Box Score

Senior guards Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) and Ashley Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) combined for 53 points as UMass Lowell defeated Assumption College, 89-74, Saturday in a Norheast-10 Conference women's basketball clash at the Costello Athletic Center.

The victory was UMass Lowell's eighth straight as it improved to 13-4 overall and 10-3 in the NE-10 to take sole possession of third place. The River Hawks win skein is its longest since the 2002-03 season, when they won nine straight en route to the NCAA Tournament.

Assumption slipped to 12-5 overall and 9-4 in the Conference.

Simmons amassed 33 points – her sixth 30-plus point game in her last eight appearances – as she converted 12 of 22 field goal attempts. She also had six rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Rivera scored 20 points – including five of six free throws in the final 1:06 – and also grabbed four rebounds and dished three assists.

Senior G Katy Howard led Assumption with 25 points as she meshed 10 of 20 field goal attempts, grabbed four rebounds and three assists. Senior G Gabrielle Gibson contributed 18 points and four rebounds, shooting 8-15 from the field.

Senior F Sabrina Siciliano chipped in 11 points and five rebounds.

UMass Lowell protected the ball well (12 turnovers) and forced 23 from the Greyhounds, which led to a 29-14 scoring edge off turnovers. Additionally, the River Hawks outscored Assumption, 16-11, off second chances, the result of a slim 15-13 edge on the offensive glass.

UMass Lowell rushed to a 44-27 lead at the break and converted 16 of 32 field goal attempts (.500) in the first half. Assumption shot 9-34 from the field (.346).

The River Hawks led 12-9 six minutes into the game, and went on a 20-5 run to post a 32-14 cushion with 7:26 to play. Simmons led the run with eight points while senior F Whitney Wilson (Lowell, Mass.) and junior G Danielle DePierro (Tewksbury, Mass.) each scored four.

Assumption, however, found its touch in the second half. UMass Lowell led by 24 (68-44) midway through, but the Greyhounds used a 26-7 tear to cut the River Hawk lead to 75-69 with 3:14 left to play. Gibson fueled the run with 10 points while Howard chipped in 10.

Simmons, however, quelled the run with a trey while freshman C Lindsey Doucette (Hopkinton, N.H.) added a layup and two free throws and Rivera five of six free throws late on to seal the win.