Jan. 5, 2011

Box Score | O'Neil: 'I see us getting better'

Junior G Kelly Meredith (Franklin, Mass.) scored a game-high 22 points as Assumption College defeated UMass Lowell, 78-67, Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball clash at the Costello Athletic Center.

The loss was the third straight for UMass Lowell which slipped to 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the NE-10 entering Saturday's game at New Haven (1:30). Assumption improved to 9-3 overall and 7-1 in the Conference and hosts Merrimack Saturday at 1:30.

Sophomore F Sarah Bennett (Newark, Ohio) led UMass Lowell with 18 points while shooting 8 for 9 from the field in only 18 minutes due to foul trouble. Junior F Sha'nay Bushner (Akron, Ohio) added 11 points and four rebounds before drawing her fifth foul with 44 seconds remaining.

Though it had a slim edge on the offensive glass (15-13), Assumption made the most of its second chances by outscoring the River Hawks 20-7 off offensive rebounds. Additionally, the Greyhounds outscored UMass Lowell off turnovers, 26-16, committing 15 to the River Hawks' 22.

Assumption also enjoyed a 24-8 edge at the free throw line, which buffered UMass Lowell's 21-6 advantage from the 3-point arc.

The River Hawks struggled from the field in the first half, shooting .360 (9-25), but found their mark in the second, converting at a .515 clip (17-33). Assumption proved consistent in both halves: .478 in the first (11-23) and .469 in the second (15-32).

"In the second half I thought we did a better job taking care of the ball," said Head Coach Kathy O'Neil. "We played hard. We have to work on all the little things, but I see us getting better. No excuses though. We've been playing a semester now and there are some mistakes we shouldn't be making."

The Greyhounds built a 49-40 lead with 10:48 left to play when sophomore F Sabrina Siciliano (Fairfield, Conn.) meshed a pair of free throws. UMass Lowell, however, used a 13-3 run - led by seven points from sophomore F Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) - to grab a 53-52 lead with 7:48 left to play.

"I thought all of our bigs did a good job offensively," O'Neil added. "We wanted to get the ball inside and it's nice when we get it inside and they score. I'm happy we were able to do that. Even when we weren't scoring we were able to rebound, and that helped us."

Assumption pulled away in the final five minutes. Leading 60-59 with 4:45 left, the Meredith scored five straight points - a layup and a conventional 3-point play - to give her team a 65-59 lead with 3:42 left.

UMass Lowell cut the lead to four (65-61) behind a pair of free throws from Bushner shortly after, but could not muster any closer. Assumption meshed 10 of 13 free throw attempts in the final 1:24.