LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Martin Somerville (Bowie, Md.) logged a team-best 17 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (12-5, 1-1 AE) fell, 67-63, against Vermont (9-8, 2-0 AE) in a hard-fought battle on Thursday evening in front of a sold-out crowd at Costello Athletic Center.
 
The teams traded the lead on 11 occasions with six tied scores. The River Hawks were within two, twice in the last minute, but the home side was unable to erase the difference created by a pair of late threes from Vermont's TJ Hurley.
 
"This was a tough loss in a really good college basketball game between two of the top teams in the league," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "I didn't think we played our best. We chose a not-so-great time to do that against a very good team that played great, very physical and tough. I thought we labored to score all game, didn't get many open looks, didn't have much rhythm. We did a pretty good job defensively against them guarding the three-point shot, but unfortunately Hurley just hit two late threes and that was the difference. Back-and-forth game, I didn't like the results, but credit to Vermont."
 
Somerville went 10-for-12 from the foul line, as the River Hawks' only double-digit scorer in the contest. Fifth years Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.), along with senior Xzavier Lino (Phoenix, Ariz.) all added nine points on the night.
 
Senior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) fought to the basket to open the scoring in the outing and fifth year Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) added an early triple, although the Catamounts would create a six-point margin. However, Lino entered the game and sparked the River Hawk offense with a pair of threes during a 10-3 River Hawk run that put the home team in front, 17-16, with 8:30 remaining in the first half.
 
The sides battled through three, quick lead changes before Somerville sunk six straight free throws to give his squad a 25-21 edge at 4:14. Vermont was able to pull within two on two occasions in the waning minutes, but fifth year Anthony Blunt (Glen Dale, Md.) banked in a fast-break layup before free throws from Mincey to stretch the difference as far as six at 31-25 with less than a minute to go in the period. The visitors then responded in the final seconds with free throws of their own, but the River Hawks headed into the break up, 31-28.
 
Covington jumpstarted the second half with trey, but a 12-2 spurt gave the Catamounts a 40-36 margin with 15:09 still to play. Brooks got the River Hawks going with an and-1, though, before Lino knocked down another three to erase the difference. A minute later, Somerville knotted it once more, this time at 44-44, but Vermont answered with the next six points to pull in front, 50-44, at 12:12.
 
The River Hawks did not let up on their home floor, responding with a 7-0 stretch that was capped off by a bucket from Brooks to regain the upper hand for the final time, 51-50, halfway through the period. Despite UVM retaliating with 12 of the next 14 points, an and-1 dunk by Mincey ahead of a clutch Somerville trey made it 62-60 with 44 seconds on the clock. Vermont's Hurley came up with one last three of his own on a tough shot with 16 seconds left and even though Somerville converted three times at the line to close the gap to just two once more, the visitors held on for the 67-63 outcome.
 
The River Hawks are back at home on Saturday, January 11 when they host NJIT. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m.