UMass Lowell Snaps Two Game Skid With 71-62 Win Over Maine

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It has been a few days since the UMass Lowell (10-7, 2-3 in AE) basketball team has seen any action. A lost opportunity because of the virus gave the team a few extra days to work on some things and reflect. Their recent two-game road trip did not produce the results the team was looking for. Part of that had to do with bad shot-making. Something that in Wednesday night’s game vs the Maine Black Bears (3-12, 0-4 in AE) still existed. As head coach Pat Duquette said after the game ” we made enough winning plays despite not shooting well.” The River Hawks placed three in double-figures led by Allin Blunt’s 23 points to defeat the Black Bears 71-62.

As has been the case since conference play got started, Lowell was without two of their bigs in Connor Withers and Darion Jordan-Thomas. The Black Bears were without a key member off their bench in freshman Sam Ihekwoaba who has been the conference Rookie of the Week four times this season, and the last three straight weeks. His production off the bench was sorely missed by head coach Richard Barron’s crew. To some extent, it was made up for by another freshman, 6-8 forward Kristians Feierbergs who in the early stages of the first half was Maine’s offense. He would score all ten of his first-half points within the first thirteen minutes of it. He was proving to be a hard guard for Lowell’s big men. The reason was not only his ability in the paint, but he could step out and knock down shots from deep. His double-double of 23 points (9-13, 4-6 from 3-point land) and 11 rebounds kept Maine in the game for most of it.

UMass Lowell would get back into the first half with Max Brooks on the bench with two fouls trying to guard Feierbergs. He picked up his second personnel with 7:14 left in the half. The River Hawks tied the game on a Kaill Thomas (13 points) floater in the lane, then took the lead for the first time on two free throws by Justin Faison (11 Points). It was 20-18 River Hawks with 3:59 left in the half. Allin Blunt then hit back-to-back threes to give Lowell its biggest lead of the half at 29-24 with 1:30 left. The River Hawks took a 29-26 lead with them to the locker room.

Blunt became the offensive force for Lowell in the second half. First, he knocked down his third three of the game to keep the River Hawks up by five at 39-34. Next time down the court, Blunt did it the old-fashioned way with an and-1 to give his team their first ten-point lead of the night at 44-34 with 12:36 to play. A Brooks dunk off the left-wing pushed the lead to 12 at 53-41 with nine minutes to go. It would hit its high water mark when Blunt put home a layup off a second chance opportunity that made it 55-41 with eight minutes to go in the game.

As coach Duquette said afterward, “Maine is a gritty team” and they showed it down the stretch of the second half. Coach Barron went deep into his bench and called on Peter Filipovity and he responded. He would play the last 9:21 of the game score eight points, and grab two rebounds to give his team a much-needed spark. His last bucket was a second-chance layup that made this a one-possession game at 62-60 with 1:44 to play in the game. Lowell was able to hold off the Black Bears by hitting seven free throws in the last minute to take the victory at 71-62. Blunt talked after the game about his teammates “sharing the ball” which he said allowed him to “knock down open shots.”

Maine got 13 from Maks Klanjscek, UMass Lowell will look to even their conference record on Saturday afternoon at UNH.