Box Score (PDF)

LOWELL, Mass. – Redshirt-junior Christian Lutete (Silver Spring, Md.) recorded 22 points and six rebounds, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (14-14, 6-7 AE) dropped an 81-66 decision against Binghamton (8-19, 4-8 AE) on Thursday evening.
 
"First of all, I'll credit Binghamton," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "I thought they played really well, particularly for a team with their record, they played like one of the better teams in the league right from the start. They were confident offensively and they were really active in their zone, they were communicating and I was impressed with how hard they played.
 
"It wasn't one of our better games. We gave up far too many points to start the game and let them feel comfortable. We've got to be better defensively, not just individually, but collectively as a team."
 
Sophomore Obadiah Noel (Frederick, Md.) added to the offense with 13 points, while redshirt-senior Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) totaled nine points and tied a career high with eight assists.
 
The Bearcats built a two-possession lead in the opening minutes of the contest before Lutete and freshman Bryce Daley (Pittsfield, Mass.) hit back-to-back buckets to knot the score at 10-10 with 15:52 remaining in the first half. Binghamton responded with 12 straight points, though, to pull away, 22-10 at 10:52.
 
Lutete snapped more than five scoreless minutes for the River Hawks with a second-chance layup, but the visitors would stretch their margin as far as 31-15 with less than six minutes to play in the first. However, freshman Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) answered with a triple to spark a quick, 7-2 spurt to close the gap to 33-22 with 4:28 to play in the period. The River Hawks were able to cut the difference to 11 twice more in the waning minutes, but the Bearcats led, 41-29, at the break.
 
Three-pointers from Noel and Lutete in the first two minutes of the second half made it just a 10-point game until Binghamton used a 9-4 stretch to extend its margin to 60-44 with 12:12 left to play.
 
Jones knocked down a three to put his team back within 13, 64-51, at 10:29, although the teams traded baskets the rest of the way, as the Bearcats took their largest lead of the night at 73-55 with less than five minutes to go en route to securing the decision.
 
UMass Lowell still leads the all-time series against Binghamton, 12-5. The River Hawks will play their final home, regular-season game on Saturday, February 23 when they host Hartford in a 5:30 p.m. Senior Night tilt.