Box Score
Senior G
Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) compiled 25 points, six assists five steals and four rebounds as UMass Lowell won its seventh straight game – a 69-52 victory over Le Moyne Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball game at the Henninger Athletic Center.
UMass Lowell improved to 12-4 overall and 9-3 in the NE-10 and remain in a tie for third place with Assumption (12-4, 9-3), which it hosts Saturday at 2:00.
The loss was the fifth straight for Le Moyne, which slipped to 4-12 overall and 2-10 in the Conference.
Simmons converted 11 of 19 field goal attempts, including 2-4 from 3-point range, while senior G
Ashley Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) added 12 points, five assists and five steals.
"We are glad to get the 'W' on a long road trip," said head coach
Sarah Behn. "We played much better defense today and actually held a team under its average. We're making progress."
Freshman F Maggie Brown led Le Moyne with 12 points and seven rebounds while senior G Torie Lee added 12 points and five rebounds. Sophomore G Alex Marple also had 12 points (5-8 field goal shooting) off the bench for the Dolphins.
UMass Lowell forced 22 turnovers from Le Moyne (while committing only 15) and took advantage, outscoring the Dolphins 34-1 off turnovers. The River Hawks also made the most of their second chances, outscoring Le Moyne 20-9 off a slim 17-15 edge on offensive rebounds.
UMass Lowell outscored Le Moyne 27-9 from 3-point range, led by a pair of treys each from Simmons, Rivera and junior G
Lauren Fiola (Fall River, Mass.).
UMass Lowell also received 27 points from its bench – led by eight points from Fiola and seven from senior F
Whitney Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) – to Le Moyne's 12 points.
With the score tied 9-9 six minutes into the first half, UMass Lowell went on a 20-4 run and never looked back en route to a 34-23 cushion at the break. Simmons led the run with 12 points while River scored four.
Trailing by 13 (50-37) midway through the second half, Le Moyne scored seven straight points, capped by a trey from sophomore G Maddie Hahesy. Simmons, however, hit a 3-pointer and a layup while sophomore F
Demetria Bell (Braintree, Mass.) also had a layup to keep the Dolphins at a distance.