SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, Dominican Republic) scored a career-high 27 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team (7-10, 2-0 AE) took down the Bryant Bulldogs (5-11, 1-1 AE), 77-63, on Thursday afternoon.

"It's always tough to get road conference road wins," said Head Coach Pat Duquette. "Real pleased with the toughness and execution our guys showed. We got a quick turnaround and long trip to Binghamton to prepare for."
 

Montas Jr., who rounded out his stat line with six rebounds, one block, and two steals, was one of four River Hawks to finish with double-digit points. Behind him, senior Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.) added 14 points and seven rebounds while junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut, Mass.) scored 13 points.  Rounding things out, junior Shawn Simmons II (Philadelphia, Pa.) finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
 

It didn't take long for the River Hawks to get the scoring started, as Yepdo drained a three-pointer less than a minute in. Bryant responded with a pair of baskets broken up by a free-throw from Green to even the score at 4-4, but UMass Lowell took over, going on an 8-0 run, highlighted by four from Simmons II to take a 12-4 lead with 14:30 on the clock. Bryant fought right back, though, using a 17-6 stretch to take their first lead of the evening, 21-18, with just under eight minutes to play.
 

Looking to jump back in front, the visitors locked down defensively, not allowing another basket for nearly four minutes. Meanwhile, Green and Montas Jr. each added a jumper, and despite the Bulldogs finally getting back on the board, UMass Lowell added six more to own a five-point advantage. After Bryant scored four of the next six points to make it a one-possession game, the River Hawks finished the first half strong, scoring two baskets in the final 40 seconds, including a breakaway layup at the buzzer by Montas Jr., thanks to a block by Simmons II, giving their squad a 34-27 lead at the break.
 

Coming out of halftime, both sides went back-and-forth, with the Bulldogs cutting into the lead slightly, making it a six-point game, 45-39, with 15:10 on the clock. Although they started to find their rhythm offensively, scoring 7 of the next 11 points, UMass Lowell quickly shut down any momentum they had gained, scoring six straight points to take their largest lead yet, 55-46, midway through the second half.
 

Despite a triple by the opposition to make it a six-point game, Montas Jr. caught fire, scoring the next nine points of the game, followed by a pair of free throws by Green to cap off an 11-0 stretch for the visitors. Looking to chip away at the deficit, Bryant quickly added two baskets. Still, once again, the River Hawks locked down defensively, allowing only 10 points in the final seven minutes of action. Meanwhile, Montas Jr. added six more while Yepdo added five, helping their team pull away for a 77-63 victory.
 

Next up, the River Hawks wrap up the two-game road trip at Binghamton on Saturday, January 10. Opening tip is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, N.Y.