Monday, December 28 at Rutgers (7 p.m.)
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Wednesday, December 30 at Wagner (7 p.m.)
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PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who sits at 4-7 overall this season, will close out s four-game road swing with two matchups this week. The River Hawks will visit Rutgers on Monday, December 28 before completing their 2015-16 non-conference slate at Wagner on Wednesday, Dec. 30. Both contests are scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.    

LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) totaled 19 points and tied a career high with seven assists, as UMass Lowell fell, 88-79, at No. 25 Connecticut on Sunday afternoon. Thomas also led the River Hawks on the glass with five rebounds. Redshirt freshman Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) tallied a season-high, four three-pointers en route to matching a personal best 18 points, while sophomore Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) and freshman Isaac White (Ashland, Ohio) added 11 points apiece to round out the team's double-digit scorers. The squads battled for the lead early in the contest and were tied late in the first half, although the Huskies would pull ahead before the break. UMass Lowell used a 10-3 run to make it just a two-possession game with less than two minutes left to play, but was unable to come any closer.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 11 games in 2015-16, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 11.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Isaac White follows with 11.2 points per game, in addition to shooting a team-best 43.9% (25-57) from beyond the arc and totaling 12 steals. Junior Tyler Livingston and freshman Ryan Jones chip in with 8.8 and 8.2 points, respectively. In addition, freshman Keith Hayes II is pacing the team from the foul line, shooting at a clip of 82.9 percent (29-35). As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 44.8 percent (298-665) from the floor, 37.6 percent (99-263) from beyond the arc and 70.6 percent (125-177) on free throws.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
Rutgers enters the contest at 5-7 after splitting a pair of decisions last week. The Scarlet Knights fell, 73-67, to Monmouth on Dec. 20 before bouncing back to defeat Fairleigh Dickinson, 72-64, on Dec. 23. Freshman Corey Sanders and junior Deshawn Freeman are leading the offense, averaging 13.5 and 13.1 points, respectively. Sanders is also first on the team with 17 steals and 38 assists, while sophomore D.J. Foreman leads the team with 6.6 boards per game. As a team, Rutgers is putting up 68.2 points per game, shooting 41.7 percent (292-700) from the field, including 31.0 percent (57-184) from long range. The Scarlet Knights are pulling in 38.5 rebounds per game, as well, with 137 assists on the year.

SCOUTING WAGNER
The Seahawks own a 6-4 record so far in 2015-16, although they dropped their lone decision last week, 71-60, at George Mason on Dec. 22. Prior to the contest at GMU, Wagner had won six of its most recent seven games. Corey Henson and Dwaun Anderson are pacing the Seahawks' offensive effort this year, averaging 14.6 and 13.1 points per game, respectively. Henson also totals a team-best 35 assists, while Anderson leads the squad with 19 steals. Michael Carey, who adds 8.7 points per game, is first on the team with 8.4 rebounds per game.As a whole, Wagner is shooting 38.2 percent from the floor and averaging 65.8 points per game. The Seahawks have done a good job controlling the glass, as well, with 39.5 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY
The River Hawks will be taking on both Rutgers and Wagner for the first time in program history.

A THREAT ON THREES
UMass Lowell is strong from beyond the arc for the second straight season. The team, who posted a season-high 12 threes at NJIT on Dec. 5 and at UConn on Dec. 20, currently leads the America East for 3FG percentage (37.6) and is second in 3FGs made (9.0). Through 11 games, Isaac White paces the squad with 25 three-pointers (43.9%).

CHANGING IDENTITY
Following the high-scoring thriller against Sacred Heart on Nov. 18, Coach Duquette commented that this year's team has a different identity from his teams in the past because they have the ability to score a lot of points, whereas his teams are typically defensively oriented. So far this season, the River Hawks are averaging 74.5 points per game (second in the America East), compared to 61.4 points in 2014-15.

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). Jahad Thomas  logged a single-game high for the team this year with seven helpers at Boston College on Dec. 6. and at UConn on Dec. 20. As a whole, the River Hawks are second in the America East with 14.8 assists per game.

ROAD WARRIORS
The River Hawks play 17 of their 29 games in 2015-16 away from friendly confines. After playing three road games in four days from Dec. 3-6, the team's longest trip of the year will be four straight games from December 18-30. The team has accumulated an 82-99 road record since 2003-04.

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
Having such a young team means everyone has to play a role. So far this season, the bench has been pivotal, outscoring their opponent, 331-222. In addition, the team has already logged seven games with at least four double-digit scorers this year.

SWEET SPOT
As a unit, UMass Lowell has found its groove at the foul line this year. The team is currently ranked second in the conference, shooting 70.6 percent on free throws. Keith Hayes II paces the squad from the charity stripe (82.9%).

HOARDING THE BOARDS
With some more size in the lineup this year, the River Hawks are focusing on pulling down more rebounds. In the team's win against Cornell on Nov. 29, the squad grabbed a season-high 46 boards, a number they beat just once in 2014-15. UMass Lowell is averaging 33.9 rebounds per game compared to 28.9 rebounds last year.