LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) posted 16 points, as the UMass Lowell women's basketball team (3-4, 2-2 AE) was handed a 60-44 setback against Stony Brook (5-3, 3-1 AE) on Monday afternoon.
 
"We ran into a better team today," commented head coach Tom Garrick. "Stony Brook had it figured out, they were more physical and more disciplined than us. We're going to have to figure out how to play in this back-to-back format. We will learn from a game like this and get better because of it."
 
Sanchez shot 6-for-7 (85%) from the line and 2-for-5 (40%) from outside the arc. Junior Kharis Idom (Orlando, Fla.) added to the offense with nine points. Sophomore Shamyjha Price (Pittsburgh, Pa.) totaled six rebounds, while sophomore Denise Solis (Windsor, Conn.) chipped in with a career-high five steals and two blocks.
 
The River Hawks were quick to attack, winning the tip and opening the scoring with a second chance opportunity from senior forward Tiahna Sears (Bunbury, Austrailia). The home team maintained the upper hand early using an 8-1 run, including six solo points from Sanchez to give the River Hawks a five-point lead heading into the first media timeout, 10-5. However, the Seawolves scored 14 of the next 16 points to erase the difference and take a seven-point lead by the end of the first, 19-12.
 
Stony Brook continued their run into the second, but the River Hawks were able to cut the deficit off a fast break from Sanchez. The Seawolves responded over the remaining minutes to gain a 14-point advantage, but Idom would knock down two free throws to cap off the first half, 34-22.
 
Coming out of halftime, Idom opened the scoring for the River Hawks after an and-1 to give the home team their closest chance of the contest, 36-25. Price and senior Linda Svenne (Riga, Lativa) would chip in points from the three-point range, to make it 52-36 by the end of the third.
 
Stony Brook extended its advantage as far as 16 in the contest, but a put-back from Solis closed the gap to 57-44 at 3:22. However, the River Hawks were unable to come any closer in the decision.
 
Up next, the River Hawks are scheduled to hit the road for a two-game series against league newcomer NJIT on Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 2 (4 p.m.) and Jan. 3 (2 p.m.).