SPOKANE, Wash. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (2-0) hits the road for the first time this year, heading out west to take on No. 4 Gonzaga (2-0) on Friday, November 15 and Washington (2-1) on Sunday, Nov. 17.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Bulldogs would mark the River Hawks' first win against a ranked opponent in program history, as well as their second win against a member of the West Coast Conference after defeating San Francisco in 2020. It would also mark the fifth straight season in which UMass Lowell won its first road game.
LAST TIME OUT
Fifth year
Quinton Mincey matched a personal-best with 27 points to help lift the UMass Lowell men's basketball team to an 81-74 victory against Saint Peter's at Costello Athletic Center on Nov. 8. As a team, the River Hawks shot 27-for-32 (84.4%) from the foul line, paced by Mincey, who went 14-for-16 at the charity stripe. Fifth year
Yuri Covington and senior
Quincy Clark finished with 13 and 11 points, respectively, to round out the double-digit scorers. Clark also added a game- and season-high seven assists, while fifth year
Max Brooks grabbed eight rebounds.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Five River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Quinton Mincey leads the charge with 23.5 points per game. Behind him,
Yuri Covington averages 15.5 points, while freshman
Martin Somerville adds 11.0 through his first two games.
Max Brooks chips in with 10.5 points per game, while leading the squad with 9.5 rebounds per game, and
Cam Morris III follows with 10.0 points per game. A force in the paint, Morris III also totals four blocks, and serving as the primary playmaker,
Quincy Clark leads the team with 11 assists so far.
STARTING STRONG
With the 115-59 win against Rivier, the River Hawks opened the season with a victory for the fifth straight season. That decision also marked the team's 11th consecutive win in its home opener. Adding the win against St. Peter's, the team is now 2-0 for the fourth year in a row.
FREE IS FOR ME
As a team, the River Hawks drained a season-high 27 free throws in the win against St. Peter's. Individually,
Quinton Mincey made a career-best 14 buckets from the line, outdoing his previous record of 13 from last season and marking the most free throws for a River Hawk since
Obadiah Noel sunk 15 against Stony Brook (12/28/20).
Max Brooks and
Quincy Clark are currently tied for first in the nation with perfect 100% free throw percentages.
AMERICA EAST HONORS
The River Hawks swept the week one America East Awards, as
Quinton Mincey was named Player of the Week and
Martin Somerville took Rookie of the Week honors on Nov. 11.
Max Brooks, who became the third River Hawk ever named to the All-Conference First Team last season, as well as earned his third consecutive nod for the league's All-Defensive Team, was tabbed a Preseason All-Conference Team selection for the 2024-25 season.
GOING DEEP
Coach Duquette believes he has more depth than ever on his bench in 2024-25 and that one major key to success to achieving the team's goals this season will be utilizing that depth. So far the team is averaging 30.5 bench points per game.
AGE-OLD TALE
The 2024-25 roster marks the most veteran team in DI program history at UMass Lowell. The squad boasts a total of 10 seniors and fifth years, which is tied for the fourth most in the nation. The average age on the 15-man roster is 21.3 years old, also ranking fourth oldest among teams reporting. Â
SCORING POWER
With an average of 98.0 points per game through two games, the River Hawks currently sit eighth in the nation in scoring offense. Last season, UMass Lowell finished ranked 36th in the nation, averaging 80.0 points per game, the highest scoring average for any America East team since 2016-17 when UMBC averaged 81.1 ppg.
DOUBLING DOWN ON DEFENSE
UMass Lowell returns 73% of its rebounding and 80% of its shot blocking from a season ago. The team finished 2023-24 ranked seventh in the nation on defensive rebounds per game (29.3).
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