BALTIMORE, Md. – Battling through a competitive first half and a strong showing at the free throw line, the UMass Lowell women's basketball team (8–21, 2–14 AE) wrapped up the 2025–26 season with a 66–43 decision at UMBC (15–13, 10–6 AE) on Saturday afternoon at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena.
"A slow start unfortunately put us behind, and while we battled, it was too much to overcome in the end," said Head Coach Jon Plefka. "I'm thankful for our seniors and all the hard work and sacrifice they've given to this program. They have such bright futures ahead of them, and I know they'll succeed in anything they do. They're River Hawks for life and will always be remembered here in Lowell."
Junior guard Paris Gilmore (Youngstown, Ohio) led the River Hawks with 13 points, going a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line. Senior guard Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) added nine points and five rebounds, while senior guard Sabrina Larsson (Uppsala, Sweden) chipped in six points behind a pair of three-pointers.
Sophomore forward Klimentina Modeva (Ohrid, North Macedonia) anchored the defensive effort, matching her career high with four blocks while pulling down 10 rebounds, including four on the offensive end, as Lowell finished with 42 total boards.
Modeva opened the scoring with a second-chance layup to give the River Hawks an early edge, but UMBC responded with a 16–2 run to close the first quarter ahead, 18–4.
Lowell settled in during the second frame, outscoring the Retrievers 21–16. Gilmore sparked the push with nine points in the quarter, while Larsson connected from deep and Modeva converted inside to trim the deficit to single digits at halftime, 34–25.
Gilmore attacked the paint early in the third and Edmonds added four points at the line, but UMBC maintained control down the stretch to secure the 66–43 decision.
As a team, Lowell shot 93.3 percent from the free throw line (14-for-15) and competed on the glass throughout the afternoon, but a 24–12 turnover margin proved costly.
With the result, the River Hawks close the 2025–26 campaign at 8–21 overall, turning their attention toward the offseason and continued growth heading into next year.
