DURHAM, N.H. – Fifth year Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) registered 23 points with four threes, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (15-11, 4-7 AE) dropped an 80-79 decision at the buzzer at New Hampshire (7-20, 5-7 AE) on Saturday afternoon.
 
The game-winner came from the Wildcats' Sami Pissis, who sunk a step-back three just before the clock expired.
 
Fifth year Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) added 20 points in the contest, while senior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) and freshman Martin Somerville (Bowie, Md.) chipped in with 15 and 12 points, respectively. Somerville finished with eight assists, as well, and fifth year Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) led the way on the boards with nine rebounds.
 
Morris III got things started with a three ball and after three, early lead changes, Brooks got hot on the offensive end, sinking four consecutive buckets to give the River Hawks a 13-6 edge with 13:39 remaining in the first half. The Wildcats worked to make it a four-point game, but Mincey drained a pair of triples to make it 19-12 at 9:01.
 
Less than a minute later, the River Hawks put together six unanswered points, capped off by a steal and dunk from senior Xzavier Lino (Phoenix, Ariz.) to stretch the difference to 25-14. UMass Lowell led by double-digits once more before a 7-3 Wildcat spurt cut the difference to 32-26 with 3:31 to go in the first. However, the River Hawks would score six of the final eight points of the period to take a 38-28 advantage into the break.
 
The River Hawks continued to be strong on the offensive end coming out of halftime, using a turnaround jumper from Brooks and a one-handed slam from Morris III to ignite a 9-2 run to start the second. The Wildcats broke up the stretch with a three, but Covington answered right back with an and-1, as the teams would trade 11 points apiece over the next three minutes to make it 58-44 in favor of the visitors with 12 minutes left to play.
 
A 7-2 UNH run pulled the home team back within single digits before Somerville and Mincey knocked down consecutive treys to stretch the margin to 66-51 at 9:47. The River Hawks maintained at least a nine-point edge until a 12-2 Wildcat spurt closed the gap to just one at 72-71 with 4:03 on the clock. Brooks and Mincey hit back-to-back buckets, but two threes from UNH down the stretch put the home side within one, setting up the chance to win it at the buzzer, 80-79, on the shot from Pissis.
 
The River Hawks now head back home to host UMBC on Thursday, February 20 at 6 p.m.