STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Graduate student John Hall (Philadelphia, Pa.) notched a season-high 20 points in an 87-85 heartbreaker for the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (12-11, 4-7 AE) that was decided in the final seconds at Stony Brook (14-10, 6-5 AE) on Wednesday evening.
 
The game was truly a back-and-forth battle, featuring a total of 10 tied scores and 11 lead changes in the second half alone. Down the stretch, senior Allin Blunt (Crownsville, Md.) converted on a three-point play to give the River Hawks the lead for the final time with seven seconds on the clock. However, the Seawolves' Anthony Roberts, who finished with a game-high 28 points, made the most of his team's last possession as he executed a full-court drive through traffic for the and-1 to seal the outcome.
 
"We lost on the road to an incredibly talented and well-coached team that hit a really tough, game-winning shot," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "I'm proud of the way my guys battled tonight."
 
Hall, who shot 81.8% from the floor, led five double-digit scorers for the River Hawks with a personal-best nine field goals. Sophomore Ayinde Hikim (Washington, D.C.) chipped in with 15 points, while senior Everette Hammond (Silver Spring, Md.) added 12. Blunt and sophomore Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) contributed 11 points apiece, as well. As a whole, the team shot over 50% from the field for the second consecutive game.
 
Although sophomore Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) scored the first points of the contest from the foul line, the Seawolves put together an early, 10-2 run. Hall halted the home team's streak with a layup and an and-1 on the next trip down the court to make it a one-possession game, 12-9, with 12:51 remaining in the first.
 
The home team led by as many as six in the following minutes, but a triple from Hammond and a layup from Hall cut the difference to 23-21 at 7:31. Then in the last two minutes of the period, Hikim hit a jumper ahead of a pull-up trey from junior Kalil Thomas (New Orleans, La.) to even the board at 38-38 heading into the break.
 
Four different River Hawk scorers tallied points in the first four minutes of the second half before the Seawolves used a 13-4 spurt to pull away, 59-52, with just under 13 minutes to go. UMass Lowell answered right back, though, with 14 of the next 15 points. That stretch was capped off by a triple from Mincey to give the visitors a 66-60 edge with 8:46 still to play.
 
SBU made it a one-point game twice and regained the upper hand with less than six minutes on the clock. Strong work at the foul line had the River Hawks back up, 76-75, at 3:56. Three lead change ensued before Blunt knotted the score twice in the final seconds.
 
The River Hawks close out a three-game week at home on Saturday, February 12 at 5 p.m. against UMBC.