Wednesday, January 6 vs. Hartford (7 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team returns home to Costello Athletic Center this week after playing seven of its last eight contests on the road. The River Hawks will host America East foe Hartford on Wednesday, January 6 at 7 p.m. to begin conference action for the 2015-16 season.

LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Matt Harris recorded 15 points to pace UMass Lowell in a 76-62 loss at Wagner to close out non-conference play in 2015-16 on December 30. Harris was one of two double-digit scorers for the River Hawks, as redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas added 13 points, along with a team-high seven rebounds and four assists. Freshman Ryan Jones added nine points, as well. The River Hawks jumped in front early in the contest and maintained at least a five-point margin until the Seahawks put together a 12-0 spurt, taking the lead for good at 16-11 with 8:12 remaining in the first half.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 13 games in 2015-16, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Isaac White follows with 11.1 points per game, in addition to shooting a team-best 41.7% (30-72) from beyond the arc. Junior Tyler Livingston and Matt Harris chip in with 8.8 and 8.6 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), and senior Mark Cornelius is first with 15 steals so far. As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 44.3 percent (345-778) from the floor, 36.6 percent (115-314) from beyond the arc and 67.8 percent (143-211) on free throws.

SCOUTING HARTFORD
Hartford enters Wednesday's contest at 5-10 overall after dropping a pair of games last week. The Hawks fell in a double overtime thriller, 82-80, at Rider University on Dec. 30, before being topped by Yale at home, 88-53, on Jan. 2. Leading the team is redshirt junior Pancake Thomas, averaging 15.9 points and 6.3 boards. Junior Justin Graham has posted team bests in assists (46) and steals (23), while putting up 9.9 points per game. As a team, Hartford is averaging 68.6 points, and shooting 39.0 percent (336-861) from the field, including 34.8 percent (140-402) from long range. The squad is pulling in 30.5 rebounds per game, while dishing out 187 helpers, 109 steals and 23 blocks so far, heading into conference play.

SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday's matchup marks the 10th meeting between UMass Lowell and Hartford in the sport of men's basketball. THe Hawks own a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series, although the River Hawks earned a 69-63 victory when the teams last squared off on February 14, 2015.

LOOKING TO SNAP THE SKID
After going 3-2 to start the season, the River Hawks are currently in the midst of a five-game skid that began on Dec. 10 against Boston University. The streak matches the team's longest from a year ago, which spanned Jan. 17-31, 2015.

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, is currently second in the America East for 3FG percentage (36.6) and  3FGs made (8.8). Through 13 games, Isaac White paces the squad with 30 three-pointers (41.7%).

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 third in the America East with 14.4 assists per game.

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 3-1 at home, UMass Lowell has accumulated a 102-54 mark in Lowell since 2003-04.

ALL RIGHT WITH LEFTIES
In 2015-16, seven members of UMass Lowell's 14-man roster are left handed.

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 33.0 rebounds per game compared to 28.9 rebounds last year.