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SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sophomore Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) registered a team- and season-high 16 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (1-2) dropped an 83-57 decision at No. 18 Notre Dame (3-0) on Saturday afternoon.
 
"I think in spots, we saw some progress today," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "The most obvious thing to me was we played a very good basketball team. They are a legitimate, top-20 team, who has a lot of talent and plays the right way. They space the floor and make you pay for mistakes. We saw some good things, particularly from our young guys, but we still have a way to go. This was a good teaching lesson for us, for sure."
 
Harris tied a career best with four, three-point field goals in the outing. Redshirt freshman Dontavious Smith (Cullen, La.) paced the team on the boards, pulling down a personal-best eight rebounds. Junior Tyler Livingston added to the offense with nine points for the third consecutive game, while redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) posted seven points and seven rebounds, as well.
 
Notre Dame jumped out to an early, 10-2 advantage before freshman Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) hit a three from the wing to make it a two possession game at 15:40 in the first. The Fighting Irish followed with a 15-3 spurt, though, to pull away, 25-8, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the half.
 
The River Hawks sped up the tempo of the game with a pair of buckets from Livingston and one Thomas in the next two minutes to make the score 27-15 at 7:20.  
 
Late in the half, senior DJ Mlachnik (Muskego, Wis.) knocked down a deep three to spark an 11-2 UMass Lowell run, cutting the difference back to single digits at 33-24 with 2:56 left in the half. However, the Fighting Irish answered with seven of the final nine points of the period to take a 40-26 advantage into the break.
 
The home squad tallied the first seven points coming out of halftime. Redshirt freshman Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) floated one in to get the River Hawks on the board, but Notre Dame then used a 14-4 stretch to extend the margin to 62-32 with 10:52 to play. Livingston ended five scoreless minutes for the River Hawks before Smith added two baskets from down low to help UMass Lowell outscore Notre Dame, 11-4, in the next three minutes and make the score 70-47. The visitors were unable to come any closer, as the Fighting Irish secured the 83-57 decision.
 
Zach Auguste led four double-digit scorers for Notre Dame with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Demetrius Jackson chipped in with 15 points, while Steve Vasturia and Bonzie Colson logged 12 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Saturday's contest marked the first meeting ever between UMass Lowell and Notre Dame in the sport of men's basketball. The River Hawks return home to host Wheelock College in the first game of a doubleheader with the UMass Lowell women's basketball team on Tuesday, November 24. Tipoff for the men's game is slated for 4 p.m. at Costello Athletic Center.