LOWELL, MASS. – Freshman Denise Solis (Windsor, Conn.) led the way with 16 points as the UMass Lowell women's basketball team (3-7) continued their winning streak with an exciting, 65-56, victory over the LIU Sharks (1-8).
 
In a game that the home team led throughout, Solis was one of three young River Hawks in double-figures as Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) matched her career-high with 15 points, while Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) chipped in 10, respectively.
 
"A win is a win," stated head coach Tom Garrick. "I thought our kids played really well for a better part of three and a half quarters. We had a lapse in the fourth quarter, which is expected of a young team. I think there's a growth there that we've seen by our coaching staff and players that hopefully we can carry forward in our games to come."
 
After sophomore Kharis Idom (Orlando, Fla.) registered the first points of the game on a fast break, the River Hawks and Sharks played on for another two minutes before either team was able to secure a basket.
 
Following the two-minute scoring drought, the River Hawks opened the contest on 8-0 run, and built a 10-2 lead following a layup by Solis.
 
In the final minute of the first quarter, LIU's Mia Perkins took a trip to the line, trying to cut the deficit at 19-12, but the River Hawks responded with one of their own by Sanchez to go on 4-0 run as the buzzer sounded.
 
Free throw opportunities by LIU opened the second, but Solis responded by hitting her third straight field goal of the game, while Sanchez added a shot from outside the arc to go on a 5-0 spurt at the six-minute mark. Banwareesingh hit her first three-point shot of the contest, helping to build a 37-21 advantage in the final minutes of the first half.
 
UMass Lowell started the second half on a 7-0 run, with Solis recording her 14th point of the game, as the River Hawks took their largest twenty-five-point lead. Sanchez topped her personal best with two free throws in the third to give her team a 57-31 buffer with 19 seconds left.
 
LIU was able to trim the gap to 61-52 with an early surge in the fourth by going on an 11-0 run, but the River Hawks were able to close the game with a fast break layup by freshman Shamyjha Price (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in a final score of 65-56.
 
Up next, the River Hawks will continue their home stand when they welcome Dartmouth for a Friday night matchup at Costello Athletic Center set for 7 p.m.
 
"We're going to get our legs back underneath us," commented Garrick. "We'll refocus and try to grow from these past three game and put these building blocks together in order to get the win against Dartmouth."