LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman JJ Massaquoi (Prince George's County, Md.) registered 21 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (3-6) defeated Emerson (2-3), 90-67, on Saturday afternoon.
 
"It's good to be home after a long road stretch," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "Great to get a win today, but I think we've got to get better at a lot of different things. Credit to Emerson. I thought they played well. They played like they were well coached and I didn't think they came in here with any fear. We allowed them to feel comfortable particularly in the stretch in the second half when we should've built more of a lead."
 
Massaquoi shot 8-for-11 from the floor as part of a River Hawk squad that finished with a 57% clip on the day. Junior Jared Frey (Colombus, Ohio) added 18 points with a perfect, 8-for-8 effort from the line. Senior Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.) and freshman Victor Okojie (Castlebar, Ireland) each chipped in with double-doubles in the outing, as Green logged 15 points and 11 boards, while Okojie totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Although Emerson scored seven of the first eight points on the afternoon, the River Hawks fired back with a 12-2 run that was highlighted by dunks from Okojie and Green to help their side pull in front, 13-9, with 11:42 remaining in the first half. The Lions interrupted with a pair of free throws, but Okojie quickly got back to work, scoring the next six points, including another two-handed slam, before junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, D.R.) followed with a bucket of his own, stretching the buffer to 21-11 at 9:35.
 
Emerson worked to cut the difference back to seven, but layups from Massaquoi bookended points from Frey to regain a double-digit lead at 29-18 with four minutes to play in the first. A minute later, junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass.) added back-to-back buckets, including a fast-break layup on a turnover forced by junior Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alberta). Frey then tallied the final five points of the half, sinking a three in the waning seconds, to extend the margin to 40-22 at the break.
 
Frey got right back to work coming out of halftime, opening the second half with a triple from the wing. The Lions answered with a pair of field goals, but Massaquoi scored the next seven points to ignite an 11-3 run, giving the home side a 54-29 advantage with 15:50 left to play.
 
The visitors heated up from beyond the arc, knocking down four three-pointers in the next four minutes to close the gap to 60-43 at 12:03. Green and Okojie retaliated with baskets ahead of a layup from redshirt-freshman Isaiah Walter (Central Coast, Australia), and although the Lions' Shay Roban tallied 10 points over the next three minutes, the River Hawks took advantage of their opportunities at the line to maintain at least a 13-point buffer.
 
Massaquoi and Spencer scored on consecutive possessions to make it 74-57 with 6:17 still to go. The Lions were back within 13 on two more occasions, but the River Hawks locked in to close the game on a 14-4 run, sealing the 90-67 victory.
 
The River Hawks are headed back on the road next when they visit Massachusetts on Saturday, December 6 at 4 p.m.