Jan. 27, 2011

The UMass Lowell women’s and men’s basketball teams host Southern Connecticut in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader Saturday (2:00, 4:00) at the Costello Athletic Center, to be webcast live by the Pack Network.

The games are free of charge and can be accessed by logging on to www.northeast10.tv. Pack Network webcasts feature all of the elements of traditional television broadcasts, such as multiple camera angles, replays, commentary and more.

Adam Kaufman will provide play-by-play commentary, while NE-10 Assistant Commissioner for Strategic Communications Jacob Van Ryn will serve as the game analyst. Live statistics and text links will also be available on UMass Lowell home page prior to tipoff.

Both the UMass Lowell women and men will be celebrating Alumni Weekend. The women’s alumni game is scheduled for 11:00 Saturday morning while the men’s alumni will tip off at 12:00.

Among the many alumni expected to be on hand are former women’s standouts Darlene Orlando-Ciarcia (’94), Sheila (Knower) Foley (’98), Maureen Jennings (’98), Tammy Haulcy (’06) and Ursula Knight (’01). Expected for the men are Hank Brown (LTI, ’67), Gavin Cummings (’88), Jim Borodawka (’97), Brandon Arnette (’06) and Mike Gore (’08).

On display will also be the historical display boards from each era of the University – Lowell Technological Institute, Lowell State College, ULowell and UMass Lowell – as well as banners of some of the greatest student-athletes in school history.

Additionally, new plaques of former directors of athletics Waldo “Rusty” Yarnall and Dr. James Ciszek, for which the foyer of the Costello Athletic Center is named, will be unveiled.

In the women’s game, UMass Lowell (6-12, 5-9 in the NE-10) is out to snap a four-game losing skein, extended Tuesday in a 75-53 loss at Pace. The River Hawks three previous losses – home to Saint Rose (72-71, OT) last Saturday, at Le Moyne (61-56) and at American International (66-62) – were decided by a total of 10 points.

Junior Sha’Nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio), who has averaged 15.5 points and 10.2 rebounds in her last six games, led the River Hawks with 17 points and six rebounds.

The River Hawks meet an Owl squad (6-13, 2-12 NE-10) which has suffered seven straight losses, the latest a home loss to Merrimack Tuesday (64-55) and a 78-56 loss at Southern New Hampshire last Saturday.

On the men’s side, UMass Lowell (12-6, 8-6) rebounded from losses at American International (57-41) and Le Moyne (77-75) with key victories over Saint Rose (92-82) last Saturday and at Pace (78-70) Tuesday to remain of the thick of the regional race. The River Hawks are No. 6 in the latest NCAA East Region Poll.

Sophomore Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) and Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) led the way with 19 and 18 points, respectively.

Southern Connecticut (10-8, 7-8 NE-10), which went 2-25 overall and 1-21 in the NE-10 last year, enters the game fresh off a 68-66 home victory over Merrimack Tuesday and an 82-60 loss at Southern New Hampshire last Saturday.

UMass Lowell visits Saint Michael’s Wednesday (5:30/7:30) and Stonehill next Saturday (1:30/3:30).