River Hawks Fall at UConn, 97-75

Read Time:2 Minute, 30 Second

STORRS, Conn. – Sophomore Obadiah Noel (Frederick, Md.) tied a career-high with 20 points in a 97-75 setback for the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team (4-5) at Connecticut on (6-1) on Tuesday evening.

“We played a very good UConn team,” said Head Coach Pat Duquette. “I thought they were especially effective when they went with a smaller lineup in the second half. We did a pretty good job bringing their big guys away from the basket with our ball-screen offense. At times, I think we got better today and learned a little bit about ourselves. It’s always a great opportunity to play a school like UConn in this type of atmosphere.”

Noel, who set a new personal best with nine field goals made, was one of five double-digit scorers for the River Hawks, marking a new season high for the squad. Redshirt-senior Josh Gantz (Grove City, Ohio) and freshman Allin Blunt (Bowie, Md.) totaled 12 points each, while freshman Alex Rivera (Lowell, Mass.) and redshirt-junior Christian Lutete (Silver Spring, Md.) chipped in with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Freshman Bryce Daley finished with a team-high six rebounds and a season-high six assists, as well.

The Huskies jumped out to a quick, 5-0 edge before freshman Darius Henderson (Pasadena, Calif.) put UMass Lowell on the board with a bucket down low. The River Hawks were within three once more following a layup from Gantz, but UConn used a 14-2 run to pull ahead, 21-6, with 11:56 remaining in the first half.

Lutete knocked down the River Hawks’ first three-pointer of the day, and although the Huskies led by as many as 23, another triple from Lutete and one from Rivera sparked a 13-4 spurt that cut the difference to 36-22 at 5:13. The home squad maintained at least a 14-point margin until UMass Lowell scored 10 of the final 12 points of the period with the help of a 4-for-4 effort at the line from Daley, to pull within 10, trailing just 44-34 at the break.

UConn outscored the visitors, 9-2, coming out of halftime to extend its margin to 53-36. Gantz and Noel hit jumpers from beyond the arc on back-to-back possessions, closing the gap back to 13, but the Huskies would later score 10 in a row to help create a 77-53 buffer at 9:13 in the second.

Field goals from Gantz and Blunt, followed by a three from senior Ryan Jones (Rio Rancho, N.M.) put the River Hawks within 17 at 86-69 with 3:28 left to play, but the visitors were unable to come any closer, as UConn sealed the 97-75 decision.

The Huskies now own a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series. The River Hawks will return to action on Saturday, December 1 when they host NJIT at 2 p.m. in the Tsongas Center.