EASTON, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (4-1) is back in action after the Thanksgiving break and set for a visit to Stonehill on Wednesday, November 29.
A WIN WOULD
A win against Stonehill would improve UMass Lowell's record to 5-1, matching the team's best start in DI program history from the record-breaking, 2022-23 season. It would also give the team it's fourth straightt win against the Skyhawks.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior
Ayinde Hikim tallied a game-high 20 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team took down the Saint Peter's Peacocks, 69-61, last Monday night. Hikim, who added a team-high three assists, was one of four double-digit scorers for the River Hawks. Sophomore
Brayden O'Connor added 17 points, with 15 coming in the second half. Junior
Cam Morris III was all over the stat sheet, contributing 12 points, five rebounds and two assists, while junior
Yuri Covington drilled two, three-pointers on his way to 10 points. As a team, UMass Lowell shot 52.2% (24-46), while the defense excelled again, holding Saint Peter's to just 38.5% (20-52) from the field.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Three River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Ayinde Hikim leads the squad with 20.2 points per game. Behind him,
Abdoul Karim Coulibaly adds 12.8 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game, while
Cam Morris III adds 10.6 and 5.8 boards off the bench. Picking up from where he left off last year as the primary playmaker, Hikim paces his squad with 23 assists, as well, while
Max Brooks totals 11 blocks, so far.
REMEMBER MY NAME
The River Hawks made noise around the college basketball landscape last week, after coming seconds away from sweeping a pair of Power 5 opponents in a span of three days. The River Hawks first defeated ACC foe Georgia Tech, 74-71, on Nov. 14. Despite trailing by seven with 12 minutes to play, UMass Lowell fought back to lead by as many as 11 down the stretch before a last-second block from Brooks helped seal the program's second ever win against a Power 5 squad. Two days later, the River Hawks led Arizona State for over 38 minutes of action and went up by as many as 12, but a fast-break in the last seconds gave the Pac-12 opponent the 71-69 decision.
ROAD WARRIORS
The River Hawks know they need to be an excellent road team to finish atop their conference standings. They are headed in the right direction, as they are 3-1 so far during a DI program-long, six-game road trip.
STARTING STRONG
With the 96-51 win against Rivier, the River Hawks opened the season with a victory for the fourth straight year. That decision also marked the team's 10th consecutive win in its home opener. So far, the team has started this season with a 4-1 record, matching the the same start as the 26-win season during the 2022-23 campaign.
TAKING IT TO THE CUP
After averaging 10.7 points last season,
Ayinde Hikim is boasting 20.2 points per game so far in 2023-24, good for second best in the America East. He also leads the league with three, 20+ point games this year.
INSIDE JOB
The River Hawks' have relied on their scoring from down low early this season, with an average of 44.8 points per game coming from inside the paint.
PERIMETER POWER
Heading into this season, Coach Duquette said one of the most important keys to success for his team this year would be becoming an elite perimeter defense team. So far, so good, as the River Hawks are ranked first in the nation in three-point percentage defense.
SHARP SHOOTERS
As a team, the River Hawks are shooting 49.7% from the field after surpassing 48% shooting in four of five games so far. Individually, Coulibaly has been hard to make miss, as the senior is boasting a 71.1 field goal percentage, good for ninth in the country.
ON MY BLOCK
Max Brooks logged a season-high four blocks in the win at Georgia Tech on Nov. 14. He is currently 41st in the country with 11 total blocks. As a whole, the River Hawks are 45th in the nation in blocks per game.
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