BALTIMORE, Md. - The No. 4 seeded UMass Lowell men's basketball team (15-17) visits the No. 1 UMBC Retrievers in the semifinal round of the 2026 Air Force Reserve America East Men's Basketball playoffs on Tuesday, March 10 at 6 p.m.
A WIN WOULD
A win against the Retrievers would be the first of the year for the River Hawks, and would advance the team to the championship game 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 fourth time the River Hawks have faced UMBC in the postseason, with the Retrievers owning a 2-1 advantage in those matchups so far. UMass Lowell has now appeared in the championship game three times in the last five years.
LAST TIME OUT
Junior
Angel Montas Jr. logged 28 points to help lift the UMass Lowell men's basketball team to an 81-76 comeback victory against No. 5 UAlbany in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Air Force Reserve America East Playoffs at Kennedy Family Athletic Complex on March 7. Despite trailing by as many as 12 in the second half, the River Hawks used a 16-1 run that included pivotal three from freshman
Victor Okojie to change the lead for the first and only time in the contest. Junior
Xavier Spencer added to the offensive effort with 19 points, while junior
Darrel Yepdo rounded out the double-digit scorers with 17 points. Montas Jr. and Spencer both tied personal bests with three and four three-pointers in the outing, respectively. Yepdo added a career-high eight assists, as well.
LEADING THE FLOCK
Through 32 games,
Angel Montas Jr. leads the way with 15.6 points per game. Right behind him,
Austin Green adds 13.3 points alongside a team-high 7.9 rebounds.
Xavier Spencer, who ranks third with 11.9 points per game, adds a team-high 38 steals, while
Shawn Simmons II boasts 34 blocks to sit first on the team.
Darrel Yepdo, the team's primary playmarker, totals a team-leading 105 assists on the season.
COMEBACK KIDS
The come-from-behind performance in the quarterfinals against UAlbany marked the first time since 2021 that the River Hawks have overcome a 12-point, second-half deficit.
ALL-LEAGUE HONORS
Three River Hawks garnered All-America East honors.
Angel Montas Jr. was named to the All-Conference First Team, while
Austin Green and
Xavier Spencer earned Third Team nods.
HEATING UP AT THE RIGHT TIME
The River Hawks have worked hard to improve this season and are playing their best at the right time. Despite securing just six wins in the first 16 games of the season, the team has now won six of their last eight games.
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 five 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 ten 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 2-11 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 +4.6 rebounding margin.
SHARP SHOOTERS
The River Hawks have shot at least 50% from the floor in five of their lasts seven 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 25th for offensive rebounds per game.
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 21.6 points in the next 19 games. He has scored at least 20 points 11 times in the last 19 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.
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 12.7 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.
