WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Freshman JJ Massaquoi (Prince George's County, Md.) scored a career-high 26 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (1-4) battled hard in the first half before falling to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-1), 109-75, on Sunday afternoon.

"I was real happy with how we played in the first half," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "Much better composure and execution on the road. We handled their pressure great, and kept the floor spaced and found the open man."

Massaquoi, who added six rebounds to his stat line, was one of three River Hawks to finish with double-digit points. Senior Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.) finished with ten points and a team-high seven rebounds, while junior Khalil Farmer (Philadelphia, Pa.) added ten points, as well.

The River Hawks got to work early on the offensive end, as Green threw down a dunk before adding a quick jumper to give his squad an early 4-2 lead. The Deacons responded, putting together two quick, 5-0 bursts, interrupted by a three-ball from junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass.). The visitors began to hit their stride, though, using a 9-4 run, ignited by another triple from Yepdo, to knot the score up at 16-16 with 12:22 on the clock. 

The back-and-forth battle continued, and despite Wake Forest building up a 26-20 advantage, two straight buckets by Massaquoi, including a hard-fought, second-chance layup, once again made it a one-possession game with 6:48 to play in the first. The hosts answered with a quick, 6-1 run to earn an eight-point edge, but the River Hawks responded with haste, as junior Jared Frey (Columbus, Ohio) and Farmer each sank a three to cut the deficit to 33-31 with just over four minutes to go. The difference remained the same heading into the final minute, but the Deacons used an 8-0 run to stretch their lead to 48-38 at the half.

Coming out of the break, junior Shawn Simmons II (Philadelphia, Pa.) opened the scoring for UMass Lowell, slamming a dunk less than two minutes in. The hosts settled in quickly, putting together a 34-9 run to take their largest lead of the afternoon. Refusing to back down, the River Hawks answered with a 13-4 stretch of their own, including 11 from Massaquoi, to cut the opposition's lead to 90-62 with 7:07 to remaining in the contest. 

In the final seven minutes, the River Hawks looked to pull closer, but the Deacons held on to their lead, sealing the 109-75 final score.

Next up, the River Hawks continue the five-game road swing when they visit Bradley on Wednesday, November 19. Opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Archie Post Athletic Complex in Peoria, Illinois.