Sunday, January 8 at UAlbany (3 p.m.)
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TROY, N.Y. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (14-2, 2-0 AE) travels to New York to battle conference opponent UAlbany on Sunday, January 8.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Great Danes would improve UMass Lowell's record to 15-2, continuing the program's best start since 2002-03. A win would also move the River Hawks to 3-0 in conference play, their best start since joining America East.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Three River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Abdoul Karim Coulibaly leads the way with 12.6 points per game, while adding a team-best 8.6 rebounds. Tied with him,
Everette Hammond also averages 12.6 points on 45% shooting from the field. The primary playmaker this season,
Ayinde Hikim totals 67 assists with 10.4 points.
Max Brooks adds 8.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, and paces the team with 32 blocks. Â
LAST TIME OUT
Everette Hammond totaled 20 points as UMass Lowell took down Maine to move to 2-0 in conference play.
Ayinde Hikim added 15 points with six assists, while
Connor Withers made five treys to add 15 points of his own. Tied 16-16 with 8:39 to play in the first half, Withers drilled his first three of the night to give the River Hawks a slight edge. Despite the Black Bears pulling back in front, Withers caught fire from beyond the arc, knocking down four more threes to stay perfect (5-5) from distance and give the hosts a 38-29 lead heading into halftime. Early in the second half, UMass Lowell extended its margin to as many as 13, however, Maine continued to fight, going on a 20-8 run to pull within one with 7:43 remaining. Still a one possession game with three minutes to go, a fastbreak dunk by
Max Brooks, followed by a layup from Hikim, gave the River Hawks a six-point cushion. In the final minute, Hammond and Hikim combined to go 6-6 from the line to seal the 72-70 victory over the Black Bears.
STARTING STRONG
The River Hawks reached 10 wins this season faster than they have in any season since the 2002-03 campaign when they won 14 in a row to open the year. This is the first time the River Hawks started conference play at the top of the standings. Additionally, the team has started AE Hoops action 2-0 just twice previously, in 2016-17 and 2014-15.
CRACKING THE RANKINGS
The River Hawks were ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time ever during the week of Dec. 12 when they moved into the No. 25 spot. In the most recent rankings, the River Hawks continued to move up, reaching the No. 17 spot.
SHARING IS CARING
Coach Duquette has said this is his deepest and most talented team yet. Eight different River Hawks have already led the team in scoring this year, and five of those have led the team in scoring in at least two games. The River Hawks have also boasted at least eight scorers in each of their first 16 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 seven of the 16 games.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The River Hawks are 8-0 at home so far, which is good for another program best at Division I and is the program's best home start since going 10-0 during the 2002-03 season. The team earned its ninth consecutive win in a home opener in 2022-23. With the 8-0 record at home so far, UMass Lowell is now 156-94 in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.
CALM UNDER PRESSURE
The River Hawks have trailed in the second half in just four of their wins so far this year, each time putting their resiliency and maturity on display. Most recently, the team trailed by 10 at NJIT on Dec. 31 with less than four minutes to play before mounting a last-minute comeback.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks, who shot a season-high 63.5% from the field in the win against Emerson, have outshot their opponents in every game this year. The team surpassed 50% shooting in eight out of 16 games so far, as well. The team is averaging 50.0% from the field to rank 10th in the nation.
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