LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (6-3) returns home for only the third time this season when it takes on the LIU Sharks on Tuesday, December 12 at Costello Athletic Center.
A WIN WOULD
A win against LIU would improve UMass Lowell's record to 7-3, good for the second-best start in the program's DI history. It would also move the team to 3-0 all time against the Sharks. A win would also keep the team undefeated on its home court for 20 straight games.
LAST TIME OUT
Senior
Yuri Covington tallied a team-high 14 points, as UMass Lowell fell to Massachusetts, 91-77, on Dec. 9. Covington, who was one of five River Hawks to reach double-digits, drilled a season-best three triples. Senior
Ayinde Hikim filled out the stat sheet, logging 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals in the matchup. Junior
Cam Morris III also added in 13 points, while senior
Max Brooks and sophomore
Brayden O'Connor chipped in 12 and 10 points, respectively.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Three River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Ayinde Hikim leads the squad with 19.0 points per game. Behind him,
Abdoul Karim Coulibaly adds 12.8 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game. Starting four of nine games, Cam Morris chips in 10.1 points alongside 4.8 rebounds. Picking up from where he left off last year as the primary playmaker, Hikim paces his squad with 46 assists, as well, while
Max Brooks totals 18 blocks, so far.
LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD
In the victory against Fisher, the River Hawks exploded offensively, finishing with 117 points, marking the most points in a single game for UMass Lowell since 1995 when they scored 133 vs. Assumption. In the match, the River Hawks also totaled 47 made field goals, surpassing the 45 field goal mark for the first time since 1977 (50, vs. Nichols).
IN THE RANKINGS
In the first NET rankings release of the year, the River Hawks made history with a ranking of 44th in the country. As of Dec. 10, they are ranked 82nd, as the only America East team in the top-100.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The River Hawks finished the 2022-23 season with a perfect, 17-0 record at home, good for a new program best. With the 2-0 start at home in 2023-24, UMass Lowell owns the third longest active home win streak in the nation. The team also boasts a 166-94 record in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.
TAKING IT TO THE CUP
After averaging 10.7 points last season,
Ayinde Hikim is boasting 19.0 points per game so far in 2023-24, good for second in the America East. He also leads the league with five, 20+ point games this year. He is the first River Hawk to average 19 points per game or more since
Obadiah Noel averaged 21.4 in 2020-21.
INSIDE JOB
The River Hawks' have relied on their scoring from down low early this season, with an average of 46.2 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 third in the nation in three-point percentage defense.
SHARP SHOOTERS
As a team, the River Hawks are shooting 49.3% from the field after surpassing 48% shooting in five of nine games so far. Individually, Coulibaly has been hard to make miss, as the senior is boasting a 71.1 field goal percentage in five games.
NOT WASTING TIME
The River Hawks have been quick to attack this season, leading at the half in six of their nine games. The team is 5-1 when holding the advantage going into the locker room so far.
ON MY BLOCK
Max Brooks logged a season-high four blocks in the win at Georgia Tech on Nov. 14. He is currently 46th in the country with 18 total blocks. As a whole, the River Hawks are 29th in the nation in blocks per game.
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