DURHAM, N.H. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (5-21, 4-12 AE) secured a postseason berth behind junior Jaini Edmonds' career-high 22 points as the River Hawks took down the New Hampshire Wildcats (7-21, 2-14 AE) 55-49 on Saturday afternoon.
Jaini Edmonds led all scorers with 22 points on 9-16 shooting and added seven rebounds, one assist and one block. Senior Kaylen Banwareesingh (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded her fifth double double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Senior Jaliena Sanchez (Springfield, Mass.) added a team-high three assists with eight points, five rebounds and two steals.
"What a great way to close out the regular season, winning two tough road games and our last home game," said head coach Denise King. "Kaylen [Banwareesingh] did a really great job securing rebounds in the first half while Mili [Carrera], Jaliena [Sanchez] and Jaini [Edmonds] stepped up in the second half. Jaini's point production is no shock to us. She has the capability of scoring off the bounce and behind the arc. I'm proud of her and our group for pulling out a big win today."
 
UMass Lowell got off to a great start with plenty of energy in the first quarter. Ivory Finley went to the locker room early with an apparent injury, but that did not slow down the River Hawks. The visitors built a 12-5 lead thanks to Amaya Dowdy's layup, forcing New Hampshire to call timeout. The Wildcats cut into lead, trailing 14-8 after one with UMass Lowell going scoreless for 2:25 to end the frame. Finley returned to the bench and eventually got back on the court for the River Hawks.
 
New Hampshire continued to chip away at the River Hawks' lead with a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to one possession. Foul trouble for the Wildcats gave UMass Lowell an opportunity to keep their lead at two possessions. Jaini Edmonds four-point play put the River Hawks ahead 21-16 at the media timeout of the second. Back-to-back layups from the Wildcats brought them within four late in the quarter. Edmonds' nine points led all scorers as UMass Lowell took a 27-22 at the break after shooting 38% in the first half.
 
With both sides fighting for a postseason berth, the second half of the regular season finale was a back-and-forth 20 minutes. New Hampshire battled hard and kept the game within reach, but Ivory Finley and Jaliena Sanchez made tough plays to keep UMass Lowell in the lead in the third. The River Hawks took a 38-32 lead into the finale frame.
 
The final 10 minutes of Saturday's game was filled with furious action on both ends of the floor as both the River Hawks and Wildcats were chasing a spot in the playoffs. Jaini Edmonds hit another level, scoring seven straight points in the fourth to keep UMass Lowell ahead by a possession. Avery O'Connor came up with several clutch baskets to keep UNH close, but the River Hawks held off the surge and hit free throws down the stretch to secure the 55-49 victory and their place in the America East Tournament.