Nov. 12, 2011

Box Score |View Highlights/Behn Commentary

Senior F Sha'nay Bushner (Akron, OH) and junior F Brianna Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) combined for 38 points and 20 rebounds to lift UMass Lowell over Felician College, 71-65, Saturday afternoon in the Northeast-10 Conference/Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Women's Basketball Challenge at the Costello Athletic Center.

With the win, UMass Lowell improved to 1-0 and meets No. 19 Holy Family University Sunday at 3:00 while Felician (0-1) faces No. 2 Bentley at 1:00. Bentley was an 82-57 winner over Holy Family earlier Saturday.

Bushner and Wilson each scored 19 points - a career-high for Wilson - as Bushner also grabbed 13 rebounds and converted 10 of 14 free throws. Wilson grabbed seven rebounds and dished three assists.

Junior G Brianna Calver (Shelby, Ohio) added 13 points, six assists and three steals and meshed all eight free throw attempts while sophomore F Dominique Pagan (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in 10 points and 13 rebounds on 5 of 9 field goals shooting.

Senior G Destiny Barnett led the Golden Falcons with 19 points and four assists, hitting 5 of 9 attempts from long range. Sophomore G Gisell Peguero was one of three players to score 10 points while sophomore G Katrina Plummer and junior F Que Lyles added 10 points each.

UMass Lowell outscored Felician at the free throw line 27-10 as the River Hawks converted 22 of 28 in the pivotal second half. The advantage buffered Felician's .533 field goal shooting in the second half (16-30) and 21-12 edge from 3-point range.

UMass Lowell led 49-35 with 11:04 left to play, but Felician countered with a 16-4 run to pull within 53-51 with 6:07 remaining. Peguero led the run with four points.

UMass Lowell eventually grabbed a 63-57 on a conventional 3-point play by junior C Briana Szidat (Pelham, N.H.) and free throws by Calver and Bushner, but the Golden Falcons again drew even, 63-63, with six straight points behind a 3-pointer by Barnett and a layup by Plummer with 2L05 left to play.

The River Hawks, however, ended the game with an 8-2 spurt, led by a layup and a pair of free throws by Wilson.