November 19 at Fort Wayne (7 p.m.)
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November 21 at Liberty (6 p.m.)
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November 22 vs. Mississippi Valley State (6 p.m.)
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who is currently 1-2 overall on the new season, will round out their longest road trip of the year with three games in the next four days as part of the 2016 Indiana Classic. The River Hawks will first visit Fort Wayne for a 7 p.m. tilt on Saturday, November 19 before traveling to Virginia for games against Liberty and Mississippi Valley State on Nov. 21 and 22, respectively.
LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt-junior
Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) notched a team-best 16 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team dropped a 100-78 decision at No. 6/5 Indiana (2-0) to open the 2016 Indiana Classic on Wednesday evening. Thomas made 5-of-12 from the floor and was a perfect, 6-for-6 from the foul line in the outing. Senior
Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) logged 14 points, and a team-high five rebounds and three assists. Sophomore
Isaac White (Ashland, Ohio) added to the offensive effort with 13 points. UMass Lowell and Indiana traded baskets in the opening minutes with five lead changes before White hit a jumper to spark a 9-2 run that gave his squad a 14-9 edge at 15:09 in the first half. After four ties in the first half, the Hoosiers took the lead for good with a 13-2 run on their way to the decision.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through three games in 2016-17,
Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 16.0 points per game, eight steals and a 62.5 (15-24) shooting percentage from the floor.
Isaac White adds 14.0 points per game, while tallying six three-point field goals so far. Junior
Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) , who follows with 12.3 points per game, boasts a team-high nine assists and a perfect 100.0 percent clip (19-19) from the foul line.
Tyler Livingston is first on the team with an average of 5.7 rebounds so far. As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 43.6 percent (72-165) from the floor, 36.5 percent (23-63) from beyond the arc and 81.3 percent (74-91) from the foul line.
SCOUTING FORT WAYNE
The Mastodons own a 1-2 overall record in 2016-17. Most recently, the squad faced a 75-57 setback at Illinois State on Nov. 16. So far this season, Fort Wayne has been led by Mo Evans, who is averaging 20.0 points per game with a 52.4 percent clip (11-21) from long range. Jon Konchar chips in with 13.3 points and a team-high 9.0 rebounds per game. The Mastodons are shooting 46.2 percent (85-184) from the field as a team, including 38.9 percent (28-72) from three-point territory, and 72.8 percent (59-81) at the line. Last year, Fort Wayne put together a 24-10 campaign, earning a bid into the Postseason NIT.
SCOUTING LIBERTY
The Flames own a 1-1 overall record in 2016-17 after falling to VCU, 64-59, on Nov. 15. Liberty will take on Indiana on Nov. 19 before UMass Lowell comes to town. John Dawson is leading the offense with 14.5 points per game, while Caleb Homesley is first on the team with 6.0 rebounds per game. As a team, LU is shooting 46.5 percent (47-101) on field goals and 38.8 percent (19-49) on threes.
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE
The Delta Devils are looking for their first win on the young season, as they enter their game against UMass Lowell at 0-4. Most recently, MVSU dropped a 100-53 decision at Michigan State on Nov. 18.
SWEET SPOT
UMass Lowell has made the most of its opportunities at the line so far this season. The squad tallied 32 made free throws in the win against Wagner on Nov. 14, marking the most in a single game for the program since Jan. 4 1995 when the River Hawks totaled 43 against Assumption. The team is currently shooting 81.3 percent (74-91) from the charity stripe, good for first in the America East Conference. Individually,
Matt Harris, who is 19-for-19 so far, and
Isaac White, who owns a 93.3 field goal percentage (14-15) are leading the way.
ROAD WARRIORS
The River Hawks play 17 of their 31 games in 2016-17 away from friendly confines, including five of their first six. The team has accumulated an 87-107 road record since 2003-04.
A THREAT ON THREES
UMass Lowell has been strong from beyond the arc in recent years under Duquette's tutelage. The River Hawks are second in the America East right now with a 36.5 percent (23-63) clip from long range this year, including a season-high nine makes against both Wagner and Indiana. In this season's opener on Nov. 11 at Massachusetts,
Matt Harris logged his 100th three-point field goal.
HIGH SCORING AFFAIRS
After averaging a league-best 76.6 points per game in 2015-16, it looks as though the River Hawks will continue with their high offensive output this season. Through three games, the team is averaging 80.3 points per game to sit second in the conference.
EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
Having such a young team means everyone has to play a role. In all three games this year, the River Hawks have had at least three double-digit scorers.
STEALING THE SHOW
Jahad Thomas currently ranks fourth among active America East career leaders with 74 steals. So far this season, he boasts a team-high eight takeaways, including four against Wagner on Nov. 14.
HELPING HANDS
One key to the River Hawks' balanced scoring is their ability to share the basketball. This year, the squad is averaging 13.7 assists per game, to rank tied for third in the America East. UMass Lowell is led by
Matt Harris with a total of nine helpers so far.
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
UMass Lowell is familiar with closely-contested battles, having put together an 8-3 record last season in games decided by six points or less, as well as a 2-0 mark in overtime games. Since 2014-15, 16 of the squad's most recent 23 wins have been decided by 10 points or less, including 15 by seven points or less. The team has even trailed in the second half in 16 games before battling back to earn the victories. Â
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