Feb. 13, 2010

Box Score

Sophomore F Sha’Nay Bushner (Akron, OH) scored 16 points as UMass Lowell defeated Merrimack, 77-65, Saturday afternoon in a Northeast-10 Conference women’s basketball clash at the Costello Athletic Center.

The victory was UMass Lowell’s fourth in its last five games as it improved to 15-8 overall and 11-8 in the NE-10 entering next Wednesday’s final regular season home game against Bentley (5:30).

Merrimack slipped to 8-15 overall and 6-12 in the Conference and visits Franklin Pierce Wednesday (5:30).

Bushner also grabbed eight rebounds while freshman G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, CT) added 12 points, a season-high six assists and five rebounds. Both Bushner and Simmons combined for 21 points in the second half.

Junior G Sarah Benischek (Shrub Oak, NY) led four Warriors in double digits with 18 points and three assists on 6 of 12 field goal shooting. Freshman F Kelly Schatzlein (Tolland, CT) added 13 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and four assists as she converted 3 of 5 field goals and 7 of 8 free throws.

Junior G Tiffany Colon (Lawrence, MA) chipped in 11 points and three assists while sophomore G Gennifer Roy (Granby, MA) had 10 points and six rebounds.

UMass Lowell shot .500 in the second half (16-32) while Merrimack shot .364 (12-33). The River Hawks also had a 23-5 advantage from the bench, led by eight points and four rebounds from senior G Amanda McGrew (Santa Monica, CA).

UMass Lowell held a small edge on offensive rebounds (12-11), but made the most of it, outscoring Merrimack 15-7 on second chances.

With the score knotted at 47-47 with 10:39 left to play, UMass Lowell scored 14 unanswered points – led by freshman G Brianna Calver (Shelby, OH), who scored all five of her points in the run – to post a 61-47 lead with 6:30 left to play.

The River Hawks led by as many as 21 (75-54) with 2:11 left to play when freshman C Sarah Bennett (Newark, OH) meshed a free throw.