Box Score Sophomore G Ellis Cooper compiled 23 points and nine rebounds – including the game-winning 3-point shot with :01 remaining – to lead Franklin Pierce University over UMass Lowell, 74-71, Saturday afternoon in a Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball clash at the FPU Fieldhouse.

The loss was the fourth straight for UMass Lowell, which slipped to 16-9 overall and 12-9 in the NE-10 entering Tuesday's home regular season finale against Bentley (7:30).

The loss also put UMass Lowell into a share of fourth place with Merrimack, meaning the River Hawks will need a victory over Bentley Tuesday – as well as a Merrimack loss at Franklin Pierce – to secure a home game for the quarterfinal of the NE-10 Tournament.

Franklin Pierce, No. 1 in the first NCAA East Region preseason poll this week, improved to 19-6 overall and 15-6 in the NE-10.

Sophomore G Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) led UMass Lowell with 22 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Junior F Matt Welch (Lowell, Mass.) added 13 points and five rebounds while sophomore G Scotty Tavares-Taylor (Roxbury, Mass.) chipped in 11 points.

Cooper converted 7 of 11 field goals for Franklin Pierce and shot 8-11 from the free throw line. Sophomore G Curtis Christian chipped in 10 points on 4-8 field goal shooting.

Franklin Pierce outscored UMass Lowell, 16-4 at the free throw line and outscored the River Hawk reserves 26-13. UMass Lowell also had plenty of advantages as it outscored the Ravens from 3-point range (33-18), and, despite trailing 16-13 on the offensive glass, outscored Franklin Pierce 20-13 on second chances.

Franklin Pierce seemingly had the game wrapped up with 9:16 to play as it led 67-51, the result of a 14-2 spurt midway through the half. UMass Lowell regrouped, however, and outscored Franklin Pierce, 17-2, to cut the deficit to 69-68 with 3:04 remaining.

Williams led the run with eight points.

A layup by Christian gave Franklin Pierce a 71-68 lead with 51 seconds left and, after a timeout, Williams meshed a trey to even the score, 71-71, with 21 seconds left.

As the clock wound down, senior G Nigel van Oostrum found Cooper for the game-winning 3-point shot with :01 left.

Franklin Pierce led at the break, 41-37.