LOWELL, Mass. – Sophomore Amaya Dowdy (Woonsocket, R.I.) recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in Saturday's defeat to the Vermont Catamounts (18-6, 10-2 AE). The River Hawks (2-20, 1-11 AE) drop a fifth straight contest.
 
Sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored a team-high 12 points and added two rebounds and two assists. Amaya Dowdy added a team-best three blocks to go with her double-double while senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) grabbed four rebounds and scored two points.
 
"We're getting toward the end of the season where everyone is tired and banged up, but every game we play is going to come down to effort and mental toughness, no matter how many players we have available," said head coach Denise King. "I think we played well and competed for two of the four quarters today, but that isn't a recipe for success. I'm interested to see what type of team we have going down the stretch here and we'll see how we respond to these difficult situations."
 
The River Hawks started the game shooting 0-5 from the field while the Catamounts built an early 6-0 lead, shooting 50% just four minutes in. Ivory Finley got UMass Lowell on the board with just over three minutes to play with a mid-range jumper. Finley and graduate student Mili Carrera (Lima, Peru) scored to cut the deficit to 13-6 at the end of the first quarter.
 
In the second, UMass Lowell's defensive pressure improved, and the team began picking up more defensive rebounds after Vermont had dominated the glass in the first. Freshman Ella Ner (Bene Atarot, Israel) hit a three to cut the lead to four, but the Catamounts answered with a 4-0 burst to push the lead back to eight. Out of the media break, Vermont stretched the lead to nine at the half. The visitors shot 41% and outscored UMass Lowell 16-2 in the paint in the first half.
 
Amaya Dowdy provided the River Hawks with a spark in the second half. After going scoreless in the first half, the sophomore posted nine points and eight rebounds in the third quarter. Dowdy's production gave the River Hawks life, but a veteran Vermont team kept the hosts at a distance. The Catamounts hit a three late in the quarter to extend their advantage to 12 points heading into the final frame.
 
Vermont stretched the lead to 14 early in the fourth as the River Hawks struggled to get shots to fall. Amaya Dowdy scored two points in the final frame to get to double figures for the eighth time this season and picked up her career-high 15^th rebound. Despite the deficit, the River Hawks continued to fight and try to claw back into the game. Ivory Finley knocked down her first three of the afternoon just before the final media, but Vermont held on to take the 58-39 victory.
 
The River Hawks return home to host the Bryant Bulldogs on Wednesday, February 15. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. at the Costello Athletic Center.