LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball (1-12, 0-3 AE) fell to the UAlbany Great Danes (10-8, 4-0 AE) 62-38 on Saturday afternoon.
 
Sophomore Amaya Dowdy (Woonsocket, R.I.) led the team with 15 points on 6-9 shooting and seven rebounds. Dowdy also had a game-high three blocks. Senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) scored nine points and added four rebounds, three assists and one steal.
 
UMass Lowell entered the game searching for a first conference win, following back-to-back hard-fought losses. The Great Danes shot well to begin the game, going 4-6 from the field and 2-3 from three. Amaya Dowdy and junior Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) kept the River Hawks within one possession, trailing 12-9 midway through the first. UAlbany forced two quick turnovers to stretch the lead, but the River Hawks got a few key stops to close out of the opening 10 minutes, trailing 19-13 after one.
 
Both sides struggled to hit shots in the first three minutes of the second, with the teams going a combined 0-6 from the floor. Free throws from Ivory Finley chipped away at the lead, but the River Hawks could not knock down shots on the offensive end and trailed 19-15 at the media break. The first field goal of the second quarter came with 4:11 to play, as UAlbany pushed the lead back to eight. Despite, shooting 1-11 in the second, the River Hawks battled to keep the score within reach and trailed 23-17 at the half.
 
Ivory Finley's mid-range jumper on the opening possession of the second half was the start the River Hawks were looking for to keep cutting into the lead. However, turnovers on the offensive end allowed the Great Danes to extend their advantage to seventeen with a 13-0 run. UAlbany led 38-21 at the media break. The River Hawks had a difficult time making shots in the third, shooting 2-13 from the field. On the other side, UAlbany shot 9-15 to stretch the lead to 46-23 heading into the final frame.
 
Jaliena Sanchez came to life in the fourth quarter, scoring six points in the first five minutes after having made just one field goal the rest of the game. The senior sparked life in the River Hawks and the intensity picked up. UAlbany held a 52-31 edge at the final media break. The fourth quarter was the best shooting frame for the River Hawks, going 7-11 for 64% from the field as a unit. UMass Lowell battled but fell 60-38 to the Great Danes.
 
Next up, the River Hawks visit Vermont for a midweek tilt. Tip-off slated for 11:00 a.m. at Patrick Gym in Burlington.