December 23 vs. Central Connecticut State (1 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - After a 10-day break for finals, the UMass Lowell men's basketball team is back in action for one more game before the holiday, as the squad hosts Central Connecticut State in a 1 p.m. tilt at the Tsongas Center on Saturday, December 23.   Â
A WIN WOULD
A win on Saturday would mark the River Hawks' second consecutive victory against CCSU. It would also give the team its most non-conference wins at the Division I level (7), as the previous mark was six set in 2014-15. Lastly, a win would improve the River Hawks' home record this year to 7-1, good for their best start in friendly confines since 2009-10.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME
UMass Lowell's six-game November homestand marked the most consecutive home games for the program since 2003-04 (7). In 2017-18, the team has more home games than ever before at the Division I level (16). Including a 6-1 record this season, the River Hawks have accumulated a 119-65 mark in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04. Â
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The difference in the team's performance when playing at home vs. on the road this season has been apparent. The River Hawks are boasting a +10.9 scoring margin at home, compared to a -12.5 margin in road games. They also have a +1.9 rebounding margin on their home court with a -5.2 margin away from home. The team has taken care of the ball at home too, with a +3.9 turnover margin compared to a -2.2 margin on the road.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior
Matt Harris posted a season-high 27 points as one of five double-digit scorers for UMass Lowell in an 87-82 victory against Boston University on Dec. 13. With the win, the River Hawks snapped a four-game skid. Harris went a season-best, 11-for-12 from the line en route to his 27-point showing. Also in double figures on the night were redshirt-senior
Jahad Thomas, who totaled 17 points and six assists, and sophomore
Rinardo Perry, who registered 16 points and a career-high five steals. Redshirt-junior
Josh Gantz and junior
Ryan Jones added to the offense with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 10 games,
Jahad Thomas is pacing the River Hawks with 19.0 points and 9.6 rebounds. He also boasts team-best marks for assists (28) and steals (17).
Matt Harris (15.3),
Ryan Jones (12.3) and
Rinardo Perry (10.5) round out the team's scorers in double-digits. Perry is shooting 44.6 (41-92) from the field.
Josh Gantz is first with 10 blocks, as well. As a team, the River Hawks are shooting 45.3 percent (294-649) from the field, 36.0 percent (81-225) from long range and 73.9 percent (212-287) from the foul line.
SCOUTING CENTRAL CONNECTICUT
The Blue Devils, who are currently 6-6 on the season, split a pair of games earlier this week. The squad first fell, 84-65, at Boston College on Dec. 17 before defeating Maine, 84-57, at home on Dec. 20. Tyler Kohl has been leading the team in several categories this season. He boasts 14.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game with 52 assists and 15 steals so far. Austin Nehls (12.2) and Mustafa Jones (10.2) are also both scoring in double figures. Deion Bute owns a team-high mark for blocks with 17. As a team, CCSU is shooting 46.2 percent (307-665) from the field, 36.6 percent (83-227) from long range and 67.8 percent (137-202) from the foul line.
PLAYING AT TSONGAS
UMass Lowell posted its most points scored in a game played at the Tsongas Center in a 98-78 win against Cornell on Nov. 19. The squad now owns a 5-12 all-time record in Tsongas. Last season, the River Hawks finished 1-4 in games played at the arena, including a 77-75 win against BU on Dec. 21. In 2015-16, the team earned their first ever Division I victory in the building on Nov. 18 with a 87-84 victory against Sacred Heart. Previously, the program earned victories against Division II NE-10 rival Merrimack in 2010 (71-70) and 2011 (68-66).
COACHING MILESTONE
Head Coach
Pat Duquette, who boasted double-digit wins in each of his first four seasons at the helm, recorded his 50th career win on Dec. 13 against Boston University.
JOINING THE CLUB
Entering the Dec. 13 game with 977 points,
Matt Harris put together a 27-point performance against Boston University to become the 41st player in the school's history to join the prestigious 1,000 Point Club. His milestone tally came on a free throw at 7:38 in the second half.
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SWEET SPOT
The River Hawks are ranked 34th in the nation for free throws made (212). The team is shooting 73.9 percent on free throws through 11 games, good for fourth in the America East. Individually,
Matt Harris is 32nd in the nation with an 89.8 percent clip (44-49) from the line, while Harris (vs. BU, 12.13) and
Obadiah Noel have each drained a season-high 11 free throws in a single game.
OFFENSIVE STATE OF MIND
The River Hawks continue to boast a powerful offense, as they are second in the conference right now with an average of 80.1 points per game and sixth with a +2.4 scoring margin.
UNDER CONTROL
With just 14.5 turnovers per game, the River Hawks have been taking care of the ball this season. The team is first in the league with a +1.64 turnover margin.
STEALING THE SHOW
On Dec. 13,
Rinardo Perry became the first River Hawk to log five steals in a game since
Mark Cornelius did so on Nov. 18, 2015. As a team, the River Hawks, who totaled 11 takeaways in the Nov. 19 win against Cornell, rank second in the league in steals per game (7.0).
A DIFFERENCE ON DEFENSE
UMass Lowell has made defense its top priority in 2017-18 and the difference is clear. The team set a new program Division I record with 56 rebounds, in addition to tying the record for blocks with eight against UMass Boston on Nov. 12. Against Cornell on Nov. 19, the team forced a season-high 22 turnovers. The River Hawks are currently ranked second in the America East and 61st in the nation with 16.1 turnovers forced per game. They are also third in the league for blocks (3.27), and fifth in defensive rebounds (24.5).                  Â
TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT
Since beginning 2014-15, 22 of the squad's 38 wins have been decided by seven points or less. The team has also trailed in the second half in 23 games during that same time frame before battling back to earn the victories. Â
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