February 12 at Hartford (2 p.m.)
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Radio:
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TV:
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Talent: Jeff Dooley and Brian Irizarry

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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who is currently 11-16 overall and 5-7 in America East action in 2016-17, will visit Hartford for a Sunday afternoon tilt.    

LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt-junior Jahad Thomas posted his second triple-double of the season to lead the UMass Lowell men's basketball team to a 100-68 win against Maine (6-21, 2-10 AE) on Thursday evening at Costello Athletic Center. Thomas totaled 12 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in the contest. The River Hawks' offense was paced by a pair of 20+ point scorers, as sophomore Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) turned in a career-high 25 points and junior Matt Harris (Eire, Pa.) posted a season-best 23 points. Senior Tyler Livingston (Hudson, N.H.) rounded out the double-digit scorers with 14. As a team, UMass Lowell boasted 23 assists and a season-high 11 steals.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 27 games in 2016-17, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, 128 assists and 40 steals. Thomas is one of four River Hawks scoring in double figures this season, as Tyler Livingston follows with 13.0 points per game, and Ryan Jones and Matt Harris chip in with 12.4 and 11.0, respectively. Livingston is first on the team with 70 three-pointers and 12 blocks in 2016-17, while Harris boasts a 91.9 percent clip (68-74) from the line. Logan Primerano, who adds 7.0 points per game, totals seven blocks on the year, as well. As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 48.0 percent (761-1586) from the floor, 38.5 percent (220-572) from beyond the arc and 74.6 percent (368-493) from the foul line.

SCOUTING HARTFORD
The Hawks own a 7-19 overall record this season and a 2-9 mark in America East play. The squad split their two msot recent decisions, falling at Maine, 52-41, on Feb. 6 before picking up an 84-77 upset victory at UMBC on Feb. 9. Jalen Ross is first on the team with 20.1 points per game, while Jason Dunne chips in with 12.5 points. Hassan Attia boasts team-best marks with 6.2 rebounds per game and 43 blocks. JR Lynch has been the Hawks' primary playmaker with 71 assists on the year. The Hawks are shooting 40.6 percent (590-1452) from the floor and 34.7 percent (216-622) from three-point range.

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's contest will mark the 13th meeting between UMass Lowell and Hartford in the sport of men's basketball. Hartford owns a 7-5 edge in the all-time series, although the River Hawks earned a 71-55 victory when the teams met earlier this year on Jan. 14.

A WIN WOULD
A win against the Hawks would give UMass Lowell the season sweep in the series against Hartford. It would be the second year in a row that the River Hawks went 2-0 against Harford. A victory would also match the River Hawks' most wins in a season at the Division I level (12).  

DOUBLING UP & TRIPLING DOWN
Jahad Thomas not only totals a personal-best 10 double-doubles this year, but he is also tied for first in the nation with two triple-doubles in 2016-17. He first set a new career high with 10 assists on Jan. 14 en route to his first ever triple-double (19 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists). That performance goes down as the first triple-double of the modern era for UMass Lowell, and the first on record in program history since Hank Brown did so for Lowell Tech in 1967. He then added his second of the year with 12 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists against Maine on Fen. 9.

PILING ON THE POINTS
The River Hawks' 100-68 win against Maine on Feb. 9 not only marked their largest margin of victory this season, but it was also their largest margin of victory against a Division I opponent since beginning the transition in 2013-14.  

HELPING HANDS
One key to the River Hawks' balanced scoring is their ability to share the basketball. This year, the squad is averaging 15.7 assists per game to lead the America East. Jahad Thomas is fourth among active career leaders in the America East with 262 helpers.

UNDER CONTROL
The River Hawks have improved from averaging 17.6 turnovers per game during non-conference play to 13.4 turnovers in league action.

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 74.6 percent (368-493) from the charity stripe, good for second in the conference. Individually, Matt Harris, who was perfect through the first five games of the season, is leading the way for the league and is ninth in the nation with 91.9 percent clip (68-74) on free throws.

A DISH BEST SERVED BY THOMAS
Jahad Thomas dished out his 100th assist of the season at New Hampshire on Jan. 25. With 128 on the year, he has already set a new personal best and has logged the most helpers in a single season since 1999-2000 (Eyal Leib, 148).

HIGH SCORING AFFAIRS
The River Hawks, who posted a season-high 100 points against Maine, have become accustomed to high-scoring games. After averaging a league-best 76.6 points per game in 2015-16,  the team is averaging 78.1 points per game to sit second in the conference.

ON TARGET
The River Hawks have consistently taken the right shots, having gone at least 50.0 percent from the floor already 11 times this season. The team is second in the conference right now, shooting 48.0 percent overall. Jahad Thomas, who is first overall in the league, owns a 59.2 percent clip (186-314) from the field. UMass Lowell has outshot its opponent in 16 of its 27 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 second on the squad with 13.0 points per game in 2016-17.

HOARDING THE BOARDS
With a Division I-high 53 boards in the team's win against Hartford on Jan. 14, the squad logged its most rebounds in a game since 2012 (52 vs. Bentley). The team has already pulled down at least 40 rebounds in eight games, exceeding the number of times that it did so all of last season. Jahad Thomas, who leads the league with 9.4 total rebounds and 7.0 defensive rebounds per game, ranks second among active career leaders in the America East with a total of 610.

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
Having such a young team means everyone has to play a role. In 17 of the team's games so far, at least four players have scored in double figures, with five River Hawks boasting over 10 points in six games, including back-to-back outings against Loyola and Cornell.

A THREAT ON THREES
UMass Lowell has been strong from beyond the arc in recent years under Duquette's tutelage. The River Hawks, who shot a season-best 59.1 percent from beyond the arc against Maine on Feb. 9, are second in the America East right now, shooting 38.5 percent (220-572) from long range this year. As a team, UMass Lowell logged a season-high 15 makes against Fisher on Jan. 28. Tyler Livingston, who is currently first on the team with 70 triples, logged a career-high seven threes on Nov. 26 against LIU Brooklyn.

ROAD WARRIORS
The River Hawks play 17 of their 31 games in 2016-17 away from friendly confines, including five of their first six. With just two wins on the road this year, UMass Lowell has accumulated a 90-117 road record since 2003-04.