BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Junior Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) tallied 22 points on a career-high six three-pointers, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (9-1) extended its win streak to seven games with an 84-64 victory at LIU on Monday night.
 
With the decision, the River Hawks set a new Division I program record with a seven-game win streak and continue their best start since the 2002-03 season.
 
Behind Covington, graduate student Everette Hammond (Silver Spring, Md.) added 18 points alongside six rebounds. Senior Abdoul Karim Coulibaly (Bamako, Mali) paced the squad with eight rebounds, while chipping in eight points, and sophomore Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) recorded a game-high three blocks. As a team, the River Hawks shot 55.2% (32-58) from the field.
 
The teams traded baskets in the opening minutes, as they combined for seven buckets before the first media timeout. With an early two-point lead, Covington connected on two shots from behind the arc and Morris III followed with a basket of his own to grow the UMass Lowell margin to 18-10.
 
The Sharks recorded six of the next eight points to break up the UMass Lowell run, but Hammond quickly retaliated with back-to-back baskets and two free throws to give the River Hawks their first double-digit lead of the night, 26-16, with 9:45 remaining in the first half. Minutes later, Covington drilled two more three-point shots, giving the visitors a 36-22 lead, their largest of the first half, with five minutes remaining.  Both teams stayed even in the final minutes, and the River Hawks took a 46-32 advantage into the locker room.
 
Only two minutes into the second half, UMass Lowell began to pull away, as the team went on an 11-0 run capped off by another Covington three-ball to extend their lead to 24. With 10:35 remaining, junior Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) hit the team's seventh three, creating the largest buffer of the night, 69-42. The Sharks continued to fight, looking to battle back into the game, but the River Hawks' lead proved to be too large.
 
Next up, the River Hawks will wrap up their road trip, as they head to Amherst to take on Massachusetts on Thursday, December 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Mullins Center.