WASHINGTON, D.C.- Sophomore Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) dunked his way to a career-high 23 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (4-1) pulled off a second-half comeback to knock off Atlantic 10 foe George Washington (1-4), 67-56, on the road Friday evening.
 
Although the River Hawks trailed by as many as 12 late in the first half, they never gave in and outscored their hosts by 20 in the second half to pull off their biggest comeback of the young season.

"This was a great second-half defensive effort on the road for us tonight," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "We executed and shared the ball on offense. We found the open man and got it to the paint when our three-pointers weren't falling."
 
It was another strong night for UMass Lowell under the hoop, as the team put up 40 points from the paint. Brooks led the way with 10 made baskets, as he shot 66.7% (10-15) from the floor. Sophomore Ayinde Hikim (Washington, D.C.) also logged a personal-best 18 points in the contest with three steals. Senior Everette Hammond (Silver Spring, Md.), who chipped in with 11 points, added in season bests of six assists and seven rebounds, leading the team in both of those categories. As a team, the River Hawks took advantage of 21 points scored off 19 GW turnovers.
 
The River Hawks started the game off strong offensively, taking a 10-0 lead only five minutes in. Hammond had the hot hand, hitting two threes in the opening minutes to help ignite the run. However, the Colonials quickly retaliated, putting together a 19-2 run to take the upper hand, 19-12, with 10:35 remaining in the first half.
 
Just over three minutes later, Brooks cut the difference back to two, but GW scored 11 of the next 12 points to take its largest lead, 33-21, at 2:15. Although Hikim added in five points off a layup and a deep three to bring UMass Lowell back within seven, George Washington tallied the final points of the period, making it 35-26 heading into the break.
 
UMass Lowell went to work coming out of the locker room on a 14-4 run to regain the lead, 40-39, with 14 minutes left to play. Brooks played a massive part in the run, scoring eight of the 14 points, including two dunks that set the pace for the second half.
 
Both teams continued to battle, deadlocking the board on three occasions. It wasn't until the team was up, 54-51, with 3:34 left in the game, when Brooks was able to give his squad a two-possession buffer.
 
The River Hawks continued to play solid defense, holding George Washington to only seven points over the last five minutes of the game. In the final two minutes, Hammond hit multiple clutch free throws and Brooks solidified the decision with two statement slams.
 
Next up, the River Hawks finish up their road trip as they head to Massachusetts on Wednesday, November 24. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.