January 4 at Hartford (7 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - Following a bye weekend, the UMass Lowell men's basketball team continues America East Conference play when the squad visits Hartford on Wednesday, January 9 for a 7 p.m. tilt.
A WIN WOULD
A win on Wednesday would improve the River Hawks' overall record to 7-8 and America East record to 1-1. It would also mark the team's second consecutive and fourth ever victory in their America East road opener. It would also improve UMass Lowell's record against Hartford to 5-1 in the most recent six meetings. Lastly, it would snap a 12-game road skid for the team that dates back to Jan. 8, 2017.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite pulling within one with just over nine minutes remaining in the contest, UMass Lowell dropped an 88-77 decision against Vermont (10-5) in their America East Conference opener on Jan. 4. Redshirt-senior
Jahad Thomas logged new career highs with 30 points and 11 field goals in the outing. He added season highs for free throws (7) and steals (4), as well. Three other River Hawks joined Thomas in double-digits on the night, as sophomore
Rinardo Perry chipped in with 15 points, while junior
Ryan Jones and senior
Matt Harris finished with 12 and 10, respectively.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 14 games,
Jahad Thomas is pacing the River Hawks with 19.3 points and 7.8 rebounds. He also boasts team-best marks for assists (42) and steals (22).
Matt Harris (13.7),
Ryan Jones (10.9) and
Rinardo Perry (10.6) round out the team's scorers in double-digits. Redshirt-junior
Josh Gantz, who is shooting 47.7 (42-88) from the field, is first with 15 blocks. As a team, the River Hawks are shooting 45.6 percent (372-815) from the field, 35.2 percent (101-287) from long range and 72.0 percent (239-332) from the foul line.
SCOUTING HARTFORD
The Hawks, who are currently 8-8 overall and 1-1 in America East action, head into Wednesday's contest having split their two most recent outings. Last week, Hartford opened its conference slate with a 72-64 win at UAlbany on Jan. 3 before facing a 63-61 setback against Stony Brook on Jan. 6. John Carroll boasts a team-best 17.0 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Additionally, Jason Dunne (15.3) and J.R. Lynch (12.9) are both averaging in double figures, while Lynch paces the squad with 60 assists and 18 steals, as well. Hassan Attia has already swatted away 37 shots to lead the Hawks in blocks. As a team, Hartford is shooting 45.2 percent (413-914) from the field and 66.3 percent (173-261) from the foul line.
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A BUMPY ROAD
The River Hawks, who play 13 games away from friendly confines in 2017-18, have struggled on the road as of late. The team is in the midst of a 12-game road skid dating back to Jan. 8, 2017. As a program, UMass Lowell has accumulated a 90-123 road record since 2003-04.
RAISING THE BAR
Just when you think there is nothing left for
Jahad Thomas to accomplish, he raises his own bar even higher. On Jan. 4 against Vermont, the redshirt-senior set a new career high with 30 points, while also tallying a season-best 11 field goals and four steals.
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GAINS FOR GANTZ
Josh Gantz has come on strong as of late. After averaging 5.5 points per game through the first eight games of the year, he has averaged 10.0 in the last six, including a season-high 16 points at Wisconsin on Dec. 30. Additionally, 24 of his 34 assists this year have come in the most recent six outings, and his field goal percentage has improved from 42 percent (17-41) to 53 percent (25-47).
SWEET SPOT
The River Hawks are ranked third in the conference for free throws made (239) and fourth for free throw percentage (72.0)Â through 14 games. Individually,
Matt Harris is 47th in the nation with an 88.2 percent clip (45-51) from the line, while Harris (vs. BU, 12.13) and
Obadiah Noel (at Wagner, 12.5) 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 first in the conference right now with an average of 77.4 points per game and fourth with a 45.6 field goal percentage.
UNDER CONTROL
With just 13.5 turnovers per game, the River Hawks have been taking care of the ball this season. The team is second in the league with a +1.86 turnover margin.
SOPHOMORE STRIDES
Rinardo Perry has made great strides in his game during his second campaign with the River Hawks. The guard, who shot 35 percent from the floor for 4.3 points per game as a rookie, is now averaging 10.6 points with a 43 percent clip from the floor.
BLOCK PARTY
The River Hawks are currently averaging their most blocks per game (3.2) since 2012-13 (3.4). They are also third in the America East right now, led by
Josh Gantz with 1.1 per game.
HELPING HANDS
One key to the River Hawks' balanced scoring has always been their ability to share the basketball, as witnessed by the team's season-high 20 helpers dished out against CCSU on Dec. 23. The squad is third in the America East rankings with 14.4 assists per game.
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