Box Score
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Freshman Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) and senior Chad Holley (New York, N.Y.) logged 10 points apiece, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (7-7) fell, 58-49, at Brown University (8-7) on Monday evening in Providence.

"I'm happy for my team because I thought we played well, even though we struggled to score," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "We scored a little bit better in the second half, but our defense was great. This is a very good basketball team and they're going to finish at the top of their league. I think this is a quality result we can build on. When we fell down by a pretty big margin in the second half, my guys got together and made a run, and we had a chance at this game with about five minutes left. To only score 49 points and still put yourself in a position to win on the road against a quality team like Brown is a good step for us."

The River Hawks, who trailed by as many as 17, made it a two-possession game late in the second half, but were unable to erase the deficit. Graduate student Marco Banegas-Flores (Boston, Mass.) added eight points in the outing, while redshirt-freshman Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) tallied seven points and a team-high seven rebounds.

The River Hawks were quick to take the upper hand in the contest thanks to a three from the wing by Banegas-Flores and a one-handed dunk by redshirt-senior Kerry Weldon (New York, N.Y.). The visitors led by as many as seven in the opening minutes of play before Brown retaliated with an 8-2 spurt to cut the difference to just one at 12-11 with 11:55 remaining in the first half.

The Bears pulled within one point of the lead once more, but sophomore Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) followed with a jumper from beyond the arc to give UMass Lowell a 17-13 advantage at 9:17. The margin did not stick, however, as an eight-minute River Hawk scoring drought allowed Brown to notch 14 consecutive points and go ahead, 27-17, with 1:33 left in the period.

Freshman Lance Crawford (Davie, Fla.) floated in a layup to break the silence for his squad in the waning seconds, but the Bears took a 29-19 edge into halftime.

Brown tallied the first bucket of the second half, and although Thomas answered with one of his own, the home team extended its margin to 38-21 at 14:34. Banegas-Flores drained another three to spark an 8-0 River Hawk run and make it a nine-point game at 38-29, but the Bears regained a double-digit margin and led by 15 with nine minutes to play.

Banegas-Flores and Holley combined for five points to help shift the momentum with 7:44 left before Crawford converted on a pair of free throws and Harris completed a three-point play, making it just a two-possession game at 49-43. The River Hawks were unable to come any closer, though, as the Bears went on to seal the 58-49 decision.

As a whole, Brown shot 77.3% (17-22) from the line on the night. JR Hobbie registered a game-high 12 points to lead three double-digit scorers. Cedric Kuakumensah paced both sides on the glass with 14 rebounds.

Monday's contest marked just the second meeting ever between UMass Lowell and Brown in the sport of men's basketball. The Bears now lead the all-time series, 2-0. The River Hawks remain on the road, visiting America East Conference opponent UMBC on Wednesday, January 7 for a 7 p.m. tilt.