DURHAM, N.H. – Junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, Dominican Republic) scored a game-high 18 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (8-14, 3-4 AE) dropped a tight battle against the New Hampshire Wildcats (8-12, 4-3 AE), 66-61, on Thursday evening.

"We did a great job fighting back in the second half, but couldn't convert when we had to down the stretch," commented Head Coach Pat Duquette.

Montas Jr., who finished with two three-pointers, was one of two River Hawks to finish with double-digit points. Junior Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) added 15 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, while freshman JJ Massaquoi (Prince George's County, Md.) chipped in with 13 points.

Spencer got the scoring started for the River Hawks, knocking down the first basket of the game just under two minutes in. After two layups by the hosts, Montas Jr. added a basket of his own, kickstarting a 6-3 stretch for UMass Lowell, giving the squad an 8-7 advantage. Both sides went back-and-forth, adding a handful of layups each, before Massaquoi and junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass.) sank a pair of layups, putting the visitors on top 16-13 midway through the first.

With 9:36 on the clock, the Wildcats started to find their footing offensively, using an 8-2 run to earn a 21-18 edge. UMass Lowell responded quickly, as Massaquoi added two before freshman Victor Okojie (Castlebar, Ireland) sank a pair of free throws to regain the lead. The opposition answered with a 12-4 run, and although back-to-back layups by the River Hawks made it a three-point game, New Hampshire added seven points in the final moments to take a 40-30 lead into the break.

The River Hawks came out of halftime firing, using an 8-2 run, highlighted by a trey from Spencer, to cut the lead to four points with 16 minutes to play. Although the Wildcats scored five of the next six points, UMass Lowell's offense caught fire, scoring 13 points in five minutes as part of a 13-5 run, including five points from Montas Jr., to knot up the game at 52-52 with 9:34 on the clock.

Following five points from the hosts to retake the lead, Okojie battled for a layup while being fouled, converting on the free throw for a massive three-point play. The Wildcats answered with a triple of their own, before a layup by Spencer once again made it a one-possession game. In the final six minutes, the River Hawks' defense played near-perfect, allowing only six points from the foul line the remainder of the way, but New Hampshire shut down any comeback attempts by holding the River Hawks to only two baskets, sealing the 66-61 final score.

Next up, the River Hawks return home when they host the Maine Black Bears in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday, January 31. Opening tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.