December 21 vs. Loyola (Md.) (7 p.m.)
Live Stats | Watch Live
LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team, who is 6-7 on the season, returns to action following a 10-day break when the squad hosts Loyola (Md.) on Friday, December 21 in their final game before the holiday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.Â
A WIN WOULD
A win would give the River Hawks a 2-1 lead the all-time against Loyola, in addition to marking their second straight win against the Greyhounds. A win would also mark the team's most non-conference wins in a season since moving to Division I (7). Additionally, a win would improve the team's record at home this season to 5-0 and extend its unbeaten streak at home to eight games dating back to Feb. 15, 2018. Â
LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt-senior
Josh Gantz and sophomore
Obadiah Noel totaled 17 points apiece, as UMass Lowell dropped a hard-fought, 75-69 decision at St. Francis Brooklyn on Dec. 11. Also scoring in double figures on the night for the River Hawks were redshirt-junior
Christian Lutete, who posted his fifth double-double this season with 13 points and a season-high 14 rebounds, and senior
Ryan Jones with 14 points. The River Hawks led for the majority of the first half and battled back in the second to tie the game at 42-42 with 13:40 to go, but the Terriers pulled away by as many as eight in the waning minutes en route to the decision.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 13 games in 2018-19,
Obadiah Noel is leading the team with 15.6 points per game, a 73.9 percent clip on free throws and 19 steals.
Christian Lutete, who follows closely with 15.2 points per game, leads the team on the boards with 8.2 rebounds per game. Freshman
Alex Rivera is first with 29 three-pointers.
Josh Gantz boasts a team-best 12 blocks, while
Ryan Jones has dished out a team-high 59 assists.
SCOUTING LOYOLA (MD.)
The Greyhounds, who are 4-7 so far in 2018-19, split their two most recent outings, both of which were on the road. The squad defeated Binghamton, 83-65, on Dec. 8 before falling, 94-71, at Maryland on Dec. 11. Andrew Kostecka is currently first on the team with 19.5 points per game, 28 assists and 19 steals. Two other Greyhounds are also scoring in double figures this year, in Chuck Champion (13.0) and Brent Holcombe (10.5). Holcombe also paces the team with 6.2 rebounds per game and 10 total blocks. As a team, Loyola is shooting 45.7 percent from the field, including 35.9 percent from three-point territory, and 69.6 percent from the line.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
With the win against Maine Fort Kent on Dec. 7, the River Hawks extended their unbeaten streak at home to seven games dating back to Feb. 15, 2018. Including the 4-0 start this season, the River Hawks have accumulated a 126-71 mark in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.
SECOND HALF IS WHERE IT'S AT
The River Hawks have found their strength in the second, as evidenced by
Christian Lutete's DI program-best, 25-point second half on Dec. 1. So far, the team is outscoring their opponents, 570-516, in the second. Additionally, the River Hawks are shooting 55 percent in the second, compared to their opponents, who are shooting just 45 percent.
HELPING HANDS
The River Hawks set a new Division I program record with 29 assists against Maine Fort Kent on Dec. 7. The squad is currently third in the nation with 225 total assists and is first in the America East with 17.3 assists per game.
Ryan Jones became just second player in the program's Division I history to register 10 assists in a game in the NJIT contest on Dec. 1. He is ranked first in the league for assists per game (4.5), as well.
EARLY SEASON SUCCESS
With six wins already in the books, the 2018-19 River Hawks have tied the program's DI record for non-conference victories (previously set in 2017-18 and 2014-15).
FULL THROTTLE
The River Hawks went full force on offense against Maine Fort Kent, setting multiple new program scoring records. The squad's 110-point offensive outburst marked the most points in a single game since 2009 (110, vs. Mercy, 11/15/09), while the team's 42 made field goals becomes a new Division I best, improving on a 2015 performance against Wheelock (41, 11/24/15).
HIGH SCORING AFFAIRS
The River Hawks' wins against Army and Sacred Heart marked the team's first back-to-back, 90+ point wins since 2015-16, when the squad put together three-straight victories with more than 90 points from Feb. 8-14, 2016. With the addition of the NJIT and UMFK decisions, the River Hawks have already surpassed its total 90-point outcomes from 2017-18 (3). The team is currently leading the America East with 81.8 points per game.
SHARP SHOOTERS
In the win against Army on Nov. 17, the River Hawks shot over 60 percent (61.2%) from the floor for the first time since Jan. 5, 2017. As a team, UMass Lowell has shot better than 50 percent on field goals four times this season and is first in the league with a 48.2 overall field goal percentage. The squad is led by
Obadiah Noel, who is ranked second in the America East with a 54.1 percent clip so far this year.
BENCH PRESS-URE
In 13 games this year, the River Hawks have averaged 24.2 points off the bench. This is up from last season, when the squad averaged just 15.3 bench points per game.
ON THE GLASS
With more size in the lineup this year, the River Hawks have stepped up their rebounding, as evidenced by their season-high 56 boards against UMass Boston on Nov. 23. After a -4.1 rebounding margin last year, the team now owns a mark of +0.8 in 2018-19.
Christian Lutete is leading the league with 8.2 rebounds per game, as well.
SPREADING THE LOVE
Despite heading into 2018-19 having lost 60.6% of their scoring from a season ago, the River Hawks have boasted at least four different double-digit scorers in 10 of their 13 games this season, including a season-high five, 10+ point scorers at UConn, and against NJIT and UMFK. Additionally, in that UMFK game, 10 different River Hawks scored a point for the first time in a year.
Â
