Jan. 15, 2011

Box Score

In a rematch of the First Round of the 2010 Northeast-10 Tournament, the UMass Lowell women's basketball team met the Yellow Jackets of American International College on Saturday afternoon. After trailing by as many as 22, the River Hawks finished the game on a 24-7 run before falling to AIC 66-62 in Butova Gymnasium in Springfield.

With the loss, UMass Lowell falls to 6-9 on the year with a 5-6 mark in conference action, while AIC improves to 11-4 overall with an 8-3 clip in NE-10 play.

Sophomore Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) led the River Hawk surge with 12 of her 26 points coming during the stretch. She also grabbed eight rebounds and went 8-9 from the free throw line. She added four assists in the close game, as well.

Both teams found it difficult to generate offense in the first five minutes of the game, but AIC got hot and led the River Hawks 13-5 before sophomore Sarah Bennett (Newark, Ohio) converted a three point play midway through the half to bring her squad back within five (13-8). AIC grew its lead to 13 to end the first half, leading the River Hawks 32-19 at the break.

Despite trailing by as many as 22 in the second, the River Hawks sprinted to a 24-7 run in the final quarter of the game. After forcing a Yellow Jacket shot clock violation, Simmons scored on the next three possessions, including a three-pointer and a three-point play to make it a six-point ballgame with just over two minutes left in regulation.

Bennett grabbed two huge boards on the defensive glass to put a stop to AIC, finding junior Sha'nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) on the first rebound to make it 64-60 in the final minute of the game.

Another AIC shot clock violation gave the River Hawks the ball with 28 second left on the clock and Simmons found her way to the basket to make it a two-point game, but AIC nailed a pair of free throws to bring it back to four points with just 19 seconds remaining, a deficit that UMass Lowell could not overcome before the final buzzer.

"I thought that it was a good comeback," said Head Coach Kathy O'Neil.  "We struggled early on and were down by 22 at one point, but we stayed with it and stayed with it."

Bushner recorded a double-double with 12 points and a team-best 10 rebounds, adding three steals and as many blocks in the game.

Senior Krissy Little (Concord, N.H.) contributed eight points, going 3-4 from the floor and dishing a pair of assists. Bennett finished the afternoon with five points and four boards.

AIC was led by Adriana Johnson with 20 points and Rhea Pascal's game-high 11 rebounds.

After shooting just over 18% in the first half, the River Hawks shot 59.3% in the second stanza, averaging 36.7% in the game. The River Hawks owned a 26-14 advantage in the paint and took advantage of the Yellow Jackets' 17 turnovers by tallying 23 points off the miscues.

Next up, the River Hawks head to LeMoyne for an NE-10 game against the Dolphins on Wednesday evening at 5:30 p.m.