February 18 UMBC (1 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who is currently 11-18 overall and 5-9 in America East action in 2016-17, will make its final road trip of the year to visit UMBC for a Saturday afternoon matchup.     

LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt-junior Jahad Thomas matched a personal best with 28 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team fell, 87-66, against Vermont (24-5, 14-0 AE) on You Can Play Night at the Tsongas Center in front of a season-best 2,540 fans. Thomas set a new career high with 13 field goals in the decision. Senior Tyler Livingston totaled 14 points, while freshman RInardo Perry chipped in with 13. Perry tied a season high with three three-pointers. Junior Matt Harris, who added six points, recorded a personal-best four steals, as well.

LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 29 games in 2016-17, Jahad Thomas leads the squad with 17.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, 136 assists and 48 steals. Thomas is one of four River Hawks scoring in double figures this season, as Tyler Livingston follows with 13.2 points per game, and sophomore Ryan Jones and Matt Harris chip in with 12.4 and 10.9, respectively. Livingston is first on the team with 76 three-pointers and 13 blocks in 2016-17, while Harris boasts a 91.9 percent clip (68-74) from the line. As a whole, UMass Lowell is shooting 47.8 percent (816-1706) from the floor, 39.3 percent (244-621) from beyond the arc and 73.4 percent (384-523) from the foul line.

SCOUTING UMBC
The Retrievers own a 16-10 overall record this season, including a 7-6 mark in America East games. The squad is in the midst of a three-game skid after  facing a 77-74 loss against Vermont on Feb. 12 and a 78-69 setback at UAlbany on Feb. 15. Jairus Lyles is first on the team with 19.0 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game and 46 steals, while Will Darley averages 15.7 points and Joe Sherburne adds 12.0. K.J. Maura boasts a team-best mark with 106 assists and Nolan Gerrity totals 23 blocks. The Retrievers are shooting 47.1 percent (740-1571) from the floor and 40.2 percent (252-627) from three-point range.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's contest marks the eighth meeting between UMass Lowell and UMBC in the sport of men's basketball. The River Hawks own a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series, although UMBC secured a 102-86 when the teams met earlier this season.

A WIN WOULD
A win against the Retrievers would split the season series between the squads for the year. It would also mark the River Hawks' first road win since Jan. 8 at Binghamton. A victory would match the River Hawks' most wins in a season at the Division I level (12), as well.  

HELPING HANDS
One key to the River Hawks' balanced scoring is their ability to share the basketball. This year, the squad is averaging 16.0 assists per game to lead the America East. Jahad Thomas is fourth among active career leaders in the America East with 266 helpers.

THREE FOR ALL
Ryan Jones had a day from beyond the arc at Hartford on Feb. 12, as all eight of his field goals were three-pointers. The performance marked a career high for Jones on threes, as well as a Division I single-game record for the River Hawks.

DOUBLING UP & TRIPLING DOWN
Jahad Thomas not only totals a personal-best 11 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.

UNDER CONTROL
The River Hawks have improved from averaging 17.6 turnovers per game during non-conference play to 13.7 turnovers in league action.

ON TARGET
The River Hawks have consistently taken the right shots, having gone at least 50.0 percent from the floor already 12 times this season. The team is second in the conference right now, shooting 47.8 percent overall. Jahad Thomas, who is first overall in the league, owns a 58.8 percent clip (204-347) from the field. UMass Lowell has outshot its opponent in 16 of its 29 games thus far.

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 73.4 percent (384-523) 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 fifth 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 136 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 77.9 points per game to sit second in the conference.

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 13.2 points per game in 2016-17.

EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES
Having such a young team means everyone has to play a role. In 18 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, who has been strong from beyond the arc under Duquette's tutelage, tied a DI program record with 16 threes at Hartford on Feb. 12. The River Hawks shot a season-best 59.1 percent from long range against Maine on Feb. 9 and are second in the America East right now, shooting 39.3 percent (244-621) from long range this year. Tyler Livingston, who is currently first on the team with 76 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 90-118 road record since 2003-04.