LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (4-7, 1-1 AE) picked up its first America East Conference win of the season with a 76-72 victory over the UMBC Retrievers (1-12, 0-3 AE).
 
Five River Hawks hit double-digit points as a balanced offense led UMass Lowell to victory. Junior Denise Solis (Windsor, Conn.)  led the team with 15 points, shooting 6-9 from the field, and added five rebounds. Sophomore Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) scored 14, adding four rebounds and four assists. Juniors Shamyjha Price (Pittsburgh, Penn.) and Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) each added 11, while sophomore Leilani Rodriguez (Worcester, Mass.) scored 10 points.
 
The River Hawks started the opening frame slow, trailing 8-5 at the media break. Out of the timeout, UMass Lowell caught life and went on an 11-0 run to take a 16-8 lead. The defensive effort forced UMBC into difficult shots and allowed the offense to work. The River Hawks shot 4-7 from behind the arc in the opening quarter and led 22-18 at the end of the first.
 
UMass Lowell continued to hit shots from deep, hitting two more three's just two minutes into the second quarter. Three straight scores from Price, freshman Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.), and Solis pushed the River Hawks' lead to 12 points. UMass Lowell held a 35-24 edge at the media timeout and held a 17-8 rebound advantage. Out of the break, the River Hawks' offense continued to roll, and the defense kept UMBC off the score sheet. As a team, UMass Lowell shot 52% from the field and 67% from three in the first half, with eight River Hawks getting on the score sheet.
 
UMBC started the half with plenty of energy, with two quick steals and a score to cut the lead the four early on. Offense turnovers allowed the Retrievers to go down the other end and tie the game at 41 just under two minutes into the half. A 10-0 run for the Retrievers forced UMass Lowell to call timeout to slow the game down. Back-to-back scores from Denise Solis tied the game out of the break, sparking life in the River Hawks. Five straight points from Edmonds gave UMass Lowell a 50-47 lead at the media timeout. After back-and-forth action, the Retrievers held a slim 57-56 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
 
In the final frame, the River Hawks battled back to retake the lead, 62-61, in the opening minutes. Banwareesingh knocked down the team's 11^th three to give UMass Lowell a 68-63 lead, forcing UMBC to call timeout with just under five minutes to play. Four points from Solis extended the lead to 72-63 as the River Hawks found a rhythm late. Finley hit a big mid-range jumper to push the lead to 76-70 as UMBC called timeout with 59 seconds left to play. The River Hawks held on and claimed a first America East Conference win of the season, 76-72, over the Retrievers.

UMass Lowell's 11 three's is the most in a single game since they hit 10 against UMBC on February 18, 2017.