Box Score (PDF)

LOWELL, Mass. – Redshirt-senior Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) registered a game- and season-high 24 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (4-1) battled to earn a 74-66 victory against a gritty LIU Brooklyn (2-4) team on Wednesday at the Costello Athletic Center.
 
Although the River Hawks led by as many as 18 in the first half, the Blackbirds fought to pull within one with 1:24 left in the contest. Junior Shawn Jones (Bridge City, La.) made a pivotal layup under a minute, though, to help his team score the last eight of the day and secure the outcome.
 
"I'm really proud of the team for the type of win we got tonight against a good, physical opponent," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "This is a type of team that we've typically struggled against. LIU is a strong, athletic team that can press and body us, so I thought we handled that better today than we ever have in the past. We took care of the basketball against their pressure, but it was more our defense that helped us today. For us to win a game when we don't shoot well is an important next step for us."
 
With the win, the River Hawks have now won four in a row, good for their longest streak since 2014-15 (6), as well as their best home court start since 2009-10 (6-0).
 
Junior Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) finished with a personal-best 10 rebounds, in addition to 13 points for his first career double-double, while sophomore Rinardo Perry (Washington, D.C.) chipped in with 13 points.
 
The River Hawks played staunch defense in the opening minutes of the contest, holding the Blackbirds scoreless in the first seven minutes to jump out to a 13-0 edge.
 
LIU got on the board with a three from Raul Frias and worked to cut the difference to seven, although Thomas drained a three to spark a 15-4 run that was capped off by five straight points from redshirt-sophomore Connor Bennett (Wilmington, Mass.), giving UMass Lowell its largest lead at 32-14 with 3:01 remaining in the first.   
 
The visitors took control with the last five points of the period and the first eight following the break to make it a one-possession game at 36-34, with 18:17 left to play in the second. Thomas snapped four minutes of scoreless action for the River Hawks when he banked in a shot with an assist from redshirt-junior Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) at 17:11. Perry then laid one in to regain the momentum for the home squad and ignite what would be a 13-2 spurt to create a 51-37 buffer with 13:38 to go.  
 
The teams traded baskets until a quick, 9-2 run by the visitors closed the gap back to just two, 61-59, at 6:06. Perry and S. Jones responded with back-to-back buckets before the Blackbirds made it a one-point game heading into the final minute.  
 
Raiquan Clark led LIU with 21 points, while Zach Coleman totaled 15 rebounds.
 
Wednesday's contest marked the third meeting between UMass Lowell and LIU Brooklyn in the sport of men's basketball. LIU still owns a slight, 2-1 edge in the all-time series. The River Hawks will return to action after Thanksgiving when they host Loyola (Md.) in a 2 p.m. tilt on Sunday, November 26.