Feb. 16, 2011

Box Score

For the second time this season, the UMass Lowell men's basketball team was outlasted by the top team in both the NCAA East Region Rankings and the Northeast-10 Conference standings, the Bentley University Falcons. The River Hawks fell 81-61 at Bentley's Dana Center in Waltham on Wednesday evening.

With the loss, UMass Lowell falls to 16-8 on the year with a 12-8 mark in league play, while Bentley improves to 18-6 overall, while the Falcons sit atop the conference with a 16-4 record in NE-10 action.

"The big picture is that we again showed our inexperience on the road against a very good team," said Head Coach Greg Herenda.  "We're still learning how to play.  We played 20 minutes of good basketball, but the game is 40 minutes and Bentley was prepared to play 40.  When Bentley makes shots in their own building, they're very hard to beat."

The River Hawks got off to a slow start, digging themselves into a 12-2 hole less than six minutes into the game, but they made up for lost time by going up 17-15 less than five minutes later. The 15-3 run was highlighted by a three-pointer from junior Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.), but six other River Hawks contributed during the stretch.

The teams proceeded to stay within three points of one another for the remainder of the half, a stanza that saw 13 lead changes between the squads. UMass Lowell shot 45.5% in the first frame, compared to just 33.3% by the Falcons, but Bentley's eight three-pointers kept them in the game. The Falcons converted a layup at the buzzer to gain the 37-34 advantage at the break.

Bentley started the second on a 16-4 run, leading UMass Lowell by 15 within the first five minutes. The Falcons continued their steady ascent, keeping the River Hawks at bay.

Although UMass Lowell closed back within 11 by the midpoint of the half, the Falcons were back up by nearly 19, leading 70-51, with five minutes remaining in regulation. Bentley shot 56.5% from the floor in the second, including going 6-9 from behind the arc. They eventually finished the game with a 20-point, 81-61, advantage.

Leading the River Hawk offense was Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) with 20 points, 10 in each half, while Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) was not far behind with 16 points. Both grabbed five rebounds in the contest.

"Matt is consistently scoring the ball for us, but tonight we just never got into a good flow" said Herenda. "He had to go and get his own shot a lot as opposed to it coming out of our offense."

On the glass, both sophomore Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) and freshman Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) had eight rebounds. The duo also chipped in six points apiece. Walton finished the game with nine points, five boards, including four on the offensive glass, and three steals.

The River Hawks struggled from the line, converting just four of 11 chances, while the Falcons netted 17-23, good for 74%. UMass Lowell owned the 24-18 advantage in the paint, but their 15 turnovers cost them 23 points.

"Coming in and playing Bentley when they're playing well is not an easy task," Herenda said.  "Tonight it was more about what Bentley did than what we didn't do."

Bentley, who shot 52% from behind the arc, was led by 20 points from Tom Dowling. Five Falcons scored in double-figures on the night, including senior forward Brian Tracey, who netted 15 points in the game grabbed a team-best nine points. Guard Mike Quinn grabbed eight boards and tallied 11 points.

The River Hawks return home to Costello Athletic Center to close the regular season with a pair of games against Saint Anselm and Franklin Pierce on Feb. 19 and 23, respectively. Saturday's tip-off against the Hawks is scheduled for 4 p.m.