BURLINGTON, Vt. – Redshirt-senior Sydney Watkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) and freshman Nia Chima (Toronto, Canada) each recorded a team-best 10 points, as UMass Lowell (2-13, 0-3 AE) fell, 77-52, against Vermont (7-10, 2-1 AE) at Patrick Gymnasium on Thursday morning.

"I thought we put forth a better effort in the second half on both ends of the floor," said Head Coach Denise King. "We will need to start games better if we want to have a chance of winning."

Watkins went 5-6 from the field, while also collecting four assists, three boards, two blocks, and one steal. Chima totaled a career high in points with 10, going 5-7 from the field. She also added four rebounds and one assist.

In the first quarter, River Hawks' sophomores Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) and Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) each notched long jumpers before Vermont went on a 10-0 run, grabbing an early, 14-point lead heading into the second.

Chima and Durant would take turns finding the basket as they each sunk four points for the River Hawks in the second quarter. The Catamounts posted eight unanswered points to lead 32-12 with six minutes remaining in the second. Senior Amina Kameric (Seattle, Wash.) put up the final points of the half for UMass Lowell, knocking down a three pointer at 1:28. At the half, the Catamounts led the River Hawks, 45-23.

UMass Lowell had some impressive plays in the third quarter. At 5:32 on the clock, Watkins blocked a three-pointer, swiftly collecting the ball to race down the court and earn a fast break layup. Next, with 47 seconds left in the quarter, sophomore Abbey Lindsey (Staten Island, N.Y.) grabbed an offensive board to then tip it in for a UMass Lowell basket. The Catamounts would follow with seven points in a row, though, as the contest would head into the final quarter with Vermont in the lead, 65-39.

The River Hawks turned in their best quarter in the fourth, totaling 10 points. UMass Lowell would finish the game on a high note, going on a five-point run with a good basket from beyond the arc with 36 seconds left credited to senior Alex Gitchenko (Ashdod, Israel). The River Hawks battled until the buzzer, but were defeated by Vermont, 77-52.

The River Hawks will be back in action with another road contest against America East opponent NJIT on Saturday, January 11 with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.