Box Score

Sophomore G Chad Holley (New York, N.Y.) led the River Hawks with 25 points as UMass Lowell took down Le Moyne, 82-65, on Friday night in the first round of the NE-10 Tournament at the Costello Athletic Center.

With the win, UMass Lowell will advance to the Quarterfinal round on Sunday where they will face top seeded Saint Anselm in Manchester, N.H. (3:00).

The loss ended an up and down season for Le Moyne. The Dolphins finished the season with a 13-14 overall record and a 10-12 mark in the NE-10.

The game was back and forth early on, with UMass Lowell jumping out to an early 11-4 lead after layups from junior G Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) and freshman C James McDonnell (Swansea, Mass.).

Williams finished the game with 13 points on 4-8 shooting. Williams also added three rebounds and three steals. McDonnell finished with seven points and seven rebounds

Trailing by five with 8:55 remaining in the half, Le Moyne went on a 10-2 run that gave the Dolphins a 25-22 lead. Jim Janson led the Dolphins on the run with four points.

Janson finished the night with 12 points and five rebounds. Also active in the scoring for Le Moyne was Connor Mahoney with 19 points on 7-11 shooting and Ryan Romich with 12 points.

The River Hawks ended the half on a positive note when Holley banked home a three pointer to beat the buzzer. The three gave UMass Lowell a 37-30 lead at the break.

"Chad Holley lead the way offensively and vitrually every player followed with outstanding offensive efforts," said UMass Lowell head coach, Greg Herenda. "When we put the ball in the basket we are an entirely different team - it allows us to get into our press and we become a better defensive team."

UMass Lowell didn't let up to begin the second half, scoring eight straight points and extending its lead to 15 points.

With just over seven minutes remaining, freshman F Kennedy Chukwuocha (Willingboro, N.J.) delivered the dagger when he knocked down a three-pointer that gave UMass Lowell a 22 point advantage.

“We are now 1-0 and it feels good,” added Herenda. “I'm very proud of my team's overall intensity and focus. Now we have a new challenge ahead of us at St. A's on Sunday afternoon and we are looking forward to it."

UMass Lowell shot 54.9% (28-51) for the game, while Le Moyne shot 50% (27-54). However, the Dolphins struggled mightily from the free throw line, shooting just 13.3% (2-15) from the stripe, while UMass Lowell shot 86.4% (19-22).

Both teams were even in the paint with 30 points.