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LOWELL, Mass. – Redshirt sophomore Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) and freshman Isaac White (Ashland, Ohio) each set a new career high with 27 and 24 points, respectively, to lead the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (9-15, 5-6 AE) to a 100-93 victory against Vermont (14-12, 6-5 AE) on Monday evening.
 
"What a great basketball game if you like offense," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "It's really hard to beat a very good team once, never mind twice, so I'm happy for our guys. It was a collective effort and we played really good offensive basketball. We shared the ball, spaced the floor and made great plays. Then we made just enough defensive stops in the second half to earn a great win against one of the better teams in our league."
 
With the decision, the River Hawks swept the 2015-16 series against the Catamounts. It also marked the squad's first ever 100-point game against a Division I opponent. Thomas added a personal-best 11 field goals, in addition to a team-high nine rebounds. Senior Mark Cornelius (Westford, Mass.) chipped in with 15 points, while freshman Logan Primerano (Peru, Ind.) and sophomore Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Vermont won the opening tip and jumped out to an early, 9-3 edge. The River Hawks were quick to retaliate, though, as Thomas sparked a 10-2 spurt that was capped off by threes from freshman Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) and White to give the home squad a 13-11 advantage with 15:52 remaining in the first half.
 
The teams traded baskets in the next five minutes with six lead changes before the Catamounts scored six consecutive points, building a 27-22 margin at 10:36. Harris floated in a layup and Primerano pulled up for a long two to make it a two-possession game at 30-26, but the visitors would create a double-digit buffer (39-29) with 5:46 left in the first.
 
UMass Lowell responded nine points in a row, including four points from Thomas and a jumper from beyond the arc by White, cutting the difference back to just one, 39-38, at 4:07. Freshman Keith Hayes II (Little Rock, Ark.) then erased the difference and knotted the score at 42-42. In the last minute of the half, Harris completed a three-point play and Cornelius sunk a turn-around jumper at the buzzer to send the River Hawks into the break up, 49-46.
 
The home team extended its lead with the first four points of the second half to pull ahead, 53-46. UMass Lowell maintained at least a three-point advantage until Vermont's Cam Ward hit a bucket from downtown to tie the score once again, this time at 55-55 with 14:20 still to play.
 
The back-and-forth pace of the game continued, as the score was even on seven more occasions before buckets from Cornelius and Primerano gave the River Hawks the upper hand for good at 74-70 with 6:49 to go.
 
UMass Lowell used a 9-3 run to take its largest lead yet, 90-80, at 2:35. The squad then converted on six free throws in the final minute to help seal the 100-93 outcome.
 
Monday's contest marked the sixth meeting ever between UMass Lowell and Vermont in the sport of men's basketball. The Catamounts still own a 4-2 lead in the all-time series. The River Hawks will return to action on Thursday, February 11 when they visit Maine for a 4 p.m. tilt.