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LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell (0-4) women's basketball team turned over an 11-point third quarter lead, and fell to the Longwood Lancers (1-3), 72-59, at the Tsongas Center on Sunday afternoon.
 
Kayla Gibbs (Teaneck, N.J.) recorded her seventh career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Megan Hendrick (Alexandria, Va.) added 12 points and Amanda Ortiz (Newton, Mass.) scored a career-high six points. Every player that entered the contest for UMass Lowell was able to record a point for the first time since last season's win against Holy Cross on December 9.
 
"The better team won," remarked Head Coach Jenerrie Harris. "They were able to convert our mistakes into points and came out in the second half more focused than us."
 
After a scoreless opening 3:24, the Lancers broke the tie with a three-pointer from Khaila Hall and Katherine Smith (Canterbury, Ind.) responded with a layup just over 30 seconds later to get the River Hawks on the board.
 
The visitors went on a 6-1 run to take a 9-3 advantage, but a bucket Ortiz and a Nicole Hayner (Bedford, N.H.) three, sandwiched around a Smith block, brought UMass Lowell within 9-8. With 62 seconds remaining in the quarter, Kayla Gibbs gave the hosts their first lead of the ballgame at 10-9. Smith added a free throw with less than six second remaining to keep the River Hawks in front, 13-12, heading into the second quarter.
 
Ortiz made a nice move into the lane to put the hosts on top 15-14 before Smith finished a three-on-one to push the River Hawks to a 17-14 advantage. Hayner sparked a 5-2 UMass Lowell with a corner three to open up a 22-16 buffer with 7:02 remaining in the half.
 
Hendrick drilled back-to-back threes, including one from 30-feet out to build a double-digit lead at 34-24 with 73 seconds left in the half. The Lancers dropped a layup in at the buzzer to pull back within 34-26 as the teams went into the locker rooms.
 
Asia Mitchell-Owens (Roxbury, Mass.) opened the second half with a three pointer, but the Lancers responded with a 12-1 run to knot up the score at 38-38 with 5:29 left in the third. Kemari Jones scored six of her game-high 24 points to spark the run. Mitchell-Owens bookended the spurt with a triple that banked in with 5:16 on the clock.
 
Longwood regained its first lead since the first 50 seconds of second quarter with a Ciarah Bennett layup with 3:46 remaining in the third, to put the visitors on top, 44-43. Gibbs connected with Hendrick on a deep pass off the inbound for the open layup and a 45-44 advantage for UMass Lowell.
 
The Lancers responded with a 7-0 run behind three turnovers to open up a 51-45 advantage with under three minutes remaining, and took a 52-49 lead into the final period.
 
Hendick connected on a three-pointer on the shot clock buzzer went off to cut the deficit to 54-52 with 8:21 left in the fourth. Longwood took over the game with a 13-5 run to take a 67-57 lead with 2:20 left in regulation.
 
Bennett and Eboni Gilliam both chipped in 11 for the Lancers, while Autumn Childress added 10. Bennett also recorded a game-high seven steals and six assists.
 
The River Hawks travel to Indiana to take on the No. 23 Hoosiers on November 23 at 2 p.m.