January 14 vs. Hartford (2 p.m.)
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Radio:
River Hawk Radio Network: (980AM WCAP)
Talent: Nick Anastos (Play-by-Play), Matt Langone (Analyst)

TV:
ESPN3
Talent: DJ Sixsmith (Play-by-Play), Jim Borodawka (Analyst)

Twitter: @RiverHawkFH | @RiverHawkNation Tweet #UnitedInBlue

LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who is currently 7-10 overall in 2016-17, will look to take advantage of back-to-back home games when the squad first welcomes Hartford to Costello on Saturday afternoon, January 14.  

LAST TIME OUT
Senior Tyler Livingston posted his first double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds to pace the UMass Lowell men's basketball team in a 73-71 heartbreaker at Maine (5-13, 1-2 AE) that was decided in the final seconds at the Cross Insurance Center on Wednesday evening. Although the River Hawks led for the first 18 minutes of the second half, a late, 14-3 surge by the Black Bears gave the home team the upper hand, 68-67. Following three lead changes, UMass Lowell held a 71-70 advantage with just 13 seconds remaining, but Wes Myers would complete a three-point play on his team's final possession inside of four ticks on the clock to steal the come-from-behind decision and snap a three-game win streak for the River Hawks. Livingston's 10 rebounds marked a new season-high for the forward. Redshirt-junior Jahad Thomas, who surpassed 500 career boards in the outing, also turned in a double-double performance with 17 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 17 games in 2016-17, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 17.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, 71 assists and 27 steals. Thomas is one of four River Hawks scoring in double figures this season, as Tyler Livingston and junior Matt Harris follow closely with 13.9 and 12.2 points per game, respectively, while sophomore Ryan Jones adds 10.5. Livingston is first on the team with 47 three-pointers and six blocks in 2016-17, while Harris boasts a 94.6 percent clip (53-56) from the line. As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 47.7 percent (469-983) from the floor, 37.6 percent (136-362) from beyond the arc and 78.1 percent (260-333) from the foul line.

SCOUTING HARTFORD
The Hawks own a 5-12 record this season and are looking for their first America East win after falling at Vermont, 85-54, on Jan. 8 and against UMBC, 84-68, on Jan. 11. Jalen Ross is first on the team with 21.1 points per game, while Jason Dunne chips in with 13.8 points. Hassan Attia boasts team-best marks with 5.2 rebounds per game and 24 blocks. JR Lynch has been the Hawks' primary playmaker with 57 assists on the year. The Hawks are shooting 42.2 percent (406-961) from the floor and 38.8 percent (155-400) from three-point range.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's contest marks the 12th meeting between UMass Lowell and Hartford. Although the River Hawks have won the last three meetings, the Hawks own a 7-4 lead in the all-time series.

A WIN WOULD
A win against Hartford would give the River Hawks their fourth straight win against the Hawks. It would also mark the third time UMass Lowell has started 3-1 in America East play. The win would mark the River Hawks' fourth win at home in a row, as well.

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 (43 vs. Assumption). The team is currently shooting 78.1 percent (260-333) from the charity stripe, good for first in the conference. Individually, Matt Harris, who was perfect through the first five games of the season, is leading the way for the league with 94.6 percent clip (53-56) on free throws.

WHAT IF
If the River Hawks were through their Division I transition and could be officially ranked in statistical categories by the NCAA, they would sit eighth in the nation for free throw percentage (78.1%).

JOINING THE CLUB
On Jan. 8, Jahad Thomas became the 40th player in program history to join the prestigious 1,000 Point Club and the first to do so at the Division I level. In that contest, a road win at Binghamton, he scored a career-high 28 points, including the layup that eclipsed the 1,000 point milestone with just 1:47 left on the game clock. He then surpassed 500 career rebounds at Maine on Jan. 11 to become just the ninth player in program history to tally over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. Currently boasting 1,020 career points, he ranks fourth among the America East's active career scoring leaders.

HIGH SCORING AFFAIRS
The River Hawks, who posted a season-high 98 points at Cornell, have become accustomed to high-scoring games. After averaging a league-best 76.6 points per game in 2015-16,  the team is averaging 78.5 points per game to sit second in the conference.

STEPPING UP
Several River Hawks have stepped up to fill the void left by two-year starter Isaac White, who will miss the remainder of the season. Logan Primerano has helped lead that charge by improving from just 4.4 points per game through the first 10 games to an average of 10.3 points in the most recent seven outings.

ON TARGET
The River Hawks have consistently taken the right shots, having gone at least 50.0 percent from the floor already six times this season. The team is third in the conference right now, shooting 47.7 percent overall. Jahad Thomas, who is first overall in the league and 19th in the nation, owns a team-best 60.9 percent clip (112-184) from the field. UMass Lowell has outshot its opponent in 12 of its 17 games thus far.

SENIOR STANDOUT
Tyler Livingston is leaving his mark in his final campaign with the best season of his career so far. After averaging no more than 7.4 points per game in a season previously, he is currently third on the squad with 13.9 points per game in 2016-17.

HELPING HANDS
One key to the River Hawks' balanced scoring is their ability to share the basketball. This year, the squad is averaging 15.8 assists per game to lead the America East. UMass Lowell is led by Jahad Thomas with a total of 71 helpers so far.

TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
The River Hawks' thrilling, last-second victories against BU (77-75) and Cornell (98-96) marked the team's smallest margin of victory this year. The team is familiar with close games, though, as 11 of the 17 total decisions so far this season have come down to 10 points or less. Since beginning 2014-15, 19 of the squad's 30 wins have been decided by seven points or less. The team has even trailed in the second half in 19 games during that time frame before battling back to earn the victories.  

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
Having such a young team means everyone has to play a role. Ten of the team's games so far have included at least four players in double figures, with five River Hawks boasting over 10 points in five games, including back-to-back outings against Loyola and Cornell.

HOME SWEET HOME
With 14 home games in 2016-17, the River Hawks will play their most games in front of a friendly crowd since moving to Division I. Including a 3-2 record so far this year, UMass Lowell has a history of performing well at home, accumulating a 109-60 mark in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.