BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Katherine Smith (Fort Wayne, Ind.) led the way with a career-high 19 points as the UMass Lowell women's basketball team snapped a three-game skid with an exciting, 69-64, victory at LIU Brooklyn.
 
In a game that the visitors led throughout, Smith was one of four River Hawks (3-4) in double-figures as Ren'Cia Rolling (Lansing, Ill.) also set a personal best with 16, while Linda Svenne (Riga, Latvia) and Bri Stiers (Denver, Colorado) chipped in 12 and 10, respectively.
 
The win also ended UMass Lowell's 13-game road losing streak as the team came out on top away from Lowell for the first time since last season's comeback at Saint Peter's.

"It was a tough road game, second in three nights during what has been a tough road-swing for us, but a productive one," commented Head Coach Tom Garrick. "I thought our kids showed some fight, grit and the requisite competitiveness to win the game."

 LIU Brooklyn (0-7) was paced by Jeydah Johnson's 16 points, while Brandy Thomas picked up a double-double with a 12 point, 14 rebound effort.
 
After trailing by as much as 14 points late in the first half, the Blackbirds (0-7) closed the gap to one point multiple times in the final quarter, but the River Hawks were able to respond each time and pull away down the stretch with a 9-0 run.
 
Behind a strong start and a stifling defense, the River Hawks jumped out to an 11-0 lead in the game's opening 5:05. Rolling (Lansing, Ill.) scored the first five points of the night, as the visitors forced LIU into a pair of quick offensive fouls.
 
Before ending the run, LIU went 0-for-6 from the field and was forced into four turnovers, as well.
 
After Svenne extended the lead to 14-2 with three free throws, the Blackbirds closed the quarter on a 6-2 run to head into the second facing a 16-8 deficit.
 
LIU continued the spurt into the next period and clawed back within 16-13, but the River Hawks responded with a 10-0 run, sparked by Stiers' play on both ends of the court. With the visitors holding on, 17-13, the junior drew a charge and followed that effort with an acrobatic offensive rebound and put back in a span of 17 seconds.
 
Facing its largest deficit of the contest at 29-14 with 67 seconds left in the half, LIU had trimmed the lead down to 29-21 before Rolling capped off the opening 20 minutes with a buzzer-beating three from just across half court for the 32-21 halftime advantage.
 
The Blackbirds did not go away in the third period, and twice brought the game within three points. After taking a 47-44 into the final frame, UMass Lowell built a 51-44 edge with 8:38 to play on a Stiers bucket.
 
Later in the frame with the visitors holding on to a 53-52 advantage, Kharis Idom (Orlando, Fla.) connected on a three-pointer to extend the gap, but once again LIU battled back and had it back to one point at 58-57 with less than five minutes to play.
 
The River Hawks open December and conclude their five-game road swing with a Sunday matinee matchup against Holy Cross.