Saturday, January 9 at Stony Brook (2 p.m.)
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STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who currently owns a 5-9 overall record and 1-0 mark in America East action, heads back out on the road for its first America East road game of the year at Stony Brook on Saturday, January 9 beginning at 2 p.m.     

LAST TIME OUT
Sophomore Matt Harris tied season highs with six made field goals and 16 points to lead UMass Lowell to a last-minute, 80-76 victory against Hartford in the squad's America East opener on January 6. Junior Tyler Livingston and freshman Isaac White added to the offensive effort with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas paced the team on the boards with eight rebounds, as well. UMass Lowell knotted the score for the eighth and final time in the contest at 71-71 with 3:30 to go before Harris knocked down a huge three to regain the upper hand. Hartford led once more, but a layup by Harris put UMass Lowell back in control and free throws in the final seconds secured the outcome.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 14 games in 2015-16, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 11.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. Isaac White follows with 11.0 points per game, in addition to shooting a team-best 42.7% (32-75) from beyond the arc. Tyler Livingston and Matt Harris chip in with 9.2 and 9.1 points, respectively. In addition, freshman Keith Hayes II is pacing the team from the foul line, shooting at a clip of 81.1 percent (30-37), 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 STONY BROOK
Stony Brook sits at 10-4 overall and 1-0 in the America East. The team used a pair of wins last week to extend its current win streak to six. The Seawolves defeated Columbia, 69-60, on Dec. 28, before topping league opponent Binghamton, 62-52, on Jan. 6. Senior Jameel Warney is first on the squad, in points per game (19.5), and rebounds per game (10.7) with 48 blocks and a 60.5 shooting percentage (118-195). Classmate Carson Puriefoy, who leads the team with 21 steals, and junior Ahmad Walker, who has a team-high 71 helpers, are averaging 13.9 and 10.9 points, respectively. As a team, Stony Brook is netting 76.3 points per game by shooting 46.4 percent (405-875) from the field, including 35.5 percent (97-275) from long range.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's contest marks the 13ths meeting between UMass Lowell and Stony Brook in the sport of men's basketball. The Seawolves swept a home-and-home series last year with a 65-45 road win on Jan. 22 and a 75-60 victory at home on Feb. 25 to take an 8-4 lead in the all-time series.

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 (37.0) and  3FGs made (8.9). Through 14 games, Isaac White paces the squad with 32 three-pointers (42.7%).

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 second in the America East with 14.7 assists per game.

ROAD WARRIORS
The River Hawks play 17 of their 29 games in 2015-16 away from friendly confines. The non-conference road schedule shaped up to be the team's hardest yet in the Division I,  especially with seven of eight games on the road from Dec. 3-30. The team, who sits at 1-8 in away games so far, has accumulated an 82-101 road record since 2003-04.

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
Having such a young team means everyone has to play a role. That was very evident when the River Hawks' bench provided 48 points in the win against Hartford on Jan. 6. So far this season, the bench has been pivotal, outscoring their opponent, 413-293. In addition, the team has already logged eight games with at least four double-digit scorers this year.

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 33.2 rebounds per game compared to 28.9 rebounds last year. Additionally, the team has already outrebounded its opponent four times in 2015-16, compared to just five time total in 2014-15.

STEALING THE SHOW
The River Hawks posted 15 steals against Sacred Heart on Nov. 18, while forcing 25 turnovers. In that outing, the squad was led by Mark Cornelius, who logged a career-high with five takeaways. The team as a whole is fourth in the America East with 6.6 steals per game.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
UMass Lowell has earned last-minute wins against Hartford, BC, Cornell and Sacred Heart already this year for a 4-1 record in games decided by less than five points. Since 2014-15, 12 of the squad's most recent 17 wins have been decided by 10 points or less, including 10 by seven points or less. The team has even trailed in the second half in 11 games before battling back to earn the victories.