Senior Night: UNH holds off UMASS-Lowell 78-67

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It was senior night at Tsongas Center for UMass-Lowell and a big crowd was on hand to say thank you to Senior Tyler Livingston. As for the game itself, a 15-4 run late in the game by the University of New Hampshire that gave them a big win with the tournament right around the corner, 78-67 Wildcats.

UNH started the game off “red hot” as they hit their first four shots from behind the arc including a shot clock beating “bank shot from Jalen Smith, who said after the game he called bank. The Cats kept pouring it on the home team going on a 24-8 run to open the game, shots were falling from everywhere as they could not miss.

What UNH was doing the River Hawks could not, missing their first six shots, three of which were from deep. UMASS Lowell’s first basket came at the 14:29 mark from Junior Jahad Thomas who finished with 23 points on 10 of 14 shooting.

When the Cats were not draining shots from the outside, they were dumping the ball down low to Junior Tanner Leissner who had 14 points on his way to a game-high 24 points with seven rebounds. UNH’s largest lead was 19 with 10:43 to play first half when the River Hawks began to chip away at the Wildcat lead. A closing first half run of 12-5 by the home team got them back into the game and when Matt Harris hit a buzzer-beating three, it brought them back to down single digits at eight. 41-33 at the break.

UMASS Lowell started the second half by scoring the first four points to get to within four at 41-37. The Wildcats pushed the lead back up to ten at 53-43 with 14:25 to play. The River Hawks then when on a 10-2 run of their own to make it a one-score game at 55-53. Some spurts featured Ryan Jones doing work as he scored five points himself on the way to 21 for the game.

When UNH needed it their big time players stepped up and got it done when it mattered most. A closing 14-5 spurt with Smith, Leissner and Jordan Reed 15 points making big shots down the stretch was enough for the Wildcats to get out of Lowell with the win 78-67.

After the game, UNH head Coach Bill Herrion called the first 10 to 12 minutes the best offensive basketball his team had played all year. He also said his team is full of gym rats.

For UMASS Lowell the loss was not the big thing, instead the end of the four-year reclassification is. The River Hawks can now be a part of the America East tournament starting next year.