Sunday, November 29 vs. Cornell (2 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who is currently 2-2 on the young season, hosts Cornell in a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, November 29, at the Costello Athletic Center.  

LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Ryan Jones posted a team- and season-high 20 points to lead UMass Lowell to a 104-76 victory against Wheelock on Nov. 24. Jones drained a personal-best four, three-point field goals, while pacing five double-digit scorers for the River Hawks. Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas logged his first double-double of the year with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Keith Hayes II, redshirt freshman Dontavious Smith and classmate Josh Gantz 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.  

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through four games in 2015-16, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Isaac White adds to the offense with a team-best 11 assists, and is UMass Lowell's only other double-digit scorer, averaging 10.0 points. Ryan Jones, who has posted 9.5 points per game, is first on the team from beyond the arc, shooting 60.0 percent (9-15) from lthree-point range. Senior Mark Cornelius chips in with seven steals, while Dontavious Smith has recorded five blocks so far, as well. As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 43.9 percent (112-255) from the floor, 39.5 (34-86) from beyond the arc and 72.3 percent (47-65) on free throws.

SCOUTING CORNELL
Cornell enters Sunday's contest at 3-3 after splitting a pair of decisions last week. The Big Red rolled past Penn State-Harrisburg, 76-47, on Nov. 23, before facing a 93-49 setback at Pittsburgh on Nov. 25. Robert Hatter and Matt Morgan are pacing the squad's offense, averaging 16.8 and 14.0 points per game while adding four and five steals, respectively. David Onuorah has been a defensive force in the paint, grabbing 9.8 boards per game and totaling 13 blocks in six games. As a team, Cornell is shooting 43.1 percent (152-353) from the field, including 37.2 percent (55-148) from long range.

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's contest marks just the second meeting ever between UMass Lowell and Cornell, as the Big Red earned a 71-60 win last season on December 6, 2014.

STEALING THE SHOW
The River Hawks posted 15 steals against Sacred Heart on Nov. 18, while forcing 25 turnovers. The squad was led by Mark Cornelius, who logged a career-high with five takeaways. He is currently tied for third with Isaac White in the America East with 1.8 steals per game, while the team as a whole sits in first with 9.5 per game.

HELPING HANDS
On Nov. 24 against Wheelock, UMass Lowell recorded 25 assists as a team for the first time since 2009, when the team posted 32 against Division II Mercy (11/15/09). Isaac White logged a single-game high with six helpers in the
Wheelock contest. He leads the team with 11 dishes so far this year. As a whole, the River Hawks sit second in the America East with 15.3 assists per game.

UNDER CONTROL
The River Hawks turned the ball over a season-low nine times against Wheelock on Nov. 24. They are averaging just 12.0 turnovers per game this season and are third in the  America East with a +2.8 turnover margin.

A THREAT ON THREES
UMass Lowell is strong from beyond the arc for the second straight season. The team is currently second in the America East for 3FGs made (8.5) and 3FG percentage (39.5). Through four games, Ryan Jones paces the squad, going 9-15 (60.0%) on three-pointers.

HOME SWEET HOME
Although the River Hawks have only 12 home games this year, the squad has a history of performing well in friendly confines. Including this season in which the team is an undefeated, 2-0, in Lowell, UMass Lowell has accumulated a 101-53 mark at home since 2003-04.