Jan. 22, 2011

Box Score

Tied at the half and close throughout the second, the young UMass Lowell Men's Basketball team showed composure down the stretch to capture a 92-82 win over Saint Rose in Northeast-10 action at Costello Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.

In a game that saw 12 ties and 11 lead changes, the River Hawks were able to snap a two-game skid, responding well to the conference's best offensive team. UMass Lowell improved to 11-6 overall with a 7-6 mark in the NE-10, while Saint Rose dropped to 13-5 overall with an 8-5 clip in conference play.

"At crunch time, we needed to stop them and we did," said Head Coach Greg Herenda. "It wasn't a pretty win and it wasn't a win that's going to go into the Hall of Fame, but for our team - we were 6-6 in the league and it was our signature moment. Whether we were going to propel and continue or go to 6-7. You don't know where you go when you're under .500 in this league."

Junior Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.) contributed across the board with 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and six steals. He helped to force 23 turnovers by Saint Rose, which the River Hawks converted into 32 points off the Golden Knight miscues.

"Robbie had six steals, he's the leading stealer in the league, fourth in assists and 10th in minutes played," said Herenda. "He's such a warrior."

Saint Rose tallied the first four points on the afternoon, but UMass Lowell retaliated with a 12-0 run, led by a pair of threes and a layup by Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.). The forward finished the game with 15 points, three rebounds and as many assists.

By halftime, though, the teams were knotted at 44 apiece. The River Hawks almost went into the break down by two, but a layup by freshman Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) from junior John Corbacio (Stoney Creek, Ont.) at the buzzer made it even.

The UMass Lowell defensive effort proved to be the difference, swinging the game from a 75-72 Saint Rose advantage to a 10-point UMass Lowell margin of victory. The 18-7 run in the final five minutes of regulation was highlighted by eight points from freshman Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) and a combined perfect 10-10 shooting from the free throw line by Williams, Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) and Darrell Ward (White Plains, N.Y.).

UMass Lowell made crucial stops in the final three minutes and capitalized on its opportunities. The River Hawks held the Golden Knights to many one-shot possessions down the stretch and outrebounded their opponent 21-12 in the second half. In the game, UMass Lowell owned the 39-32 advantage on the glass and outscored Saint Rose 17-6 on second chances.

"When everything's in the right place, Akeem is hard to guard. He can shoot the three and has a soft touch around the basket," said Herenda. "He opened up our whole offense. He came off the bench today and really helped propel us to a win."

Williams came off the bench to tally a team-high 20 points, dishing four assists and grabbing three steals, as well. Classmate Ward had a personal-best 16 points and finished just shy of a double-double with nine rebounds, which also tied his own record.

Fellow freshman Bivins had a 12-point, six-rebound day and sophomore Diaz had eight points and six boards. He was a perfect 4-4 from the line, all of which came in the last 3:33 of the game.

The River Hawks' depth played to their advantage, as their reserves outscored the Saint Rose bench 55-2. Their inside game was also strong, leading the Golden Knights 52-24 in the paint.

Saint Rose was led by guard Rob Gutierrez with 27 points on 9-16 shooting, while forward Brian Hanuschak was one board short of a double-double, finishing the game with 11 points and nine rebounds. Sharp shooter Shea Bromirski tallied 18 points, including the 1000th of his career, but four Golden Knights in double-figures were not enough to defeat UMass Lowell.

The River Hawks will hit the road for a Tuesday night game in Pleasantville, N.Y. as they take on the Pace Setters in NE-10 action.