LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (0-3, 0-0 AE) fell in the home opener to the Boston University Terriers (1-2, 0-0 PL) by a score of 63-43 on Wednesday night. Prior to tip-off, the River Hawks held a special moment of silence for the team's Morgan's Message game to support student-athlete mental health.

"I thought we played a solid first half of basketball, but again, it's the second half we can't figure out," said head coach Denise King. "We had the open looks, but the shots didn't fall for us tonight. We're going to keep working and be better for the next game."
 
Senior Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) led the team with 14 points on 6-15 shooting, and nine rebounds. Sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) added 10 points, six rebounds and a team-high five steals. As a unit, the River Hawks shot 24% from the field and 16% from behind the arc. Boston University shot 48% from the field and 36% from distance.
 
The River Hawks opened the game with a strong defensive showing, recording a block and two turnovers in the early going. On the offensive side, UMass Lowell had plenty of shots, but could not get many to fall, shooting 4-18 in the quarter. Banwareesingh had six of the River Hawks' points at the end of the first, trailing by one.
 
In the second, both teams scored early baskets before going on a scoreless drought of over two minutes. The River Hawks were held scoreless for over three minutes to open the quarter before a triple from Finley just before the media timeout. Finley and senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) knocked down free throws to cut into the visitors' lead. Banwareesingh had 10 points and seven rebounds in the first half to lead the team. The fast-paced first half ended with Boston University in front by a slim 24-22 margin.
 
UMass Lowell had lost the energy it had in the first half as the second half began. After two misses on the offensive end and the Terriers hitting back-to-back threes, the River Hawks called timeout. Boston University came out with another 6-0 run to extend the lead while the hosts struggled from the floor. As a team, the River Hawks shot 13% from the field and were 0-4 from distance. On the other side, the Terriers had their best shooting quarter, going 9-14 from the field and 3-4 from three. Boston University's lead was too much to overcome, and the visitors picked up their first win of the season with a 63-43 victory in Lowell.
 
The River Hawks return to action on Saturday, November 19 to welcome the Brown Bears to Lowell. Tip-off is slated for 2:00 p.m. at the Costello Athletic Center.