DURHAM, N.H – A game-high of 33 made free throws was the deciding factor as the UMass Lowell women's basketball team (12-10, 8-1 AE) completed the series sweep, finishing off the New Hampshire Wildcats (7-14, 4-5 AE), 66-53, on Saturday afternoon at Lundholm Gymnasium.
 
Three River Hawks posted double-digit efforts with sophomore Kharis Idom (Orlando, Fla.) completing her 11th straight game with 10 or more points. Junior Tiahna Sears (Bunbury, Aus.) went 4-for-4 on the line, grabbing 16 points, while senior Brianne Stiers (Denver, Colo.) pitched in 13 points, leading the defensive end with seven rebounds.
 
"It was a hard-fought win," stated head coach Tom Garrick. "We were being aggressive in going to the basket and making UNH play on their heels, I'm really proud of the way our players turned it around from our last game."
 
Starting the contest on the free throw line both Stiers and freshman Denise Solis (Windsor, Conn.) connected on their extra points to give the visitors the lead, 4-2. Countering with a free throw opportunity of their own plus a jumper from forward Ashley Storey the Wildcats took their only lead of the contest with a slight edge at 11-8 with just under four minutes to play.
 
Gaining the advantage with their first run of the contest, Sears and Stiers combined for 10 points to go 6-for-6 on free throws as the River Hawks shot 100 percent from the line for the first time this season, ending the first quarter score at 18-11.
 
A fast break layup from the Wildcats opened the second but freshman Shamyjha Price (Pittsburgh, Pa.) knocked down her first triple of the day, followed by another three-pointer from Idom to give the visitors an 11-point buffer by the first media timeout. Trading points for the rest of the second, UNH cut the deficit within four points off a Storey triple as the River Hawks headed into the half with a 30-26 advantage.
 
Striking ten seconds into the third, Stiers fed a pass down the lane to Solis to spark a short 8-2 run over the next four minutes, increasing the River Hawk lead to 38-28. A 6-0 run from the Wildcats would cut the gap, 38-34, but an and1 by Price and jumper from Stiers at the buzzer would keep the River Hawk lead at 46-37, heading into the final stretch.
 
Price opened the final quarter with her second and1 of the game, followed by a solo 5-0 run from Idom to give the visitors their largest lead of the contest, 56-41. The Wildcats last ditch effort came from guard Caroline Soucy, jumping out on a solo 6-0 run to trim the gap within nine points.
 
Free throw opportunities from Sanchez and Idom, including the squads third and1 of the day coming from Sears proved all the squad needed to secure the win, 66-53.
 
Up next, the River Haws will see action against Stony Brook when they welcome the squad to the Tsongas Center on February 5 at 7 p.m. Followed by a road trip to UMBC for an afternoon matchup with the Retrievers on Saturday, February 8.