Wednesday, February 15 at Bryant (7 p.m.)
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SMITHFIELD, R.I. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (20-7, 7-5 AE) will wrap up a three-game road swing at Bryant (16-9, 7-5 AE) on Wednesday evening.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Bulldogs would improve UMass Lowell's record to 21-7, extending the program record for wins in a season at the DI level. It would move the River Hawks to 8-5 in conference play, matching the record for conference wins at the DI level, as well.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Four River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Everette Hammond boasts 13.1 points per game on 44% shooting from the field. Right behind him,
Abdoul Karim Coulibaly adds 12.2 points, while averages a team-best 7.8 rebounds. The primary playmaker this season,
Ayinde Hikim totals 97 assists with 10.1 points. Rounding out the double-digit scorers is
Allin Blunt, who chips in with 10.0 points with 1.7 3FGs per game.
Max Brooks adds 8.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and paces the team with 52 blocks. Â
LAST TIME OUT
Everette Hammond tallied a season-high 29 points, as UMass Lowell fell at Vermont, 93-81. The Catamounts were first to find their rhythm on offense in the contest, connecting on two triples as part of an 8-0 burst. After
Ayinde Hikim drilled a trey to get his team on the board, the River Hawks slowly chipped the Vermont lead down to one possession. The hosts quickly retaliated, though, hitting three straight threes to create a double-digit buffer with 10:28 to play. Looking to even the score, UMass Lowell tallied five of the next seven points to cut the Vermont margin to 26-19. However, the Catamounts fired right back, sinking four more triples as part of a 16-6 run that extended their lead to 42-25. After Vermont scored nine of the first 10 points to open the second, UMass Lowell found its footing, going on a 13-4 run that was ignited by nine straight points from Hammond, to close the gap to 60-43 with 13:56 still to go. The Catamounts, however, continued to launch shots from behind the arc, outscoring the visitors by nine over the next two minutes, regaining a 25-point lead. Despite the deficit, the River Hawks continued to fight, putting together a 14-5 stretch that was capped off by two threes from Hammond. Minutes later,
Allin Blunt fired off a three-pointer to pull within 13 at 85-72 with 3:25 on the clock. UMass Lowell would still battle in the final minutes, but there was not enough time to complete the comeback.
STARTING STRONG
The River Hawks held UAlbany to just 16 first-half points on Feb. 1, good for a season low. A strong first half has been important to the team's success this season, as UMass Lowell in 17-3 when leading at the break.
ROAD WOES
The road is shaping up to be an unfriendly place in the America East this conference season, as all nine league schools have combined for an 16-36 record on the road so far.
THE THREE IS KEY
Three-point shooting has proven to be key to the River Hawks' success so far, as the squad is 13-1 in games where they sink at least seven threes.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The win against Hartford on Feb. 6 was the 20th victory for the team this season, extending the new Division I program record for total wins in a season.
CRACKING THE RANKINGS
The River Hawks were ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 for the first time ever during the week of Dec. 12 when they moved into the No. 25 spot. Up as high as No. 17 during the week of Jan. 2, the team received 11 votes in the most recent rankings.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
The River Hawks are 13-0 at home so far, which is a new program record, besting the 10-0 home start from the 2002-03 season. That record also marks the second-best perfect home record in the nation, as well. Additionally, the team earned its ninth consecutive win in a home opener in 2022-23. With the 13-0 record at home so far, UMass Lowell is now 161-94 in front of River Hawk Nation since 2003-04.
BOUNCE BACK
The team has quickly rebounded after its few losses this season, sitting at 4-1 after a setback. The team has only lost two in a row once this season, and bounced back with the win against UAlbany on Feb. 1.
ROCKING CLUB COSTELLO
For the first time at the Division I level, the River Hawks played in front of a sellout crowd at Costello Athletic Center on Jan. 22 vs. Bryant.
SHARING IS CARING
Coach Duquette has said this is his deepest and most talented team yet. Nine different River Hawks have already led the team in scoring this year, and seven of those have led the team in scoring in at least two games. The River Hawks have also boasted at least eight scorers in 26 of their first 27 games, including 11 against Emerson. In the contests against Fisher and Emerson, the team totaled six, double-digit scorers for the first time since 2017-18 (at Maine, 1/31/18). At least four River Hawks have scored in double figures in 12 of the 27 games.
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