LOWELL, Mass. – Senior Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) registered his third career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, as the No. 2 seeded UMass Lowell men's basketball team (22-9) put together a strong second half to come from behind and defeat No. 3 Bryant (20-13) in the semifinal round of the 2024 Jersey Mike's America East Playoffs.
 
With the win, the River Hawks secure a spot in the America East Championship game for the second consecutive year and the third time in four years. The team also improves to an undefeated, 4-0 in postseason home games at the Division I level. UMass Lowell will now square off against top-ranked Vermont in Burlington for the league title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 16 at 11 a.m.
 
"This was a great college basketball game in a big-time environment," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "I really appreciate the home court advantage due to our fans that came out big time to support us tonight. Our guys really fed off that energy. We had a lot of great contributions and great plays, especially in the second half. We did a great job keeping our composure against a super talented Bryant team to put ourselves in the championship game for the third time in four years. I'm super proud of these guys. We've faced quite a bit of adversity over the year, like most teams, but we've gotten better at handling that adversity, especially in the middle of the game, and I thought that was a big reason why we won today."
 
Covington, who added four steals, was one of four double-digit scorers, as senior Ayinde Hikim (Washington, D.C.) and junior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) each contributed 14 points, while sophomore Brayden O'Connor (Ottawa, Ontario) chipped in with 11. Morris III also finished with a personal-best 12 rebounds on the night for his fifth career double-double, helping the home team take a 46-35 edge on the glass.
 
Morris III got off to a quick start with the first five points for his team. A smooth, pull-up jumper from O'Connor helped keep the River Hawks in front until Bryant hit eight straight points to tilt the board in its favor, 12-7, with 14:03 remaining in the first half. Covington and senior Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) each converted to keep the difference within a possession before senior Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) added a triple to cut the difference to two, 16-14, at 10:36.
 
Despite a six-point gap once again, O'Connor knocked down a three to spark an 11-2 run that put the River Hawks back on top, 25-22, with 6:25 left in the period. Three minutes later, a layup from Hikim and a trey from senior Anthony Blunt (Crownsville, Md.) stretched the River Hawk advantage to five, however, the Bulldogs would score the final seven points of the half to take a slight, 37-34 edge into the locker room.
 
Brooks opened the second with a pair of layups to put his team within one, but Bryant stretched the lead to five in the early minutes. The home team battled back, though, and used a 15-5 run that included eight points from Covington to pull ahead for good, 54-49, with 8:04 still to play.
 
Sherif Gross-Bullock quickly had the Bulldogs back within three, but Hikim drove to the hoop for two and Covington followed with a layup to create a two-possession buffer. The River Hawks then maintained at least a five-point lead until Rafael Pinzon drilled a three to make it 66-62 at 3:44. Hikim would respond with his second triple in a three-minute stretch to keep the momentum with the River Hawks, and although Pinzon hit another from long range, Covington showed his speed and athleticism to fight for consecutive buckets to create a 73-65 advantage inside the final minute and allow his squad to close it out at the foul line.
 
The 2024 America East Playoffs championship game with be broadcast live on ESPN2. Stay tuned for ticket details, as well.