LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (0-13, 0-1 AE) fell to the Maine Black Bears (8-7, 1-0 AE) 55-43 on Thursday night at the Costello Athletic Center.
 
Freshmen Abbey Lindsey (Staten Island, N.Y.) and Gabby Ross (Lakehurst, N.J.) led the team with 10 points each. Ross shot 5-7 from the field while Lindsey added two steals. Senior Leilani Rodriguez (Worcester, Mass.) added seven points, a team-high eight rebounds and three assists. Redshirt junior Sydney Watkins (Indianapolis, In.) had a game-high five steals to go with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.
 
It was a fast-paced start to the game with both teams knocking down the first shots of the night. After Maine went ahead 6-2, Sydney Watkins and Maddie Rice added back-to-back scores after consecutive stops to tie the game. Abbey Lindsey knocked down a three to give the River Hawks a 10-8 lead at the media timeout.
 
Maine answered with a quick bucket out of the break, but Leilani Rodriguez responded with a corner three to keep UMass Lowell in front. The Black Bears answered each UMass Lowell basket in a back-and-forth opening quarter. At the end of the first, the River Hawks led 19-18 behind 53% shooting.
 
Both sides went cold from the field in the second quarter, with UMass Lowell being held scoreless for over four minutes and Maine shooting just one of seven. The Black Bears jumped in front with a three-point play with seven to play. Shooting struggles continued for UMass Lowell and the visitor's 8-0 run over five and a half minutes forced the River Hawks into a timeout with just under six to go in the half.
 
The Black Bears extended their lead late in the quarter as UMass Lowell hit a lull on the offensive end. Maine's first three of the night in the final minute pushed the lead to 12 before Abbey Lindsey answered with a nice mid-range jumper. A last second layup gave the visitors a double-digit lead at the half.
 
Cire Worley's free throw broke another scoreless drought for the River Hawks nearly four minutes into the third quarter. Another two free throws from Sydney Watkins cut the lead to 13 with the halfway point of the third approaching.
 
Gabby Ross knocked down a tough jumper for her first make of the night with just over two minutes to play in the third. UMass Lowell had back-to-back stops to close out the third but trailed by 16 heading into the final frame.
 
Sydney Watkins' steal-and-score got the River Hawks on the board in the fourth, sparking life in the hosts. Abbey Lindsey picked up a steal on the following possession and another good defensive stand added to the momentum for the River Hawks. Gabby Ross scored eight points in the final 90 seconds of the game, knocking down five of seven shots on the night. Maine forced tough shots and held off the late rush from UMass Lowell to secure the win.
 
Next up, the River Hawks host New Hampshire at Costello on Saturday, January 6. Tip is set for 2:00 p.m.