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Coulibaly vs ASU
69
UMass Lowell Lowell 3-1,0-0 America East
71
Winner Arizona St. ASU 2-1,0-0 Pac-12
UMass Lowell Lowell
3-1,0-0 America East
69
Final
71
Arizona St. ASU
2-1,0-0 Pac-12
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UMass Lowell Lowell 31 38 69
Arizona St. ASU 22 49 71

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at Saint Peter's

11/20/2023 | 7PM

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Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

River Hawks Fall In Final Seconds, 71-69, at Arizona State

TEMPE, AZ. -  The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (3-1) battled valiantly and led for over 38 minutes until a late run by the Arizona State Sun Devils (2-1) sealed a 71-69 comeback for the home team on Thursday night at the Desert Financial Arena.

Three River Hawks recorded double-digits to help the team take the Pac-12 opponent down to the wire on the road, led by senior Abdoul Karim Coulibaly (Bamako, Mali), who totaled 19 points and eight rebounds. Right behind him, senior Ayinde Hikim (Washington, D.C.) added 17 points and a season-high eight assists, while senior Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) contributed with 14 points and seven boards. Senior Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) was impressive off the bench, chipping in eight points alongside a game-high nine rebounds. As a unit, the River Hawks shot 48.1% (26-54) from the field, including a 37.5% (6-16) clip from beyond the arc.

Although the Sun Devils banked in a three-pointer in the opening seconds, UMass Lowell answered immediately, as Covington drilled a trey in response. Baskets by both sides kept the score even until Coulibaly connected on his first three as a River Hawk, igniting a 9-1 stretch to put the visitors up, 14-6. Despite Arizona State using two quick buckets to cut the deficit in half, the River Hawks swung the momentum right back in their favor, scoring eight straight points over four minutes to extend the advantage to 22-10 with 6:28 on the clock. 

The hosts answered with an and-one by Jose Perez and a three from Alonzo Gaffney to kick-start an 11-3 run and make it a two-possession game with three minutes to play. As they continued to do all night, the River Hawks countered, this time with a 6-1 burst thanks to baskets from Hikim, Covington, and junior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.), giving UMass Lowell the 31-22 edge heading into the locker room.

After the break, the two sides battled for the first four minutes of the half, but it remained a nine-point game until another deep ball from Covington gave the River Hawks a double-digit lead with 15:16 on the clock. The Sun Devils trimmed the gap with a 6-0 stretch, but five straight for Hikim in 30 seconds erased nearly all the damage done.

Looking to find a way back into the game, Arizona State scored 12 points over four minutes, but Mincey answered for his team, sinking two threes before throwing down a dunk to maintain a seven-point advantage. Although the hosts used a 10-2 run to make it 58-54, the closest it had been since the first half, UMass Lowell locked down on defense, as the team didn't allow another basket for over three minutes of play. Meanwhile, Hikim found an open layup, and Coulibaly added five points, including another three-pointer, to make it 65-54 with only 2:16 to play. In the final minutes, however, the Sun Devils used a 15-4 run to even the board before Frankie Collins scored what would be the game-winner with 1.9 seconds on the clock to thwart the upset, 71-69.

Next up, the River Hawks will continue the road trip as they head to New Jersey to take on Saint Peter's on Monday, November 20. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center.

 
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Players Mentioned

Abdoul Karim Coulibaly

#12 Abdoul Karim Coulibaly

F
6' 9"
Senior
Yuri Covington

#4 Yuri Covington

G
6' 1"
Senior
Ayinde Hikim

#2 Ayinde Hikim

G
5' 11"
Senior
Quinton Mincey

#3 Quinton Mincey

G
6' 7"
Senior
Cam Morris III

#23 Cam Morris III

F
6' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Abdoul Karim Coulibaly

#12 Abdoul Karim Coulibaly

6' 9"
Senior
F
Yuri Covington

#4 Yuri Covington

6' 1"
Senior
G
Ayinde Hikim

#2 Ayinde Hikim

5' 11"
Senior
G
Quinton Mincey

#3 Quinton Mincey

6' 7"
Senior
G
Cam Morris III

#23 Cam Morris III

6' 8"
Junior
F