March 1, 2010

Box Score

Audio Recap - The River Hawk Report - March 3, 2010

Five River Hawks scored in double-figures as #7 UMass Lowell (18-11) upset the #2 Bentley Falcons (22-6) by a score of 76-63 on Monday evening in the 2010 Northeast-10 Conference Tournament Quarterfinal at the Dana Center in Waltham.

“Probably the best team victory I’ve been involved with in a long, long time,” head coach Greg Herenda said. “Every player with a blue jersey on tonight stepped up and was committed to rebounding and defending the ball. They all stepped up to do something very special.”

Sophomore Robbie Walton (Boston, MA) notched a double-double, scoring a career-best 12 points and grabbing a personal-best 10 boards in the game.  The guard was a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line, sinking four in the final minute of the game to help seal the River Hawks' fate.

UMass Lowell started the game on an 11-4 run before the Falcons came back on a 13-1 run to earn a five point lead (17-12) 8:27 into the game. The River Hawks finished the first half on a 16-4 run, holding Bentley without a field goal in the final nine minutes of the first half, entering the break with a 34-27 lead.

In the final run of the half, senior Kevin Carr (Lancaster, OH) drained a pair of threes, while Walton and Craig Heatherly (Mishawaka, IN) also sank baskets from long range in the spree.

Carr sank three of six from long range in the half to help give the River Hawks a spark. He finished the night with nine points and three assists. In the first half, UMass Lowell shot 44.8%, holding the Falcons to just seven field goals on 23 attempts (30.4%).

Freshman Scotty Tavares-Taylor (Roxbury, MA) kicked off the second half with seven points to keep the Falcons from inching closer at the start of the second stanza. The rookie finished the night with 10 points on 4-6 shooting from the floor.

The River Hawks went up by as many as 17 with 7:35 remaining in the tilt, but Bentley went on an 13-3 run, forcing multiple River Hawk turnovers in their full court press, bringing the game back within seven with 3:48 left in regulation.

Walton took command after Carr dished a rebound to him, converting a three-point play to stop the bleed. The squads traded threes before the River Hawks finished the game with a 15-10 advantage in the final three to hold on for the eventual 13-point margin of victory.

“It’s very hard to single out anybody but Robbie going and getting 10 rebounds and scoring 12 points epitomizes this team’s effort tonight,” Herenda said. “Defensively, Ali was immense. Scotty scored when we needed him to. Kyle had a huge three, Kevin got us going in the first. But it really was about team tonight and that’s why we’re advancing to play on Thursday.”

The River Hawks owned the 45-35 advantage on the glass, while Ali Kanaan (Montreal, Que.) finished the night with 11 points, seven boards and a pair of blocks. Kyle Caiola (Parma, OH) tied Walton for a team-best 12 points, grabbing six rebounds and dishing a team-best four assists in the victory.

Freshman Matt Welch (Lowell, MA) tallied 10 points and had six boards in the game, while junior captain Max Kerman (Watertown, MA) had five rebounds, two assists and five points.

Although the River Hawks committed 21 turnovers compared to Bentley’s 11, they owned the 18-14 advantage in points off turnovers. The River Hawk bench outscored Bentley’s reserved 26-10.

The victory marked the first time UMass Lowell has defeated Bentley since Feb. 16, 2005, snapping a nine-game series win streak for the Falcons.

Bentley was led by Jason Westrol’s 23 point performance, 16 in the second half, and by Brian Tracey on the glass with seven boards. He also tallied 12 points in the Falcons’ third consecutive loss.

With the victory, UMass Lowell advances to the NE-10 Semifinal and will take on #3 Merrimack in North Andover on Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.