Box Score (PDF)

ALBANY, N.Y. – Redshirt freshman Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) logged a team-best 12 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (7-14, 3-5 AE) faced a 75-63 setback at three-time America East Champion UAlbany (16-6, 5-2 AE) on Wednesday evening.
 
Despite trailing by as many as 16 points early in the second half, the River Hawks battled back to within six at 68-62 with three minutes still to play in the contest.
 
"I was happy with how we competed tonight, we got back on the right track," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "But we didn't play great offensive basketball. We didn't take care of the ball and we got a little sloppy, which isn't like us. If you're going to beat a really good team, you're going to have to be good defensively and take care of the basketball. It was disappointing because I thought we got ourselves back into it by playing really hard, but then gave it away."
 
Freshman Isaac White (Ashland, Ohio) joined Gantz in double figures with 10 points on the night. Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.), who added eight points, paced the team on the boards with seven rebounds, while chipping in three steals. As a team, UMass Lowell outrebounded UAlbany, 34-27.
 
The Great Danes won the opening tip and scored the first five points of the night, but fresgman Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) and White followed with back-to-back layups to put the River Hawks on the board. UAlbany used a quick, 10-4 spurt, though, to pull ahead, 15-8, with 14:48 remaining in the first half.
 
Junior Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) banked in a bucket from the left side of the paint and freshman Logan Primerano (Peru, Ind.) added a free throw to make it a two-possession game at 12:56. The River Hawks cut the difference to four once more on a long jumper from Primerano before the home squad created a nine-point buffer at 22-13 with 10:34 to play in the half.
 
The teams traded baskets over the next three minutes, with the Great Danes maintaining at least a seven-point edge until a three from Evan Singletary helped UAlbany take a double-digit advantage, 33-21, at 5:41. Sophomore Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) would knock down the River Hawks' first jumper from beyond the arc in the waning minutes of the first, but UAlbany scored the last seven points to head into the break with a 47-31 margin.
 
UMass Lowell was quick to attack coming out of halftime, posting the first five points of the period, including three from senior Mark Cornelius (Westford, Mass.). However, the Great Danes responded with seven of the next nine points to extend their lead to 54-38 with 13:19 to go in the contest.  
 
Gantz drained a long ball to spark a 12-4 run, making the score 60-52 in favor of the home team at 7:27. Thomas and White then put the River Hawks within two-possessions on three occasions in the final minutes.
 
Singletary logged a game-high 22 points to help UAlbany seal the decision. Greg Stire and Joe Cremo registered 13 points apiece, as well.
 
Wednesday's contest marked the 14th meeting between UMass Lowell and UAlbany in the sport of men's basketball. The all-time series is now tied, 7-7. The River Hawks will return to action next Wednesday, February 3 when they visit Hartford to start the second half of the America East Conference schedule. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m.