LOWELL, Mass. — The UMass Lowell women's basketball team (2-4) closed on a late push but came up short in a 51–46 setback to Northeastern (3-4) on Tuesday night at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.

"It really was those two quarters that cost us the game," commented head coach Jon Plefka. "We need to get back to the drawing board and look at what worked well in the first and the fourth, but also make different adjustments in the second and third so that when we play on Sunday, we can make those corrections and get the win instead of a close loss like this."

The River Hawks opened the game with strong energy, building a 16–7 first-quarter lead sparked by early contributions from multiple scorers and a balanced offensive flow. Junior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) opened the scoring with a finish inside before senior guard Sabrina Larsson (Uppsala, Sweden) added a smooth layup off an assist. Junior guard Paris Gilmore (Youngstown, Ohio) and graduate forward Anabel Latorre Ciria (Zaragoza, Spain) followed with back-to-back baskets in the paint to cap a confident opening stretch.

Momentum shifted in the second quarter as Northeastern tightened defensively, holding Lowell to just six points in the period. Gilmore provided a spark with a pair of three-pointers to keep the River Hawks within striking distance, but the Huskies edged ahead by halftime.

Northeastern used a strong third-quarter push to take control, extending its advantage to double digits midway through the frame. Sophomore forward Klimentina Modeva (Ohrid, North Macedonia) answered with a tough finish inside off a Gilmore assist, and senior guard Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) added two late free throws to halt the run, but the Huskies carried a 38–28 edge into the final period.

Lowell showed its grit in the fourth, mounting a determined comeback over the final two minutes. Rice knocked down a key three following a steal, narrowing the gap to eight before Larsson connected from deep to make it a five-point game. With just 13 seconds remaining, Gilmore converted a fastbreak layup off a Modeva steal to pull the River Hawks within three, but Northeastern sealed the result at the free-throw line.

Gilmore led all River Hawks with 14 points, including three assists and one block. Edmonds added nine points and three assists, while Rice contributed seven points and six rebounds to lead the team defensively. Modeva provided an efficient six-point, five-rebound effort, and Larsson finished with five points, including a clutch corner three in the final stretch.

The River Hawks will look to regroup as they return home on Sunday, Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. to face Maine-Fort Kent at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.