Box Score

Senior G Bianca Simmons (Middleton, Conn.) had a double-double with 17 points and 11 assists, as UMass Lowell defeated Queens College, 72-52, Sunday afternoon in a non-conference women's basketball game at the Costello Athletic Center.

With the win, UMass Lowell improved to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in conference play. The River Hawks are back in action on Wednesday, November 28 against Stonehill (5:30).

Queens College fell to 2-2 overall on the season and 1-0 in the East Coast Conference. The Knights will travel to Mercy on December 1st (1:00).

Simmons was 6-16 from the floor and 2-5 from beyond the arc. She was also able to pull down seven rebounds. Junior G Danielle DePierro (Tewksbury, Mass.) contributed with 16 points and four rebounds.

Redshirt senior G Bria Jackson led the Knights with 29 points and seven rebounds, while freshman G Joya McFarland tacked on 7 points and three assists.
The majority of UMass Lowell's points were a result of its stellar defense. Bianca Simmons had six steals and the River Hawks forced 37 turnovers, which resulted in 45 points. UMass Lowell did, however, have 21 turnovers of their own, resulting in 20 points for Queens.

“I was pleased defensively. We made them turn the ball over a lot,” said UMass Lowell head coach, Sarah Behn. “That pressure worked, and it wore them down over time.”

UMass Lowell led the entire game, and stretched its lead to 27 points in the second half when freshman F Amra Elezovic (Manchester, N.H.) drained a three-pointer, and freshman G Melissa Frase (Tamworth, N.H.) followed up with a fast-break layup.

Trailing by 31, Queens College was able to go on an 11-0 run to end the game, but it was too little, too late as UMass Lowell still came away with a 20-point victory.
UMass Lowell shot 33.8% from the floor, while Queens College shot just 32.7%. The Knights did, however, outscore the River Hawks from the free throw line, 17-11.