LOWELL, Mass. — UMass Lowell (6-11, 0-4 AE) fell 80–52 to Binghamton (11-5, 3-0 AE) on Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.

"They were very aggressive and very smart against what we do, and the second-chance points really hurt us to start," commented head coach Jon Plefka. "For us, we couldn't match their physicality off the jump, and that set the tone."

The River Hawks opened the afternoon with early energy, trading baskets in the opening minutes as junior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) finished inside for the first UML field goal before graduate forward Anabel Latorre Ciria (Zaragoza, Spain) converted a second-chance layup to keep the deficit within single digits. Binghamton, however, began to assert control late in the first quarter, closing the period on a 7–2 run to take a 17–12 advantage.

Senior guard Sabrina Larsson (Uppsala, Sweden) helped spark the offense early in the second quarter, knocking down a three before freshman guard Tyanna Medina (Lawrence, Mass.) finished a fast-break layup to keep UML within six. Senior guard Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) later buried a triple from the wing, and junior guard Paris Gilmore (Youngstown, Ohio) connected from deep to trim the margin to 10 late in the half. Despite the push, Binghamton answered with timely perimeter shooting and took a 43–28 lead into the break.

Out of halftime, Larsson opened the third quarter with a three-pointer, and moments later converted on a second-chance basket to pull the River Hawks within 14. Binghamton responded immediately behind Kendall Bennett's interior scoring and a Bella Pucci three, stretching the margin back beyond 20 by the end of the third.

The River Hawks continued to compete in the fourth, as Larsson opened the final frame with another triple before Edmonds converted a fast-break layup off a turnover. Medina added a transition bucket to bring UML within 20, but Binghamton's efficiency from the field and control in the paint sealed the outcome.

Larsson led UMass Lowell with 18 points, hitting five three-pointers. Medina added 11 points and five rebounds, while Edmonds recorded 11 points and five assists.

The River Hawks return to action next week on the road at NJIT for an 11 a.m. start on January 15.