Feb. 24, 2010

Box Score

Led by Kyle Caiola (Parma, OH) and Scotty Tavares-Taylor (Roxbury, MA), the UMass Lowell River Hawks held on for a 71-68 victory in Rindge, NH at Franklin Pierce’s Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening in their final regular season contest.

“It was just another night in the Northeast-10 Conference. Nothing comes easy to any team,” said head coach Greg Herenda. “We were fortunate to beat a very gutsy Franklin Pierce team in their own building.”

The River Hawks led by as many as 17 points in the second, after a five-point run by Caiola lifted them to a 56-39 lead with 13:15 remaining in regulation. The Ravens patiently chipped away, though, bringing the game within three in the final 30 seconds of play. UMass Lowell held on as the final seconds ticked down, earning the victory.

“The last three minutes of the game we just gutted it out, defended and got crucial rebounds in big spots,” Herenda said.

The River Hawks were up by 10 entering the break (42-32), thanks to 14 points from Tavares-Taylor, who was a perfect 4-4 from behind the arc in the first half. The freshman, who earned his first collegiate start, finished the night with a career-best 17 points, four rebounds and 5-7 shooting from long range.

Caiola led the squad with 19 points and was also tied for a team-best seven boards, including four on the offensive glass. The sophomore guard shot 8-12 from the floor and had five assists in the victory.

“Scotty in the first half really opened things up and adjusted well to being a part of the starting line up,” Herenda said. “In the second half, Caiola played like one of the top players in the conference, which he is.”

Also tallying seven boards apiece were Ali Kanaan (Montreal, Que.) and Max Kerman (Watertown, MA). Kanaan finished the night with six points, a pair of blocks and three assists, while Kerman notched a steal, as well.

The River Hawks shot 46.4% in the game (26-56) and outscored the Ravens 17-5 on second chance opportunities. The River Hawk bench had the 23-14 advantage over Franklin Pierce, led by Kevin Carr (Lancaster, OH) and Matt Welch (Lowell, MA) who tallied eight points apiece.

Three Ravens notched 15 points, including Terrell Ray, Eric Jean-Guillaume and Jeff Manchester. Manchester sank five treys in the game, while Ray had a team-best eight boards and Jean-Guillaume dished six assists in the effort.

UMass Lowell finishes the regular season with a 16-11 record overall and a 13-9 mark in conference action. With the loss, the Ravens’ 2009-10 campaign comes to a close at 12-15 and 7-15 in NE-10 play.

The victory gives UMass Lowell the seventh seed in the 2010 Northeast-10 Tournament, as the River Hawks will host the Greyhounds of Assumption College at 1:00 on Saturday afternoon.

“Hopefully tonight’s win will jumpstart us for Saturday afternoon’s tournament game against Assumption,” Herenda said.