Sunday, March 6 at UMBC (1 p.m. - ESPN+)
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BALTIMORE, Md. - The No. 7 seeded UMass Lowell men's basketball team will visit No. 2 UMBC in the opening round of the 2021-22 America East Playoffs on Sunday.
POSTSEASON HISTORY
This marks the River Hawks' fifth season eligible for the postseason at the Division I level. The program is now 48-39 all time in post-season games.
LOOKING TO REPEAT
The River Hawks made a Cinderella run late last season, when they were also the No. 7 seed for the America East Playoffs. During that stretch, the team earned its first ever post-season victories at the Division I level, taking down No. 7 Stony Brook, No. 3 New Hampshire and No. 1 UMBC for a chance to play for the title against No. 6 Hartford.
A FAMILIAR FOE
UMass Lowell has met UMBC twice previously in the America East Playoffs. The team traveled to Baltimore for a quarterfinal matchup in 2018 during the team's first year of DI post-season eligibility. Although the River Hawks led by 11 at halftime of that contest, the Retrievers came back to earn the 89-77 outcome. The River Hawks flipped the script in 2021, however, knocking off the top-ranked Retrievers, 79-77, in the semifinals with the help of a tournament-record nine threes from
Connor Withers.
PLAYOFF PICTURE
This is one of four quarterfinal matchups on Sunday. The four quarterfinal winners will square off in the semifinals on Wednesday, March 9 at the two highest remaining seeds. The bracket will be re-seeded with the highest-remaining seed hosting the lowest-remaining seed and the second-highest remaining seed hosting the second-lowest remaining seed. Both semifinal games will tip at 7 p.m.
A WIN WOULD
A win would mark the third this season for the River Hawks against the Retrievers. It would also give the River Hawks their second-straight, post-season upset at UMBC and a birth into the semifinals for the second consecutive year.
PUT IT IN THE BOOKS
With the win at Hartford on March 3, the River Hawks secured their best winning percentage (.500) at the Division I level.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Allin Blunt is averaging 10.9 points per game to pace the squad.
Max Brooks, who adds 10.7 points, boasts a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game and 66 blocks. Ayinde HIkim adds 77 assists and 38 steals.
LAST TIME OUT
Max Brooks led the way with career highs of 29 points and 17 boards, as UMass Lowell took home an exciting, 83-73 road win at Hartford in the regular-season finale on March 3. Brooks put up his fifth double-double, as he shot 12-for-16 from the floor to lead five double-digit scorers for the River Hawks.
Ayinde Hikim distributed the ball well, registering a game-high seven assists, while adding 14 points.
Allin Blunt added 13 points, while
Kalil Thomas and
Everette Hammond chipped in with 12 and 10, respectively. As a unit, UMass Lowell shot 51.6% from the floor.
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
Max Brooks was named to the America East All-Defensive Team following the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season.
ON HIS BLOCK
Max Brooks set a new, all-time program record with 10 blocks at UAlbany on Jan. 12. He now owns the program's Division I single-season record, as well. He leads the conference and is 27th in the country with 2.4 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. The team has held two league opponents (Maine, Stony Brook) to just 50 points. So far, the River Hawks are first in the league and 42nd in the country in FG% defense. The team held Fisher to an all-time program-low 38 points on Nov. 27.
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