Box Score
Junior F
Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) and junior G
Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) each had 21 points as UMass Lowell defeated Le Moyne, 71-68, Wednesday night in a conference game in Syracuse, N.Y.
With the win, UMass Lowell improves to 11-5 overall on the season and 7-5 in conference play. UMass Lowell will be back at the Costello Athletic Center on Saturday, January 26 to take on Assumption (4:00pm).
The loss drops Le Moyne to 8-8 overall on the year and 5-7 in the Northeast-10. The Dolphins are back in action on Saturday, January 26 when they travel to St. Anselm (3:30pm).
UMass Lowell scored back-to-back baskets to take a five point lead into half time. The points came on a dunk by freshman F
James McDonnell (Swansea, Mass.), followed by a jumper by Williams. McDonnell's dunk served as his only points on the night, but he led the River Hawks with nine rebounds.
Le Moyne came storming back in the second half, scoring nine consecutive points from beyond the arc. Trailing by eight points, freshman G Qwadere Lovell and junior F Brian Zapisek hit back-to-back three pointers, cutting the UMass Lowell lead to two. After a missed jumper by Bivins on the other end, Lovell hit another three, giving the Dolphins the one point advantage.
"That was an old-fashioned Lowell win," said head coach
Greg Herenda. "My guys grinded it out and Akeem and Antonio took over when we needed them most."
UMass Lowell would pull ahead for good later in the second half when Williams hit a three pointer after sophomore G
Chad Holley (New York, N.Y.) put UMass Lowell ahead by one with a free throw. The River Hawks would extend that lead to eight when Williams pulled up on a fast break and nailed another three. Williams went 5-9 from beyond the arc on the night. Holley finished the game with 16 points.
"So many guys stepped up for us tonight," Herenda added. "It was a really great road victory. I'm proud of my guys responding after two tough losses."
UMass Lowell out rebounded Le Moyne, 40-37 and shot 70% (14-20) from the line to Le Moyne's 53.6% (15-28).