Box Score (PDF)

BANGOR, Maine – All five River Hawk starters scored in double figures, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (9-13, 3-6 AE) topped Maine (5-19, 2-7 AE), 88-64, on Wednesday evening.
 
Redshirt-senior Jahad Thomas (Williamsport, Pa.) recorded his second consecutive double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds to pace the River Hawks. Junior Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) added 18 points, while senior Matt Harris (Erie, Pa.) finished with 16. Sophomore Rinardo Perry (Washington, D.C.) and redshirt-junior Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) rounded out the starters with 11 and 10 points, respectively, while freshman Obadiah Noel chipped in with 10 off the bench. . As a team, UMass Lowell shot 54.1 percent (33-61) from the field.
 
"I thought this was as good of a game we've played since I've been here," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "It's tough to get road wins, but to be in control from start to finish is even harder. We handled our lead really well this time. We were disciplined and we kept playing the right way."
 
The teams alternated baskets and were tied on three occasions in the opening minutes until Gantz sparked an 18-4 run that included a trio of threes and was capped off by an and-1 from Thomas to put the River Hawks ahead, 12-10 with 12:50 remaining in the first half.
 
The Black Bears worked back to within eight, but layups from Thomas and freshman Obadiah Noel (Frederick, Md.), and a rare, four-point play from Harris gave the visitors a 32-16 lead at 9:43. Maine cut the difference to single-digits three more times in the period, two of which came inside the final four minutes, although the River Hawks would tally six of the last seven points to take a 49-35 edge into the break.
 
Gantz grabbed an offensive rebound and notched his squad's first bucket coming out of halftime. The River Hawks maintained at least a 10-point margin before scoring 13 in a row to open up their advantage to 65-42 with 14:41 left to go.
 
UMass Lowell's largest lead of the night came at 76-47 following baskets from Thomas and Gantz. Maine gained some momentum in the waning minutes, outscoring the River Hawks down the stretch, 17-12, but it was not enough to overcome the visitors' offensive output.
 
Aaron Calixte led the Black Bears with a game-high 20 points, while Andrew Fleming logged 12.
 
Wednesday's contest marked the 11th meeting between UMass Lowell and Maine in the sport of men's basketball. The River Hawks now lead the all-time series, 8-3. The squad starts February with a pair of road games beginning at Stony Brook on Thursday, February 8. Tipoff for that matchup is slated for 7 p.m.