Jan. 25, 2011

Box Score

The sophomore tandem of Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) and Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) combined for 37 of the River Hawks' 78 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (12-6, 8-6 NE-10) defeated the Pace Setters (10-9, 6-8), 78-70, in Northeast-10 Conference action in Pleasantville, N.Y. on Tuesday evening.

Welch finished the evening with 19 points and three assists, going 5-7 from behind the arc, while classmate Diaz tallied 18 points on 6-12 shooting from the floor and a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line during a crucial UMass Lowell run that put the River Hawks ahead of the Setters for good. Diaz grabbed five rebounds, dished three assists and had a block and a steal in the victory.

"It was a great team win," said Head Coach Greg Herenda.  "We stayed with it, made plays down the stretch, and any time you can win on the road in this league is an accomplishment."

The teams were neck and neck at the start of the game, but six minutes into the contest, the River Hawks began to separate themselves. After trailing 7-6, UMass Lowell grabbed the lead on a three-pointer by freshman Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.). Minutes later, with UMass Lowell grew its lead to ten, keeping the Setters at a comfortable distance the rest of the half. They entered the break with an 11-point, 38-27 advantage.

UMass Lowell had kept its lead steady in the second, but three minutes into the half, the Setters began an 8-2 run to bring it within three points at 44-41. They went on to take the lead from the River Hawks with just over 11 minutes remaining in the contest on a three-pointer by David Eismeier, making it a 53-52 game in favor of the Setters.

The teams stayed close for the next five minutes trading leads nearly every possession, but the River Hawks began to pull away in the final six minutes of regulation. They were down by one with nine minutes to go, but tore ahead by nine when they went on a 14-4 run highlighted by seven points from sophomore Diaz, including five consecutive free throws. A three point play from Diaz sparked the run, which was later capped by a three-pointer from Welch with less than six minutes to go in the game.

Refusing to go down without a fight, Pace was back within three points with 2:39 to go, but the River Hawks would not let the Setters score again in the game, finishing the night with a 79-70 score.

"Romeo Diaz was immense for us in so many ways.  He led us down the stretch and everyone else followed suit," said Herenda.  "Matt Welch is in a really nice groove right now and is starting to get his sea legs under him."

Williams finished the game with 12 points, six boards and three steals, while junior Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.) had six points, five rebounds and four assists on the night. Freshman Darrell Ward (White Plains, N.Y.) went 4-7 from the floor with nine points and four rebounds.

Keon Williams notched 18 points as part of a double-double, completed by 12 rebounds, to lead the Setters, while Eismeier was not far behind with 16 points.

Pace owned a distinct 50-31 advantage on the glass, but UMass Lowell's had the 34-16 edge in the paint. The River Hawks forced 16 turnovers by the Setters and capitalized by scoring 20 points off the Pace miscues.

The River Hawk offense is back on track, shooting 49.2% in the game, holding Pace to 34.4% on the night.

The River Hawks return home on Saturday afternoon as they host the Owls of Southern Connecticut State University for a conference tilt at 4 p.m. in Costello Athletic Center.