LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (1-1, 0-0 AE) took down the Bryant Bulldogs (0-2, 0-0 NEC) on Saturday at the Costello Center as Head Coach Denise King picked up her first career win at the helm of the River Hawk program.
 
Senior Kharis Idom (Orlando, Fla.) scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds while junior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) tied a career-high 19 points and added three assists in Saturday's win.
 
"I think the team did really well today. It was the first home game, everyone was excited to defend home court," said King. "We had a full four quarter effort today and I think we put together a really good complete game."
 
The River Hawks jumped out to an early 7-4 lead at the media timeout in the first quarter. Junior Denise Solis (Windsor, Conn.) led the way with four points early. The Bulldogs went on a 7-2 run to close out the first quarter and took an 11-9 lead into the break. In the second quarter, the River Hawks continued to battle with strong defensive efforts, limiting the Bryant offense. Kharis Idom and Jaliena Sanchez provided a spark at the end of the half for UMass Lowell, hitting back-to-back threes to cut Bryant's advantage to 27-26 at the break.
 
UMass Lowell opened the second half with plenty of energy. Solis' early steal and score gave the River Hawks a 28-27 lead. Continued pressure saw Idom draw an offensive foul, allowing Sanchez to score on the inbound, giving UMass Lowell a 30-28 lead. The Bulldogs answered with five straight points, forcing the River Hawks to call a timeout. Following the break, UMass Lowell went on an 8-0 run to take the lead at 38-33. Bryant continued to fight, but solid defensive work saw the River Hawks take a 47-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Bryant came out strong in the fourth quarter, but the River Hawks were led by the veteran presence of Idom and Sanchez, who both knocked down big shots to keep UMass Lowell ahead 60-52 at the media timeout. The River Hawks would hold on and win their first game of the season 68-54 over Bryant.
 
The River Hawks shot 44% from the field and 30% from behind the arc. The team also went 15-19 from the free throw line. Solis finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds, and one steal. 
 
"I'm definitely excited to get the win today, good to get the first win out of the way. I'm so proud of the team and what we've accomplished today," said King. "Hopefully this is the first of many more to come."
 
Up next, the River Hawks hit the road to take on Michigan on Tuesday, November 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Ann Arbor.