LOWELL, Mass. – The River Hawks (6-17, 0-10 AE) battled back from an early deficit but ultimately fell to NJIT (14-9, 5-5 AE), 69–60, on Thursday night at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex.

"I thought the effort was phenomenal from us," commented head coach Jon Plefka. "NJIT is a really talented team that's been together a long time and they made some big shots when they needed to, but I'm very proud of how we played overall. It's a disappointing result, but there's a lot to build on going into Saturday."

NJIT opened the night on an early run and held the River Hawks to nine first-quarter points, building a 17–9 lead after 10 minutes. Sophomore forward Nia Chima (Toronto, Ontario) provided the first spark for the home side with a three-point play inside, and senior guard Jaini Edmonds (Worcester, Mass.) later knocked down a three to keep things within reach, but the Highlanders controlled the opening frame. 

The River Hawks responded in the second. Edmonds jump-started the quarter with a pull-up and a steal-and-assist sequence that led to a Chima fast-break finish, trimming the deficit to four. Moments later, senior guard Sabrina Larsson (Uppsala, Sweden) connected from deep, and Edmonds continued to attack downhill, helping UMass Lowell tie the game at 21–21 midway through the period. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, with Edmonds scoring again in the final seconds to send the River Hawks into halftime down just 33–29. 

UMass Lowell kept pushing out of the break. After NJIT scored on its first possession of the third, junior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) answered at the rim and Edmonds followed with a pair of free throws. A layup from freshman Tyanna Medina (Lawrence, Mass.) cut the deficit to one at 41–40 with just under four minutes left in the quarter, capping a 7–0 push that energized the home crowd. NJIT answered with a run of its own late in the period, however, extending the lead back to seven heading into the fourth. 

The Highlanders stretched the margin into double digits early in the final quarter, but the River Hawks continued to battle. Larsson buried a corner three and later added another from deep, while Medina knocked down a triple to keep the deficit manageable. With just over two minutes to play, Larsson converted inside to cut it to 63–53, and the River Hawks forced a few defensive stops to hang around. NJIT responded with key second-chance baskets and free throws in the closing minutes to seal the 69–60 decision. 

Edmonds led all scorers with 21 points and six assists, while Larsson (13), Chima (12) and Medina (12) each reached double figures. Chima added a team-high eight rebounds as UMass Lowell continued to fight on the glass and in transition throughout the night. 

The River Hawks will look to regroup quickly as they return to the court Saturday to host UAlbany.