Saturday, February 26 at Vermont (2 p.m. - ESPN+)
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BURLINGTON, Vt. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team will travel to Vermont on Saturday to close out action in the month of February.
A WIN WOULD
A win would split the season series against the Catamounts. It would also give the River Hawks their second consecutive win.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Allin Blunt is averaging 11.0 points per game to pace the squad.
Max Brooks, who adds 10.4 points, boasts a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game and 58 blocks. Ayinde HIkim adds 66 assists, while
Everette Hammond totals 33 steals.
LAST TIME OUT
Anthony Blunt turned in a career night to help lead UMass Lowell to an exciting, 67-50 victory against Stony Brook on Wednesday.
Ayinde Hikim led all scorers with 20 points, going 8-for-10 from the foul line to match a career high of his own.
Max Brooks, who chipped in with 10 points, matched a personal best with 11 rebounds for his fourth, double-double of the year, while
Kalil Thomas rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, as well. As a team, the River Hawks held the Seawolves to just 28.6% (18-63) from the floor and forced 16 turnovers.
STEPPING UP
Anthony Blunt shot 55.6% (5-9) from the field with a personal-best three, threes for a career-high 15 points against Stony Brook on Feb. 23. The sophomore has shot over 50% in three of the last five contests.
DOUBLE THE FUN
John Hall posted his first career double-double against Binghamton on Feb. 19. In the next game,
Max Brooks registered his team-leading fourth of the season against Stony Brook on Feb. 23. Earlier in the year, not only did Greg Hammond and
Quinton Mincey each log their first career double-double against Fisher, but their performances also marked the first time two River Hawks have achieved double-doubles since a game against Boston University on Dec. 21, 2019.
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DEFENSE WINS GAMES
This year, Coach Duquette has made defense a huge point of emphasis for his program, which typically leads the America East in several offensive categories. The team has held two league opponents (Maine, Stony Brook) to just 50 points. So far, the River Hawks are first in the league in FG% defense. The team held Fisher to an all-time program-low 38 points on Nov. 27.
PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME
The River Hawks have gone 4-4 between Feb. 2-23. After scoring over 80 only once against a DI opponent earlier this season, the team reached at least 80 points in three straight games between Feb. 7-12. During that three-game stretch, the team shot 57.6%, compared to 43.6% previously. The team also boasted a +12.7 rebounding margin against opponents during those three contests.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks, who have ranked in the top two in the America East in shooting percentage for the previous three years, shot a season-high 64.4% (38-59) from the field against UMBC on Feb. 12. The team shot over 50% in its three outings between Feb. 7-12 and is currently third in the league with a 44.5% clip.
Max Brooks is pacing the conference, shooting 63.0% from the field.
CLEANING THE GLASS
UMass Lowell logged a season-high 17 offensive boards against Hartford on Feb. 7. The team has been strong on the offensive glass all season, leading the America East in offensive rebounds per game (11.0).
TURNING UP THE PRESSURE
The River Hawks are doing a good job forcing the ball out of their opponents' hands this season. The team is currently first in the league in turnover margin (+2.2) and steals per game (7.5).
ON HIS BLOCK
Max Brooks set a new, all-time program record with 10 blocks at UAlbany on Jan. 12. He leads the conference and is 27th in the country with 2.36 blocks per game.
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