ORONO, Maine – Sophomore Abbey Lindsey (Staten Island, N.Y.) totaled a team-best 16 points, as UMass Lowell (2-16, 0-6 AE) fell, 77-44, to Maine (10-10, 5-2 AE) in America East play on the road at Memorial Gymnasium on Thursday evening.
"Abbey and Sydney were sparks for us offensively, but we could not overcome our second quarter struggles," said Head Coach Denise King. " We look forward to correcting some of our defensive miscues and sharpening our offensive execution on Saturday versus UNH."
Along with leading the team in points, Lindsey recorded four rebounds and one steal. Redshirt-senior Sydney Watkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) guided the team in assists and steals with five and four, respectively, while also totaling 11 points and five rebounds. As a team, the River Hawks outshot their hosts from the foul line, 50.0% to 41.7%.
It was a fast-paced first quarter with UMass Lowell and Maine almost going shot for shot. Watkins would begin the quarter grabbing a steal and beating the Black Bears down the court to finish with a bucket at 9:18. Maine would tally the final points of the first 10 minutes, as they were up by five heading into the second quarter, 19-14.
Lindsey notched the first two baskets of the quarter at 7:10, trying to wear down the Black Bears and cutting the difference to 23-18. Maine would go on to put together a 13-point run before sophomore Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) halted the streak with layup seconds before the buzzer to head into the break with the visitors in front, 42-23.
Lindsey tried to muscle the River Hawks through the third quarter, as she put away eight of the 10 points earned by UMass Lowell. In this quarter, Maine strung together two, seven-point stretches early on to then go back and forth with the River Hawks. Lindsey would conclude the quarter with back-to-back buckets, finishing strong and in fashion by going coast-to-coast with a steal and the layup with 28 seconds left. Heading into the final quarter Maine was on top, 61-33.
Both squads' largest scoring stretch of the fourth quarter totaled to six points. Durant had an excellent play this quarter at 6:32, as she barreled through the Black Bears and shot over two defenders to sink a layup. Watkins would finish up the quarter for the River Hawks with back-to-back baskets with 1:40 left on the clock. UMass Lowell battled until the end, but could not defeat the Black Bears of Maine, resulting in a 74-44 loss.
The River Hawks are back on Saturday, January 25 to face America East opponent New Hampshire in Lundholm Gymnasium with a tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.
