Box Score (PDF)DURHAM, N.H. – In a game that seesawed back-and-forth, the UMass Lowell women's basketball team came up short, falling to New Hampshire 58-51 at Lundholm Gymnasium.
Guards
Brianna Rudolph (Lynn, Mass.) and
Jasmine McRoy (Gaithersburg, Md.) anchored the River Hawks offense with 10 points apiece as the team drops to 7-11 overall and 1-5 in the AE.
The Wildcats (13-5, 5-1), second in the America East Conference standing, were propelled by Elizabeth Belanger and two-time America East Rookie of the Week Carlie Pogue who each had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Pogue added five blocks and two steals.
The teams battled to the tune of six ties and seven lead changes, but it wasn't until the Wildcats Peyton Booth made a layup with a tick over 16 minutes to give UNH a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Neither team was able to create a margin greater than seven as the River Hawks took a seven-point edge at 15-8 following a layup by Rudolph.
UNH used a strong second half where they held the River Hawks to 18 percent shooting from the field and outscored UML 28-19. The Wildcats also turned 17 offensive rebounds into 20 points in the paint and eight second chance points.
The River Hawks started strong with Rudolph leading the charge with five straight points including a layup and three to put her team up 27-25. Sophomore guard
Asia Mitchell-Owens (Roxbury, Mass.) drained a triple from the top of the key as time expired in the first half to give UMass Lowell a 32-30 lead at the break.
The River Hawks made several pushes to regain the lead with
Nicole Hayner (Bedford, N.H) nailing a triple in transition off a steal by
Shannon Samuels (Windsor, Conn.) to cut it to a single point at 41-40.
The River Hawks begin the first of three at home against Stony Brook in the second game of a double-header with the men's team on Thursday at 8 p.m.
