LOWELL, Mass. - The No. 4 UMass Lowell men's basketball team hosts the No. 5 UAlbany Great Danes in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Air Force Reserve America East Men's Basketball playoffs on Saturday, March 7 at 1 p.m.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Great Danes would be the third of the year for the River Hawks, and would advance the team to the semifinals for the third time in four years.
POSTSEASON HISTORY
This marks the River Hawks' ninth season eligible for the postseason at the Division I level. The team has qualified for the America East Playoffs in each of its eligible seasons. This will be the first time the River Hawks have faced UAlbany in the playoffs and the third time in four years that they have hosted at least one playoff game. UMass Lowell has now appeared in the championship game three times in the last five years.
LAST TIME OUT
Junior
Angel Montas Jr. finished with a career-high 33 points, as the UMass Lowell men's basketball team wrapped up the regular season with a 67-56 victory over the Maine Black Bears on March 3. Montas Jr., who also added four rebounds and three assists, shot 70% (14-20) from the field in the contest. Freshman
Victor Okojie dominated on the boards, finishing with 11 points alongside 14 rebounds for his third career double-double. As a team, the River Hawks outrebounded Maine, 43-34, including a 16-6 difference on the offensive glass.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 31 games,
Angel Montas Jr. leads the way with 15.2 points per game. Right behind him,
Austin Green adds 13.8 points alongside a team-high 8.0 rebounds.
Xavier Spencer, who ranks third with 11.7 points per game, adds a team-high 36 steals, while
Shawn Simmons II boasts 32 blocks to sit first on the team.
Darrel Yepdo, the team's primary playmaker, totals a team-leading 97 assists on the season.
FROM THE JUMP
The River Hawks are 13-4 so far this season when turning in a strong first half and leading heading into the break. Specifically in three of their last four wins, the team has led with at least 42 points on the board at the end of the first half.
IN THE PAINT
The River Hawks have done a great job getting to the hoop with at least 40 points in the paint in six of the last nine games. Scoring from down low seems to be a key to success, as the team has won all six of those games.
CONTROLLING THE GLASS
Rebounding has been another key stat for the River Hawks this year, as the team is 13-6 when outrebounding the opposition and just 1-11 when rebounding less than. The River Hawks outrebounded Maine, 46-11, on Jan. 31, not allowing the Black Bears to reach double-digit boards until well into the second half. UMass Lowell currently leads the America East with a +4.8 rebounding margin.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks have shot at least 50% from the floor in five of their lasts six wins, including a conference-season best 59% against Binghamton on Feb. 21. The team is now ranked third in the America East for field goal percentage.
AMONG THE BEST
Austin Green is ranked among the nation's best, currently sitting 24th for offensive rebounds per game and 28th for field goal percentage.
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 next 18 games. He has scored at least 20 points ten times in the last 18 games and his 33 points against Maine the last time our marked a career high. He has now won three America East Player of the Week awards.
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 50-9 in the building since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, including 9-4 in 2025-26.
HELPING HANDS
In the home game against Binghamton, the River Hawks tallied 22 assists as a team, a new season high. So far, the River Hawks rank third in the America East with 12.5 assists per game.
SPREADING THE LOVE
The River Hawks have boasted at least four double-digit scorers on 14 occasions this year. Most recently, the team had four players score 10+ points at Vermont on February 26.
