Box Score (PDF) | Highlights

LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) posted a team- and season-high 20 points to lead the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (2-2) to a 104-76 victory against Wheelock College (0-4) in a contest that lasted three hours due to a shattered backboard on Tuesday evening at Costello Athletic Center.

"No matter what I have to say about today's game, I think it's forever going to be remembered as the day we smashed a backboard at Costello," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "Credit to our administration for having a spare backboard. I didn't think the game was going to continue. We did a good job coming back from the delay and played good offensive basketball. I think right now, we're more ahead on the offensive end as a team than we are on the defensive end, and that concerns me a little bit, but I'm happy with the way we moved the ball."
 
Jones drained a personal-best four, three-point field goals, while pacing five double-digit scorers for the River Hawks. Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) logged his first double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Keith Hayes II (Little Rock, Ark.) (15 points), redshirt freshman Dontavious Smith (Cullen, La.) (14 points) and classmate Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) (12 points) each tallied a personal-best for points to add to the offense and round out the double-digit scorers, as well.
 
Play was suspended for an hour and a half with 1:45 left in the first when Smith, who forced a turnover and went up for a dunk on the fast-break, shattered the backboard in the process.  
 
The River Hawks won the opening tip and were quick to jump out to an early, 7-2 edge. The Wildcats cut the difference to just one, but would not come any closer, as Gantz sparked a 13-3 run that included 11 straight points from Jones to help UMass Lowell pull away, 22-11, at 15:02.
 
Wheelock responded with 11 consecutive points to make it a two-possession game at 26-22 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half. Junior Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) snapped the silence for the River Hawks with a three from the top of the key.
 
UMass Lowell built its buffer back to nine on three occasions in the next two minutes, but the Wildcats worked to cut the difference to a bucket at 37-34 with 6:20 to go in the first. Gantz gave the home team some breathing room with a big three, and sophomore Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) and freshman Isaac White (Ashland, Ohio) followed with a jumper and a three, respectively, to make the score 45-36.
 
After the 90-minute delay, played resumed and Smith hit four of the River Hawks' next six points to put the team on top, 51-36, through one complete half of action.
 
UMass Lowell opened the second half with a 10-3 spurt to pull away, 61-39. The closest the Wildcats would come was within 18 at 14:03, but the home team followed with a 10-2 run that included a jumper from long range by senior Mark Cornelius (Westford, Mass.) to take a 77-51 advantage with less than 11 minutes to play.
 
The teams traded possessions in the waning minutes of the contest, as the River Hawks continued to grow their lead en route to sealing the 104-76 decision.
 
Tuesday's contest marked the first meeting ever between UMass Lowell and Wheelock in the sport of men's basketball. The River Hawks return to action after a short holiday break when Ivy league member Cornell comes to town for a 2 p.m. tilt on Sunday, November 29.