Nov. 28, 2011
The second annual UMass Lowell River Hawk Hoop Slam, pitting the women’s and men’s basketball teams against Merrimack College, is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3 at the Tsongas Center.
The women’s game is slated for 2:00 while the men’s game is scheduled for 4:00.
One lucky fan will have the opportunity to shoot for $10,000 at halftime of the men’s game. Fan can register to win the chance to go on the court and try their luck through the afternoon and a contestant will be chosen during the first half on the second game.
"The UMass Lowell-Merrimack rivalry has been here for a long time and it keeps getting bigger and better,” said head men’s coach Greg Herenda, in his fourth season. “To play this game in the Tsongas Center adds another dimension to it. I hope both of our school's students, fans and alums come out to see great basketball in their own backyard.
“Last year’s game came down to the buzzer, and I’m sure this year’s game will not disappoint,” Herenda added.
The games will mark the second consecutive season that the teams have faced off at the Tsongas Center. Last year saw the River Hawks take home a pair of victories including a 66-60 win for the women’s team. The men’s squad won a 71-70 thriller thanks to an Antonio Bivins’ tip-in with 1.3 seconds left.
“I know the history that goes back with Merrimack,” said head women’s coach Sarah Behn, in her first season. “The proximity of the two schools certainly plays into the rivalry. We’ve certainly had our challenges out of the gate. Even though we’ve had some losses, we’ve made progress but we just haven’t gotten the results. Getting ahead Wednesday (at Stonehill, 5:30) and Saturday will be very important.”
Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and children 12 and under. Groups consisting of 10 or more people will be charged $3 while UMass Lowell students will be admitted free. All tickets are general admission.
Tickets are available at the Tsongas Center box office, online at www.tsongascenter.com or by phone at 866-722.8780.
