LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Alex Gitchenko (Ashdod, Israel) scored a team-best eight points, as UMass Lowell (0-5) fell, 81-35, to Rhode Island (3-3) at Costello Athletic Center Wednesday evening.  

"I think we played really solid basketball for a half," said Head Coach Denise King. "We had really good energy in the first half, executed well on offense, and were aggressive. We put forth a lot of effort and energy to a very talented URI team, so with that comes mental fortitude and mental push-through that we have to get to, but I was extremely pleased with the first half."

Gitchenko, back for her second game this season, recorded career highs in points (eight) and minutes (35), while also contributing four rebounds and one steal. Sophomore Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.), redshirt-senior Sydney Watkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) and sophomore Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) all ended the contest with seven points apiece. Rice would add three rebounds, one steal and one block, while Watkins picked up three steals, three assists and two blocks. Durant chipped in with four rebounds and one block.  

The River Hawks outshot the Rams from behind the three-point line, 40.0% to 36.4%, with UMass Lowell senior Amina Kameric (Seattle, Wash.) sinking two threes in the second quarter. 

Rhode Island started the first quarter grabbing four points, but UMass Lowell briskly evened the score at 4-4 with 6:48 on the clock. The Rams would earn their largest lead of the half going up seven, 11-4, but with 44 seconds left to play in the first, Watkins stole a Rhode Island pass and darted up the floor, swiftly knocking in a layup to cut the difference to 14-10. Despite Watkins' great hustle play, Rhode Island went on a 5-0 run with the remaining seconds to head into the second quarter with a nine-point lead.  

As the Rams went on a 7-0 run at the beginning of the second, Rice ended their stretch with a three-pointer at 8:14 to make it 26-13.  UMass Lowell would then face an 8-0 drought late in the second, but A. Kameric found a sweet spot, hitting back-to-back threes ahead of a final Rams's three-point play to create a 45-24 margin at the break.  

The third quarter would go back and forth between the River Hawks and the Rams, with UMass Lowell able to score five in a row on an and-1 from Watkins and free throws from Gitchenko at 7:44.  

However, the Rams took control in the fourth quarter, recording 17 of their points, as Rice tallied the final River Hawk bucket.  

Up next, the River Hawks will travel to Indianapolis, Ind. to take on Butler on Sunday, November 24 with a tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.