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LOWELL, Mass. – Redshirt-senior Kerry Weldon (New York, N.Y.) tied career highs with five free throws and 15 total points to help the UMass Lowell men's basketball team fend off a late surge by the University of Hartford (12-13, 5-7) and take a 69-63 victory on Saturday afternoon.
 
With the victory, UMass Lowell surpasses its win total from last season and improves to 11-15 overall, including 5-8 in America East play.
 
"We're really happy with the outcome today," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "We played exactly how we needed to play to win against a good Hartford team. We knew that they're a very good three-point shooting team and we talked a lot about defending that. They only shot 6-for-25 from the three, so that was the biggest key defensively for us. I thought offensively, we really shared the ball and got a balanced scoring distribution, which is important for us. We've been through a lot of injuries this year and I'm happy that this team has decided that they're going to continue to play really hard the last two weeks of the season."
 
Weldon also paced the team on the glass with seven rebounds. Freshman Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) added to the offensive effort with 13 points, while senior Chad Holley (New York, N.Y.) logged four assists.
 
The River Hawks were quick to pull ahead in the opening minutes, as graduate student Marco Banegas-Flores (Boston, Mass.) scored eight straight points to spark a 14-3 River Hawk run that included threes from freshman Brad Schaub (Marlette, Mich.) and sophomore Tyler Livngston (Hudson, N.H.).
 
UMass Lowell maintained at least a nine-point buffer until Hartford hit three consecutive buckets to cut the deficit to just four at 16-12 with 10:24 remaining in the first half. The teams traded baskets before the Hawks knotted the score, 21-21, at 7:18, but junior DJ Mlachnik (Muskego, Wis.) answered with a long ball from the wing to regain the upper hand for the home squad.
 
Although the Hawks pulled back within one, UMass Lowell used seven unanswered points to take a 30-23 edge with 3:37 left in the period. Livingston, Schaub and Harris then banked in layups in the waning minutes of the half to help the River Hawks take a 36-27 lead into the break.
 
Each side recorded just two points in the first five minutes of the second half. The visitors worked to within five before Harris hit from the paint and beyond the arc, making the score 44-34 with 12:36 still to go.
 
Hartford used a 10-3 spurt to close the gap to just one possession at 47-44. However, freshman Lance Crawford (Davie, Fla.) followed with a jumper for the first of eight straight River Hawk points, giving the home team a 55-44 margin with five minutes remaining.
 
A dunk and three free throws by Weldon gave UMass Lowell its largest lead of the afternoon at 62-48. Although the visitors would close the game on a 15-7 run, the River Hawks held on to secure the 69-63 decision.
 
Saturday's contest marked the ninth meeting between UMass Lowell and Hartford in the sport of men's basketball. The Hawks still hold a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series. The River Hawks continue their three-game homestand when they welcome Maine to Costello Athletic Center on Wednesday, February 18 at 7 p.m.