Box Score (PDF)

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Redshirt-junior Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) registered a career-high 19 points in an 84-73 setback for the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (6-9, 0-2 AE) at Hartford (9-8, 2-1) on Wednesday evening.
 
"The effort was there, I'm not concerned about that," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "Our guys played hard, but defensively there were too many mental lapses that we've got to recover from. We don't have enough depth right now in the lineup. Across the board, we've just got to be a little bit better to win. The league is better this year and there aren't going to be any easy games, particularly on the road."
 
The contest, which was tied a total of six times, was even for the final time at 72-72 inside of five minutes to go when Hartford rallied with a 12-1 run to secure the outcome.
 
Gantz matched a personal best with four three-pointers, while adding a game-high three blocks. Redshirt-senior Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) tied season highs with eight assists and four steals, in addition to tallying 16 points, and sophomore Rinardo Perry (Washington, D.C.) chipped in with 13 points.
 
A fade away jumper from Thomas opened the scoring for the night, as the offense for both sides went to work trading buckets. The River Hawks were on target from beyond the arc with five threes in the first seven minutes, including two from Gantz, to pull ahead, 19-11, with 13:30 remaining in the first half.
 
Hartford fought to make it a two-possession game, but another long ball from Gantz and a pair of free throws from senior Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) gave the visitors a 28-19 edge at 9:18. The home squad answered, though, with an 18-9 run to take its first lead of the night, 37-35, with 3:39 to go in the first. Perry found Thomas to knot the score at 37-37, but the Hawks would score four of the last five points of the period to head into the break on top, 41-38.
 
Coming out of halftime, Hartford led by as many as five on three occasions until Perry and Gantz combined for six consecutive points to put the River Hawks back on top, 49-48, with 16:25 left to go.
 
Hartford followed with an 11-3 spurt to take their largest lead yet, 59-52, at 13:03. UMass Lowell was held without a field goal for over six minutes, but used its opportunities at the line to close the gap before threes from freshman Obadiah Noel (Frederick, Md.) and Gantz turned the score back in favor of the visitors, 67-66, with 7:31 to go, although they were unable to hold on.  
 
John Carroll and Hassan Attia logged 24 and 20 points, respectively, to lead four double-digit scorers for the Hawks, who shot 56.9 percent as a team. Hassan added seven rebounds, as well.
 
Wednesday's contest marked the 14th meeting between UMass Lowell and Hartford in the sport of men's basketball. The Hawks now own a 9-5 advantage in the all-time series. The River Hawks now head home for a pair of games at the Tsongas Center beginning on Saturday, January 13 when they host UMBC in a 12 p.m. tilt.