LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (1-7, 0-0 AE) cruised to a 60-47 victory over the Central Connecticut Blue Devils (2-6, 0-0 NEC) in front of an energetic crowd at the Costello Athletic Center on Wednesday night.
 
Sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored a career-high 18 points to lead all scorers, shooting 6-7 from the field and 3-3 from behind the arc. Fellow sophomore Amaya Dowdy (Woonsocket, R.I.) added 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) returned to the lineup and grabbed seven rebounds with five points and three assists.  
 
"We got the monkey off our back, first win of the season. I'm really proud of the team and how they fought; we've been through a lot of adversity this season, so it was good to get the win tonight," said head coach Denise King. "I liked her [Ivory Finley] aggressiveness and her fight. There was no hesitation in her game tonight and that's what we want to see. We do have to get better shooting the ball, but that will come. We'll keep working and getting our players in the best positions for them to score."
 
The River Hawks opened the game with plenty of energy, feeding off the raucous crowd at Costello. Senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) and Ivory Finley combined to give UMass Lowell a 6-4 edge at the media break of the first quarter. The River Hawks were active early on the defensive end, forcing three turnovers in the opening five minutes of the game. Out of the break, both sides missed shots, but the hosts found life after graduate student Mili Carrera (Lima, Peru) completed the and-one and Finley drained a three, pushing the lead to 12-5. Finley's straight-away three with less than 20 seconds to play gave UMass Lowell a 15-9 lead after one.
 
UMass Lowell's energy continued in the second frame, opening the quarter on an 8-2 run to extend the lead to 23-11. The active hands and defensive pressure of the River Hawks forced the Blue Devils into two early turnovers, totaling seven less than 15 minutes into the game. Mili Carrera knocked down a triple to put the hosts ahead by 15 at the media timeout. Out of the break, UMass Lowell's defensive pressure forced back-to-back shot clock violations against Central Connecticut. The Blue Devils battled back and cut into the lead as the River Hawks held a 31-19 advantage at the half.
 
Central Connecticut got an immediate spark out of the halftime break as Dejah Jenkins put up five quick points. The River Hawks missed chances early, allowing the visitors to creep back within nine points less than two minutes into the third. Central went on a 9-2 to open the quarter, but a three from freshman Ella Ner (Bene Atarot, Israel) restored the double-digit lead for the River Hawks. Ivory Finley's and-one late int eh quarter gave UMass Lowell a 45-32 lead heading into the final frame.  
 
Looking for their first win of the season, the River Hawks pushed the pace in the fourth quarter. Ivory Finley's third triple of the night extended the UMass Lowell lead and swung the momentum back in favor of the hosts who led 54-39 at the media break. Finely knocked down two free throws late to set a new career-high with 18 points. With the comfortable lead, the River Hawks held on and earned their first win of the season with a 60-47 win over Central Connecticut.
 
Next up for the River Hawks is an afternoon matchup with Holy Cross on Sunday, December 11. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at the Costello Athletic Center.