Box Score

Senior G Bianca Simmons (Middletown, Conn.) scored 31 points – including a game-tying 3-point shot – as UMass Lowell defeated American International College, 74-73, Wednesday night in a Northeast-10 Conference women's basketball clash at Butova Gymnasium.

With the win, UMass Lowell improved to 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the NE-10 – good for a share of fifth place – entering Saturday's home game against Southern Connecticut (2:00).

AIC slipped to 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the Conference.

Simmons' output marked her third consecutive 30-plus point effort. She had a career-high 38 points in an 84-76 win at Palm Beach Atlantic Jan. 2 and followed with a 32-point effort in Sunday's 96-82 win at Southern New Hampshire.

Simmons converted 11 of 19 field goal attempts (3-6 from 3-point range) and 6-8 free throws. She also added nine rebounds and five assists.

Senior G Ashley Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) scored a season-high 20 points and dished four assists. Freshman C Lindsey Doucette (Hopkinton, Mass.) came off the bench to add seven rebounds, four blocked shots and three steals while scoring six points in 24 minutes.

Sophomore F Krista Ferrentino led the Yellow Jackets with 27 points and 11 rebounds as she shot 11-20 from the floor and 5-7 from the free throw line. Junior G Sarah Noble added 22 points as she meshed 8-9 field goals, including 5-6 from 3-point range.

AIC led 73-70 with 2:46 left to play when Ferrentino converted a conventional 3-point play. Simmons, however, came back with a 3-point shot to knot the score at 73-73 with 1:05 left to play.

She then came up with a key steal with 34 seconds left. Sophomore F Demetria Bell (Braintree, Mass.) was fouled with seven seconds remaining and hit the second of two free throws for the win.

Led by junior Danielle DePierro (Tewksbury, Mass.), who had eight points, and Doucette, UMass Lowell's reserves outscored AIC's, 18-7. Turnovers were even at 16-16, but it was the River Hawks who capitalized, outscoring AIC 19-13 off turnovers.

AIC ended the first half with an 8-0 run behind a layup by Ferrentino as well as a conventional 3-point play and a long range trey by Noble to take a 39-30 lead at the break.

UMass Lowell chipped away and cut the deficit to two (63-61) with 5:16 left on a trey by Simmons.