AMHERST, Mass. — UMass Lowell continues its early-season road swing, traveling to Massachusetts for a 6 p.m. matchup at the Mullins Center before closing out the week at Boston University on Saturday at 2 p.m. The two-game stretch marks the third and fourth contests in a four-game road run to open the season.
A Win Tonight Would…
• Give UMass Lowell its second victory in the all-time series against UMass.
• Mark the River Hawks' second road win of the Jon Plefka era.
• Continue momentum in a stretch where four of the first five contests come away from home.
Last Time Out
UMass Lowell is coming off its largest road win in more than five seasons after a 70–54 victory at CCSU. Junior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) delivered a career-high 23 points along with 11 rebounds, two steals, and an assist, earning America East Player of the Week honors. Freshman guard Tyanna Medina (Lawrence, Mass.) added 16 points, her second straight double-figure outing.
Scouting the Opponents
UMass enters Tuesday's matchup at 3–0 after opening the season with wins over Old Dominion, Siena, and Harvard. The Minutewomen are averaging 70.0 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field. Tonight marks UMass's first matchup against an America East opponent this fall.
Boston University enters the weekend 2–2 following back-to-back wins against Northeastern and New Haven. The Terriers are allowing just under 60 points per game and have hit 27 threes across their first four contests. Saturday is BU's third home game in its opening five-game stretch.
NOTEBOOK: WHAT TO KNOW HEADING INTO THE WEEK
Momentum
UMass Lowell enters the week at 2–1, its best start since 2018–19. The River Hawks' win at CCSU marked their most convincing road victory in more than five seasons and their first away win of the year.
Rebounding Setting the Tone
Lowell is averaging 39.7 rebounds per game and sits atop the America East in combined team rebounds and defensive rebounds. The River Hawks have posted 25+ boards in every contest and hold a +3.7 margin on the glass.
Defensive Presence Inside
Maddie Rice is coming off her strongest collegiate performance, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and five made threes at CCSU.
Sophomore forward Klimentina Modeva (Ohrid, North Macedonia) has tallied five or more rebounds in every game and ranks second in the league with 1.3 blocks per game, helping hold opponents under 28 percent from three over the last two outings.
Freshman in the Mix
Tyanna Medina ranks seventh in the America East in steals (2.0 per game entering the week) and is averaging 9.7 points on 46 percent shooting. She has reached double figures in back-to-back games while adding 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Finding the Range
The River Hawks have connected on 20 three-pointers through their first three contests—2 vs. Saint Anselm, 8 at Boston College, and 10 at CCSU—marking their strongest long-range start in more than three seasons. Lowell is averaging 6.7 makes per game after hitting just 61 all of last year.
Extra Extra
• Lowell has held two of its first three opponents under 40 percent shooting.
• Rice's Player of the Week nod is the first weekly award of her career and Lowell's first this season.
