best free throw shooter went a perfect 6-for-6 from the line in the game.
Also scoring in double-figures was center Kingsley Onyechi (Lowell, MA), who tallied 12 points on the night and went 4-for-7 from the floor. Onyechi was also tied for a team-best seven boards and was a perfect 4-for-4 from the line.
Guards Max Kerman (Watertown, MA) and Craig Heatherly (Mishawaka, IN) tallied nine points apiece, as Kerman also grabbed seven boards and Heatherly had five. Kerman added two assists, as well.
After entering the half with a slight 28-24 lead, the River Hawks held onto the advantage in the second, but never took more than a five point lead as the clock wound down. In the final possession, as the Panthers were within three, Heatherly collected his fifth rebound of the night on a missed Panther shot, to stave off the hosts and hold onto the River Hawk victory.
"Down the stretch we made some big free throws, big plays and Craig had a huge rebound at the end," Herenda said.
Adelphi was led by Richard Byrd's 17 points and David Akinyooye's double-double, as he tallied 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The River Hawks continue their road trip with a game at Wilmington (DE) on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. and return home on Saturday, when they will host American International at 4:00 p.m. at Costello Gym.
