TOWSON, Md. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (1-9, 0-0 AE) fell to the Towson Tigers (6-5, 0-0 CAA) in the final non-conference game of the season on Friday afternoon.
 
Junior Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) led the team with a career-high 18 points and added three rebounds. Sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) had a team-high nine rebounds and added four points.
 
UMass Lowell struggled from the field early in the game, opening the first quarter shooting 1-7 three minutes in. Towson was slightly more efficient and built a 6-2 lead at the media break, shooting 3-7 from the field. Jaini Edmonds' made layup after a steal from senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) provided a spark for the visitors, who forced a turnover on the following Towson possession and tied the game. The Tigers went on a 5-0 run to close the quarter to take an 11-6 lead.
 
In the second quarter, Towson extended the lead to 15-6 before graduate student Mili Carrera (Lima, Peru) knocked down a triple to bring the River Hawks within six. After a stop on the defensive end, senior Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) hit a triple to cut the lead to three. The hosts responded with back-to-back scores to stretch the lead to 19-12 at the media break. The River Hawks battled back to tie the game behind five points from Edmonds and a big three from freshman Ella Ner (Bene Atarot, Israel). UMass Lowell took its first lead of the afternoon after Edmonds knocked down another shot, a three to put the visitors ahead 22-21 with 1:43 left in the second. Towson once again stretched the advantage and took a 29-22 lead into the half.  
 
Both teams struggled out of the halftime break with the first points of the half being scored just under four minutes into the game. Towson led 30-24 at the media timeout. Out of the break, the Tigers stretched the lead to 10, forcing UMass Lowell to call timeout with just over two minutes to play in the third. Towson led 40-26 heading into the fourth.  
 
Towson extended the lead to 45-26 in the fourth before a three-point play by sophomore Amaya Dowdy (Woonsocket, R.I.) cut into the advantage. The River Hawks struggled to make shots and allowed the Tigers to put the game out of reach as the deficit grew to 20 points with four minutes to play. UMass Lowell battled hard until the final buzzer, but ultimately fell 66-40 on Friday afternoon.
 
The River Hawks return to action on January 1 to host NJIT in the conference opener. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Costello Athletic Center.