Jan. 2, 2010
Box Score
Behind a team-wide offensive effort and nearly perfect free throw shooting, the UMass Lowell River Hawks (8-3, 5-2 NE-10) handed the Stonehill Skyhawks (9-3, 6-1) their first conference loss of the year, a 73-57 decision, on the road on Saturday.
Sophomore guard Kyle Caiola (Parma, OH) had a game-best 24 points and sank seven free throws, breaking the program record for consecutive free throws, previously set by Leo Parent in 1989 (35). Caiola has not missed from the charity stripe since Dec. 5, against Saint Anselm and his current streak stands at 41 in a row.
“It was a great conference road win for our team,” head coach Greg Herenda said. “To beat Stonehill on their court took a great team effort.”
Right behind Caiola were Kevin Carr (Lancaster, OH) and Max Kerman (Watertown, MA), who scored 18 and 14 points, respectively. Carr added three assists and sank four three-pointers. Kerman’s season-high performance was accompanied by five rebounds, four steals and a pair of assists on the afternoon.
“Max stepping up, scoring the ball like he did adds another dimension to our offensive package,” Herenda said. “We need other guys to complement Kyle [Caiola] and Kevin. Number 32 was the guy tonight.”
The River Hawks never allowed Stonehill to take the lead and broke the game open with a 12-0 run over a four minute span in the first. At 13:30, Kerman drained a three, followed by another long distance shot by Caiola. The River Hawks capitalized on each Skyhawk missed shot with defensive rebounds and converting shots. Caiola tallied another four points during the run, while Ali Kanaan (Montreal, Que.) dunked at 11:15.
UMass Lowell finished the first half with a 13-point lead, thanks to a buzzer beating jumper by Kerman.
The Skyhawks brought the game within eight, 59-51, with 3:36 remaining in the game, but Carr came up with a big steal that halted Stonehill’s ability to chip away at the River Hawk lead.
Despite scoring their final field goal with just under eight minutes left in the second half, UMass Lowell converted 16 consecutive free throws as the clock wound down, cementing their victory over the conference rival.The River Hawks went 18-for-19 from the line on the afternoon, finishing at 94.7%.
Thanks in part to Kerman’s four steals and seven more by teammates, the River Hawks outscored the Skyhawks 16-13 off turnover chances. They also owned the advantage in rebounds, 26-24 over Stonehill.
Stonehill was led by AJ Rudowitz, who tallied 17 points and grabbed four rebounds, while Ivan Almeida scored 10 and had seven boards.
“I am most proud of our entire team for how they rebounded the basketball and fought for every loose ball tonight,” Herenda said.
The River Hawks will complete their four-game road stretch with a conference game at Assumption on Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 7:30 p.m. before returning home to take on New Haven at home on Jan. 9 at 4:00 p.m.
