NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (5-3) kicks off December with game two of their three-game road trip when they take on the CCSU Blue Devils on Sunday, December 1. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Detrick Gymnasium.
A WIN WOULD
A win would move the River Hawks to 6-3 on the season and tie the all-time series with CCSU, 4-4. It would also net the team it's first road victory of the season.
LAST TIME OUT
Martin Somerville tallied a career-high 21 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team's comeback efforts fell just short against the Saint Louis Billikens, falling 93-90, in the second game of the 314 Classic on Wednesday night. Somerville, who had a personal-best six makes from beyond the arc, was one of five River Hawks to reach double-digits in the midweek thriller.
Yuri Covington added 15, including a perfect, 3-for-3 from deep, while
Cam Morris III tallied 13 points and eight rebounds.
Quinton Mincey chipped in with 13, while
Max Brooks rounded things out with 12 points, two blocks and two steals.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Four River Hawks are averaging double-digits, as
Quinton Mincey leads the charge with 16.9 points per game. Behind him,
Max Brooks averages 13.0 points alongside a team-high 8.4 rebounds, while
Yuri Covington adds 12.9 points. Freshman
Martin Somerville rounds things out with 12.8 points through his first five games, including a team-high 20 three-pointers. Serving as the primary playmaker,
Quincy Clark totals 24 assists so far this season.
HOME SWEET HOME
Costello Athletic Center has been very kind to the home team during the last three seasons, as the River Hawks are currently 32-1 in the building since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, including 5-0 in 2024-25.
NATIONAL NEWS
UMass Lowell is currently ranked in the top 25 in the nation in three team categories including free throws made (13th) and defensive rebounds per game (21st).
TOUGH STRETCH
The River Hawks have been in overdrive the past two weeks, going on a stretch of six games in 13 days. The team finished up that gauntlet with three games in five days, concluding at Saint Louis.
COMEBACK KIDS
The River Hawks have shown their composure and toughness this season, trailing at halftime against both Quinninipiac and Merrimack, before using strong second-half performances to come from behind.
HELPING HANDS
The River Hawks' passing and connectedness has been on full display early this year, as the team has logged three games with over 20 assists so far, including two of the last four outings. The team is currently second in the America East with 15.3 assists per game.
SHARP SHOOTERS
UMass Lowell is first in the league and 27th in the country for field goal percentage, shooting 50.1% from the floor. For the second year in a row,
Max Brooks is leading the way in efficiency for the squad with a 68.3% clip on field goals.
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).
AMERICA EAST HONORS
For the second time this season, the River Hawks swept the America East Weekly Awards, doing so in both week one and week three. Both times,
Quinton Mincey was named Player of the Week, while
Martin Somerville was tabbed Rookie fo the Week.
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 27.7 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, ranking sixth oldest among teams reporting. Â
SCORING POWER
With an average of 86.4 points per game through eight games, the River Hawks currently sit first in the America East in scoring offense and 30th in the nation. 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. The team set a new DI record and scored its most points in a single games since 1995 with 121 in the contest against Fisher.
