VESTAL, N.Y. –  Junior Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) scored a team-high 18 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (8-10, 3-0 AE) took down the Binghamton Bearcats (4-14, 0-3 AE), 73-68, on Saturday afternoon.

Knotted up with under three minutes to play, both sides locked in defensively, with neither team recording a point for well over a minute. Finally, junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, Dominican Republic) broke the tie, drilling a three-pointer to give his squad a 68-65 advantage. Although Binghamton responded with a layup, the River Hawks didn't allow another basket the rest of the way, while outscoring the hosts 5-1 at the line in the final 35 seconds, sealing the thrilling, 73-68 victory,  

"Conference road games are always tough to get," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "I am proud of the resilience and toughness the guys displayed today against a tough, well-coached Binghamton team."

Spencer, who connected from beyond the arc four times in the first half, was one of three River Hawks to finish with double-digit points. Right behind him, junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, Dominican Republic) added 17 points, while senior Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.) finished with 12 points and a team-best eight rebounds.

The River Hawks caught fire early, as Spencer and junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass.) sank back-to-back triples on the team's first two possessions to create a six-point buffer. The Bearcats responded with ten of the next 14 points to even the score at 10-10, but Spencer sank another trey to kickstart a 10-2 run, capped off by another three, this time by junior Jared Frey (Columbus, Ohio), to own a 20-12 advantage. The hosts quickly added two of the next three baskets, making it a six-point difference midway through the first half.

Looking to build on their lead, UMass Lowell locked down defensively, holding the opposition scoreless for over two minutes. Meanwhile, freshman Victor Okojie (Castlebar, Ireland) and junior Khalil Farmer (Philadelphia, Pa.) each drained a jump shot, while Spencer added his third three of the afternoon, to build up a 29-16 lead. Despite a 14-5 run by Binghamton that made it a four-point game, the River Hawks finished the first half strong, scoring 11 of the final 17 points, with six coming from Green and five from Spencer, to own a 45-36 advantage heading into the break.

Coming out of halftime, the River Hawks picked up where they left off, as Green and Montas Jr. each made a basket, interrupted by a Bearcats dunk, to extend the lead to double digits. After Binghamton used a quick 5-2 burst to claw away at the lead, both teams showed strong defensive presences, as neither side scored for nearly three minutes, before another run for the hosts, this time a 9-3 stretch, made it 54-52 with under nine minutes to go.  The back-and-forth battle continued the rest of the way, with the hosts tying it up three times in a two-minute span, setting up the exciting finish.

Next up, the River Hawks return home to host the NJIT Highlanders on Thursday, January 15. Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.