Dec. 1, 2010

Box Score | Herenda: 'Experience prevailed'

Senior F Brian Tracey scored a team-high 19 points, including a pair of free throws with 3.5 seconds left, to lead Bentley University over UMass Lowell, 65-61, Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball clash at the Costello Athletic Center.

With the loss, UMass Lowell slipped to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the NE-10 entering Saturday's game at Saint Anselm (3:30). The win was the fifth straight for Bentley, which improved to 5-2 overall (4-0 in the Conference) and hosts Franklin Pierce Saturday (3:30).

 

Freshman G Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) led the River Hawks with 24 points while freshman F Antonio Bivins (Miami, FL) added 12 points, four rebounds and three steals while converting 6 of 11 field goals.

 

Tracey shot 5 for 10 from the field and also grabbed six rebounds. Junior G Sam Leclerc added 15 points (5-10 FG shooting) and sophomore G Greg Jacques 11 points and four assists.

 

Turnovers plagued UMass Lowell as it was guilty of 21 opposed to Bentley's 15. Bentley outscored the River Hawks 23-15 off turnovers and, despite a slim 12-10 edge on the offensive glass, built a 17-4 advantage on second chance points.

 

The Falcons also outscored UMass Lowell at the free throw line (17-6) and from long range (24-15).

 

"We lost to a very good team," said UML Head Coach Greg Herenda. "They made good plays when they had to and they got to the foul line a lot. And good teams do that. We made a very, very good basketball team work very hard. We could've easily been out of that game midway through the second half. I liked our fight.

 

"It was a situation where experience prevailed, and our young guys didn't come through," Herenda added. "But I am so proud of our guys. They gave it everything they had."

 

The River Hawks trailed 43-34 early in the second half, but used a 17-5 run to post a 51-48 edge with 13:16 left to play. Williams scored seven points in the run while Bivins and sophomore F Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) each added four.

 

Bentley rallied with 13-4 spurt behind five points from senior G Tom Dowling and four from Tracey to post a 61-55 lead with 3:39 remaining. But the River Hawks knotted the score at 61-61 behind free throws by junior G Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.) and a jumper and a steal and layup by Williams.

 

A layup by senior F Joe Fremeau gave Bentley a 63-61 lead, but the River Hawks committed turnovers on three straight possessions until Tracey's free throws sealed the win.