Box Score

Junior F Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) scored a team-high 23 points and UMass Lowell sank its final five field goal attempts to defeat Holy Family University, 71-70, Saturday night at the HFU Campus Center.

With the victory, UMass Lowell improved to 2-0 and visits Philadelphia University Sunday at 2:00. The River Hawks return to NE-10 play Tuesday (7:30) against Saint Michael's.

Holy Family slipped to 2-2.

Bivins converted 7 of 15 field goal attempts and grabbed five rebounds while junior G Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) added 17 points, including a layup and a jumper in the final minute, while dishing three assists.

Sophomore G Chad Holley (New York, N.Y.) chipped in 11 points and five assists, including consecutive 3-point baskets in the final 1:12, while shooting 4 for 7 from the field and 3-4 from 3-point range.

"That was a huge gut check early in the year for my guys," said head caoch Greg Herenda. "Antonio played his heart out all day and, when they had to, Chad and Akeem stepped up when it counted most."

Sophomore G Eric Fleming came off the bench to score a game-high 25 points to lead Holy Family while junior G Ervin Ezell added 11 points, five assists, five steals and four blocked shots.

Holy Family outshot UMass Lowell from the free throw line, 22-12 and also outrebounded the River Hawks 51-37. The River Hawks, however, committed only 11 turnovers to Holy Family's 16, enabling for a 17-9 advantage on points off turnovers.

The Tigers had a 14-11 edge on offensive rebounds, but it was UMass Lowell who made the most of its second chances, outscoring Holy Family, 14-9.

Holy Family led 66-61 with 1:36 left to play when freshman F Isaiah Gans meshed a pair of free throws. After a missed trey by Williams, graduate G Greg DeSantis (Trumbull, Conn.) grabbed the rebound and hit Holley, who drained the first of his two pivotal 3-point shots in the final minutes.

Freshman F Hunter Wysocki hit a layup to give the Tigers a 68-64 lead, but DeSantis and Holley combined again for a 3-point bomb, and, following a Wysocki miss, Williams hit a layup to give the River Hawks a 69-68 lead with 21 seconds left to play.

Senior F Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) then fouled Ezell, who hit both free throws to give Holy Family a 70-69 edge, but Williams answered with a jumper with three seconds left.

Holy Family then threw away the inbound enabling the River Hawks to seal the win.

"Give Holy Family credit. They are a very talented and well-coached team,": Herenda added. "We just continued to keep fighting all day and came away with a huge road victory."

UMass Lowell led at the break 30-28.