Saturday, February 5 vs. Vermont (ESPN3 - 1 PM)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team will match up against conference leader Vermont for the first time in over a year on Saturday.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Catamounts would mark the second win for the River Hawks in the last three meetings of the series. It would also give the team its second straight conference win for the first time this year.
SPREAD RESPECT GAME
The River Hawks will be recognizing the America East's Spread Respect initiative on Saturday. UMass Lowell Athletics, along with all of its conference partners, are committed to raising awareness and ensuring equality for all.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Allin Blunt is averaging 10.6 points per game to pace the squad.
Max Brooks, who adds 9.7 points, boasts a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game and 44 blocks.
Justin Faison adds 52 assists, while
Everette Hammond totals 28 steals.
LAST TIME OUT
Behind a team-leading 18 points scored from
Allin Blunt and an impressive 51.1 percent shooting from the field overall as a unit, UMass Lowell took down the Maine Black Bears, 62-50, on Feb. 2. The River Hawks snatched the lead early in the contest and never looked back. UMass Lowell led by as many as 15 points and answered every push made by the home team, prohibiting any opportunity for the opposition to close the gap.
Ayinde Hikim was a key force in the River Hawks' ability to spread the ball around the court, tallying eight assists, while picking up three steals. Also making his presence felt was
Max Brooks, who swatted five blocks and grabbed seven rebounds.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks, who have ranked in the top two in the America East in shooting percentage for the previous three years, turned in their strongest shooting performance against a DI opponent this year at Maine on Feb. 2 (51.1%).The team is currently sixth in the league with a 43.9% clip.
Max Brooks is pacing the conference, shooting 62.9% from the field.
COMING ON STRONG
Allin Blunt, who logged his 100th career game at UMBC on Jan. 8, is playing some of his best basketball in his senior season. The forward, who logged the first 20-point games of his career against Maine and UAlbany, is averaging 18.5 points in the last four outings.
JOINING THE CLUB
Justin Faison surpassed 1,000 career points on Jan. 26 against UAlbany.
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 second in the league in turnover margin (+2.2) and is boasting 15.0 points off turnovers per game.
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 2.5 blocks per game.
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. So far, the River Hawks are first in the league and 21st in the nation in FG% defense. The team held Fisher to an all-time program-low 38 points on Nov. 27.
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