HAMDEN, CT. –  Junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, D.R.) tied his career-high with 18 points, as the UMass Lowell River Hawks (4-8) fell in the final minutes to the Quinnipiac Bobcats (8-3), 75-71, on Saturday afternoon.

"Despite some unforced turnovers and a few too many offensive rebounds for Quinnipiac, I thought our team played well enough to win on the road against a very good team," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "Just need to keep getting better and move on to Sacred Heart."

Montas Jr., who finished with three triples, a new personal-best, was all over the box score, pacing his team with eight rebounds while also adding two assists, two blocks, and a steal. Behind him, junior Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) finished with 17 points alongside five rebounds and four assists. Senior Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.) added 14 points and a team-high two steals, with junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass.) rounding out double-digit scorers with 12 points, including going shooting 60% (3-5) from beyond the arc.

The River Hawks came out strong, scoring on each of their first two possessions thanks to a layup by Green and a triple from Spencer. Although the hosts evened the score with five of their own, the UMass Lowell offense didn't slow down, using a slight, 17-10 edge, highlighted by treys from Montas Jr. and Spencer, to own a 22-15 advantage midway through the first half.

Although an acrobatic layup that led to an and-1 by Yepdo helped extend the visitors' lead, a 9-1 stretch by the Bobcats quickly made it a one-point game, 26-25, with 5:48 remaining. The River Hawks answered right back, though, as junior Jared Frey (Columbus, Ohio) and Spencer each added a three-ball, interrupted by a Quinnipiac jumper to give their squad a five-point buffer, 32-27, with just over three minutes on the clock. Down the stretch, the hosts sank five free throws, but a pair of layups by Spencer and two free throws by Green gave UMass Lowell a 38-32 edge heading into the break.

After the opposition opened the second half with a layup, Montas Jr. found his spot, connecting from deep for the second time on the afternoon. Moments later, the Bobcats hit their stride, using a 15-6 run to garner their first lead of the day, 49-47. UMass Lowell refused to back down, scoring four of the next six points to even the score. Quinnipiac, however, used a small, 5-2 burst to own a three-point advantage with 8:42 remaining in the contest.

Although a 13-4 run by the Bobcats gave them a ten-point lead, 69-59, with 3:16 to play, the River Hawks continued to fight, as Yepdo connected from deep again to make it a seven-point difference. Two free throws by the hosts extended the deficit, but UMass Lowell remained calm under pressure, as Montas Jr. scored the next six points to make it a one-possession game with 36 seconds remaining. The hosts, however, converted all four of their free throw attempts before Yepdo sank one last three, sealing the 75-71 final score.

Next up, the River Hawks return home to host Sacred Heart on Tuesday, December 16. Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.