Nov. 12, 2011

Box Score

Sophomore G Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) and senior G Dipanjot Singh (Evanston, Ill.) each scored career-highs as UMass Lowell turned back the University of Bridgeport, 108-105, Saturday in the first round of the UB Purple Knight Classic at Hubbell Gymnasium.

UMass Lowell (1-0) meets Post University Sunday at 2:00 while Bridgeport faces Southern Connecticut at 4:00 in the predetermined pairings.

Williams scored 35 points – hitting 12 of 22 field goal attempts, 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 8 of 9 free throws – while Singh added 24 points on 6 of 12 FG shooting (4-7 treys, 8-8 from the free throw line) in 23 minutes off the bench.

Junior F Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) chipped in 15 points and five rebounds while shooting 5 of 9 from long range. Senior G Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.) added 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists on 5-10 field goal shooting and sophomore Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) had 10 points on 4-5 FG shooting.

“This was an old school Division II shootout,” said head coach Greg Herenda. “We were very fortunate to win the game. Both teams went after one another and we just made more plays down the stretch to get the victory.

“Obviously, Akeem was very special tonight,” Herenda added. “When you add Dipanjot and Matt into the equation, our offense is potent.”

Bridgeport was led by senior G William Harrison, who scored 22 points on 8-11 FG shooting and 6-8 from long range, while junior G Darian David also had 22 points on 8-16 FG shooting.

Senor F Eion Lewis added 19 points and 15 rebounds on 8-12 FG shooting while junior G Hakeem Rodriguez scored 18 points (6-12 FGs) and dished 14 assists. Senior G Dante Menter chipped I 11 points and five rebounds.

Both teams shot well from the field, UMass Lowell at a .529 clip (36-68) and the Purple Knights at .500 (37-74). Bridgeport outrebounded UMass Lowell 50-29 overall and 23-8 on the offensive glass, led by six offensive rebounds from Lewis.

Led by Singh and Welch, the River Hawks outscored UB from long range 42-30. Turnovers were virtually even – UMass Lowell with 12, Bridgeport with 14 – but UMass Lowell made the most of UB’s mistakes, outscoring them 27-13 off turnovers.

The advantage buffered UB’s 25-8 edge on second chances, the byproduct of its offensive rebounding.

UMass Lowell led 95-87 with 6:23 left to play, but UB countered with a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 97-96 with 4:57 left to play.

Leading 99-98 with 3:45 to play, UMass Lowell answered with a 9-2 spurt of its own to grab a 108-100 edge with 2:27 left, a lead it would not relinquish. Sophomore G Scotty Tavares-Taylor (Roxbury, Mass.) led the spurt with a conventional 3-point play while Singh meshed a trey to cap the run.