UMass Lowell Moves on to the Semifinals with 72-64 Win over UNH

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In what is becoming a season of firsts, the UMass Lowell basketball team (10-11, 7-8 in AE) completed the sweep of the UNH pod by defeating the host school 72-64. With the win, the Riverhawks now await to find out who they play next Saturday in the semifinal round. This was a game that looked to all the world like a blowout victory for the visitors from Lowell. But as UMass Lowell head coach Pat Duquette said after the game, “they kept fighting to the end.” He also was quick to pay his respect to the Wildcats players and coaching staff for keeping themselves in the game and giving themselves a chance to steal the game at the very end.

For most of this contest, this did not look like a game that had a chance to be stolen by the home team. After a back and forth first six minutes and twelve seconds, Lowell would take control of the first half and build a lead that would get as high as 11 on a couple of different occasions. Their best player was leading the way. Obadiah Noel had 13 first-half points on his way to a game-high 28, was getting help from some of his mates. Connor Withers (11 points for the game), did not miss a shot in the half (3-of-3, 1-of-1 from deep) with seven points. Bryce Daley was running the offense and knocking down the open shots when it presented itself. It was a far cry from the performance that took place less than 24 hours earlier. The Wildcats were having trouble getting shots to fall. Their head coach, Bill Herron, credited the Lowell defense for much of that difficulty. For the half, UNH would shoot only 39% (11-of-28) and from three-point land, the numbers were not any better (2-for-8, 25%). Those factors is what allowed the Riverhawks to take a 36-29 lead with them to the locker room.

To the Riverhawks credit, they began the second half by not taking the foot off the gas pedal. As the half wore on, they began to pile it on. Getting the advantage to as high as 21 on a three by Noel with nine and a half minutes to play in the game. The score at this point was 55-34. The Wildcats had other ideas and began to slowly chip away at the Lowell lead. An 8-2 UNH run cut the lead to 16 with six minutes to go. Nick Johnson (14 for the game) had four points, Jayden Martinez (14 points) got a bucket, and Nick Guadarrama (16 points) a layup. It would get even dicier for the Riverhawks based on a 10-0 run by the Wildcats with six of those points coming at the free-throw line with the clock stopped. It was now an eight point game at 61-53 with 3:36 to play.

After a Noel free-throw pushed the lead back to nine, the Wildcats went on another run to make the game even tighter. A 6-0 run closed the gap to five at 64-59 with 1:33 to play. Noel would once again make one-of-two at the free-throw line. Next time down the court for UNH, Chris Lester hit a three to make it a one-possession game at 65-62 with 1:18 left. Noel hit a jumper in the paint and pushed the lead back to five. Next time down the court, Guadarrama was fouled. He stepped to the line and knocked both of them down to make it a one score game again at 67-64. The dagger shot was delivered by Kalil Thomas who nailed a three with eighteen seconds left to give Lowell a six-point lead at 70-64. Allin Blunt finished it off with two made free throws and UMass Lowell had the 72-64 win and a spot in the seminfinals that will take place next Saturday.

Coach Herron thought the difference was Noel. Nick Johnson was the man who had the task of keeping him in check and had a difficult time doing so. Still, with no seniors on the team, the coach likes the future of this squard. For Lowell, coach Duquette talked about cleaning up the mistakes that were made down the stretch that saw a possible blowout win become a close game. All in all, the coach is happy with were they are. That is now just two potential wins away from a spot in the big dance.