Wednesday, February 1 vs. UAlbany (6 p.m.)
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LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (17-6, 5-4 AE) starts the second half of its America East Conference schedule against UAlbany on Wednesday, February 1.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Great Danes would improve UMass Lowell's record to 18-6, continuing the program's best start since 2002-03. It would extend the program record for wins in a season at the DI level to 18, as well. A win would also move the River Hawks to 12-0 at home, extending the program record.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Two River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Abdoul Karim Coulibaly boasts 12.9 points, while adding a team-best 8.5 rebounds. Right behind him,
Everette Hammond adds 12.7 points per game on 43% shooting from the field. The primary playmaker this season,
Ayinde Hikim totals 88 assists with 9.8 points.
Max Brooks adds 8.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, and paces the team with 41 blocks. Â
LAST TIME OUT
Allin Blunt tallied 17 points, as UMass Lowell fell to New Hampshire, 69-65. The River Hawks jumped in front by three early thanks to a triple by
Everette Hammond and a layup by
Mikey Watkins. The Wildcats evened the score with a trey, but UMass Lowell put together a 6-0 burst to take a 17-11 lead. After a 10-4 run by New Hampshire knotted the game up at 22-22, the River Hawks caught fire on offense, as Blunt sank back-to-back shots from behind the arc, and Watkins added one of his own, giving UMass Lowell a six-point buffer. Although a trey from the hosts cut the lead in half, the River Hawks tallied the final two baskets of the half to hold a 37-30 lead heading into the locker room. Both teams traded baskets early to start the second half, but New Hampshire connected on two threes, pulling them back within one. Blunt looked to shut down the Wildcats' momentum, sinking a basket from the top of the arc, his third triple of the afternoon, to retake a four-point lead with 13:34 to play. However, UNH retaliated with an 8-2 stretch, taking a 50-48 lead, their first of the half. The River Hawks tallied the next three baskets to regain the lead, but the Wildcats retaliated by scoring seven of the game's nine points to create a one-point edge. With five minutes to play, Hammond put UMass Lowell back on top with a jumper, but New Hampshire tallied the next three baskets to take a 63-59 lead with 47 seconds to play. Hikim cut the lead in half with two free throws, but the home team sank four free throws in the final seconds to pull away.
ROAD WOES
The road is shaping up to be an unfriendly place in the America East this conference season, as all nine league schools have combined for an 11-25 record on the road so far.
THE THREE IS KEY
Three-point shooting has proven to be key to the River Hawks' success so far, as the squad is 11-0 in games where they sink at least seven threes.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The win against Bryant on Jan. 22 was the 17th victory for the team this season, extending the new Division I program record for total wins in a season.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The River Hawks are 11-0 at home so far, which is a new program record, besting the 10-0 home start from the 2002-03 season. That record also marks the second-best perfect home record in the nation, as well. Additionally, the team earned its ninth consecutive win in a home opener in 2022-23. With the 11-0 record at home so far, UMass Lowell is now 159-94 in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.
ROCKING CLUB COSTELLO
For the first time at the Division I level, the River Hawks played in front of a sellout crowd at Costello Athletic Center.
ALL ABOUT THE BIGS
Abdoul Karim Coulibaly and
Max Brooks combined to go 22-for-28 from the field with 44 points against UMBC on Jan. 18. Coulibaly set a new career high with 24 points, while Brooks boasted a season-best 20 points.
HELPING HANDS
The River Hawks logged a season-high 23 assists in the win against UMBC on Jan. 18. The team is currently second in the league with 14.8 assists per game. Individually, with his 11 assists against Sacred Heart on Nov. 16,
Ayinde Hikim set a new Division I program record after
Ryan Jones first logged 10 in 2018 vs. NJIT.
SHARING IS CARING
Coach Duquette has said this is his deepest and most talented team yet. Nine different River Hawks have already led the team in scoring this year, and seven of those have led the team in scoring in at least two games. The River Hawks have also boasted at least eight scorers in 22 of their first 23 games, including 11 against Emerson. In the contests against Fisher and Emerson, the team totaled six, double-digit scorers for the first time since 2017-18 (at Maine, 1/31/18). At least four River Hawks have scored in double figures in 11 of the 23 games.
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