LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (5-10) opens the new year with its first America East Conference matchup against the UAlbany Great Danes (4-11) on Saturday, January 3.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Great Danes would move the the River Hawks to 6-10 on the season, while giving them a 1-0 start to conference play for the fourth straight season.
LAST TIME OUT
Junior
Angel Montas Jr. scored a game-high 23 points, as UMass Lowell dropped its final non-conference game of the season to the No. 25 Iowa Hawkeyes, 90-62, on Dec. 29. Montas Jr., who added six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, was one of three River Hawks to finish with a double-digit scoring effort. Junior
Darrel Yepdo added 10 points and five assists, while junior
Xavier Spencer finished with 10 points and three assists.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 15 games,
Austin Green leads the way with 14.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
Darrel Yepdo and
JJ Massaquoi sit tied for second with 10.3 points per game.
Xavier Spencer, who ranks fourth with 10.0 points per game, adds a team-high 46 assists and 17 steals, while
Shawn Simmons II boasts 11 blocks to sit first on the team.
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have boasted at least four double-digit scorers on eight occasions this year. Most recently, the team had four players score 10+ points at Boston University.
RAINING THREES
Xavier Spencer and
Darrel Yepdo each finished with a career-high four, three-pointers, as the team totaled a season-best 12 makes from long range in the win against Sacred Heart on Dec. 16.
HELPING HANDS
The squad matched its season best with 21 assists against Sacred Heart. So far, the River Hawks rank third in the America East with 13.8 assists per game.
OFFENSIVE OUTBURST
The 122-point scoring outburst against Fisher marked the most points in a game for the program since January 1995 against Assumption College.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
In two games this year, a pair of River Hawks have logged double-doubles. Most recently,
Austin Green finished with 20 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, while
Jerrell Roberson II registered career bests of 21 points and 15 rebounds against Fisher.
GAINING MOMENTUM
The River Hawks logged back-to-back wins for the first time during the 2025-26 season with a victory at Stonehill and against Emerson at home to kick off a span of four wins in six games.
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Rookie
JJ Massaquoi has stood out for the River Hawks in his first collegiate appearances, posting double-digit points in six of 14 games so far, including leading the team with a personal-best 26 points at Wake Forest. He was also named America East Rookie of the Week on Nov. 24.
CAREER DAY
Shawn Simmons II and
Xavier Spencer both turned in career-best performances at Columbia, as Simmons II totaled 14 points and Spencer boasted 12 points and 12 assists for his first career double-double.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks have found their groove, shooting at least 43% from the field in each of the last 12 games after averaging just 29% in the two previous games against UConn and New Haven. The team is now ranked first in the America East for field goal percentage.
FREE IS FOR FREY
Jared Frey is leading the way with a perfect, 24-for-24 effort from the charity stripe so far.
HOME SWEET HOME
Kennedy Family Athletic Complex, formerly Costello Athletic Center, has been very kind to the home team during the last three seasons, as the River Hawks are currently 45-6 in the building since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, including 4-1 in 2025-26.
