LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded her first double-double despite a, 46-39, loss for the UMass Lowell women's basketball team (8-6, 7-4 AE) against UAlbany (5-6, 4-3 AE) on Saturday.

"We have a lot to work on going into tomorrows game," commented head coach Tom Garrick. "We were a bit disjointed playing without our starting center and UAlbany did a great job of keeping us from finding an offensive rhythm. If we can play through our mistakes and not allow one to turn in to two we'll be able to give ourselves a better chance to be successful." 

Banwareesingh set a career-high with 13 rebounds in the contest. Sophomore Shamyjha Price (Pittsburgh, Pa.) went 3-for-4 from the line to add seven points, while freshman Sydney Coombs (Newmarket, N.H.) totaled a personal-best six points.
 
Despite the River Hawks winning the opening tip, Albany tallied the first points of the day to quickly build a two-possession buffer. The teams traded baskets in the early minutes, as UAlbany maintained a slight edge until Banwareesingh exploded off the bench for six-straight to give the River Hawks their first lead of the afternoon, 12-8, by the end of the first quarter.
 
UAlbany's Helene Haegerstrand knocked down the first bucket of the second, although senior Tiahna Sears (Bunbury, Australia) would convert on an and-1 opportunity to give the home team a five-point buffer, 15-10, with 5:49 on the clock. The Great Danes would work their way back using an 8-0 run over the final minutes of the second to pull away, 18-15, by the halftime buzzer.
 
The Great Danes registered the first three points coming out of halftime to control the early minutes of the third quarter, but a pair of free throws from Coombs and a jumper from Banwareesingh would trim the River Hawk gap, 23-19, at 5:15. UMass Lowell would come within one after five-straight points from sophomore Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.), but UAlbany knocked down a shot from outside the arc to regain the lead, 30-26, heading into the final frame.
 
UMass Lowell did not come any closer until Price used a solo 5-0 run, including three points from the line to put the River Hawks within 37-36 at 2:30. However, the Great Danes were able to fend off the late attack using a 9-3 advantage over the final minutes to finish the day, 46-39.
 
The two squads are right back at it tomorrow afternoon, as UMass Lowell and UAlbany square off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, January 31 to wrap up the series.