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LOWELL, Mass. — Freshman Kayla Gibbs (Teaneck, N.J.) netted a season-high and was one of three to score 16 points as the UMass Lowell women's basketball team beat New Hampshire, 70-65, at the Tsongas Center.

Shannon Samuels (Windsor, Conn.) and Lindsey Doucette (Hopkinton, Mass.) added 16 apiece for the River Hawks who bounced back from a tough loss at Stony Brook on Wednesday to improve to 12-15 overall and 6-9 in the America East.

Despite Elizabeth Belanger's 25 points and nine rebounds, the Wildcats fall to 16-11 overall with a 8-7 mark in league play.

Led by five points from Gibbs, the River Hawks came out of the gates strong scoring the games first seven points before the Wildcats clawed their way back to draw even at seven. A 20-6 run by the River Hawks late in the first half capped off by a three-pointer from Melissa Frase (Tamworth, N.H.), helped the squad build their largest lead of the game at 17. They would go on to take a 42-28 lead at the half.
 
The Wildcats slowly worked their way back into the game and knotted the score at 55 on a jumper by Kristen Anderson with less than seven minutes before the River Hawks locked in defensively and countered with eight unanswered points. The run started when Samuels found Gibbs rolling to the basket for a layup before Samuels picked up a steal of her own and went the other way for an uncontested deuce. The River Hawks forced UNH into three turnovers during the run and didn't let the score get closer than five points.
 
UMass Lowell was aggressive throughout, drawing 22 personal fouls on New Hampshire and getting to the line 24 times, making 20 of their attempts. The Wildcats got to the line just 12 times and made eight free throws.

UMass Lowell will play its final road game of the season in Burlington when they take on Vermont on Thursday at 7 p.m.