LOWELL, Mass. - The UMass Lowell men's basketball team (8-11, 3-1 AE) is back in action for the first time in a week when it hosts the Vermont Catamounts in Lowell on Thursday, January 22. The team then travels to UMBC to close out the week on the road on Saturday, Jan. 24.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Catamounts would move the the River Hawks to 9-11 on the season, while giving them a 4-1 start to conference play. It would also mark the first win against Vermont since the 2022-23 season.
LAST TIME OUT
Junior
Angel Montas Jr. registered 22-points and a personal-best 11 rebounds for his first career double-double, as UMass Lowell faced a 73-64 setback against NJIT on Thursday evening at Kennedy Family Athletics Complex. All 22 of Montas Jr.'s points came in the second half of the contest. Juniors
Xavier Spencer and
Darrel Yepdo each added 11 points in the decision. As a team, the River Hawks outrebounded their opponents, 44-37.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 19 games,
Austin Green leads the way with 14.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Right behind him,
Angel Montas Jr. sits second with 11.8 points per game.
Xavier Spencer, who ranks third with 11.0 points per game, adds a team-high 54 assists and 22 steals, while
Shawn Simmons II boasts 17 blocks to sit first on the team. Rounding out double-digit scorers,
Darrel Yepdo adds 10.1 points.
COMING IN HOT
After logging just two double-digit scoring games in his first 10 outings this season,
Angel Montas Jr. has been on fire as of late, averaging 21.2 points in the last five games, including registering his first two 20-point games as a River Hawk in back-to-back outings at Boston University and No. 25 Iowa. He has scored at least 20 points four times in the last six games and his 27 points at Bryant on Jan. 8 marked a new career high for the junior. He has now won two America East Player of the Week awards.
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have boasted at least four double-digit scorers on nine occasions this year. Most recently, the team had four players score 10+ points at Bryant on Jan. 8.
HELPING HANDS
The squad matched its season best with 21 assists against Sacred Heart. So far, the River Hawks rank fourth in the America East with 13.0 assists per game.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks have found their groove, shooting at least 43% from the field in 15 of the last 16 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.
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 46-7 in the building since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, including 5-2 in 2025-26.
