River Hawks Battle To 70-59 Victory At Sacred Heart

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FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Graduate student Everette Hammond (Silver Spring, Md.) and sophomore Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) both tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds, as the UMass Lowell River Hawks men’s basketball team (7-1) extended their win streak to six games with a 70-59 victory at Sacred Heart on Saturday afternoon.

“We were able to win ‘ugly’ today, which sometimes you need to do,” said Head Coach Pat Duquette. “We didn’t shoot well. I thought their zone press bothered us and kept us from being aggressive. They have a really good team and play hard. Cam was huge for us tonight. I was happy for him that he finally got an opportunity to show what he can do.”

With the win, the River Hawks have tied the Division I program record with a six-game win streak and are off to their best start since the 2002-03 season. The win also gives the program the season sweep over the Pioneers.

Alongside the 18 points and 11 rebounds, Hammond paced the squad with three steals, while Morris III tallied a game-high three blocks. Also reaching the double-digit scoring mark was junior Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.), who added 10 points on 5-for-9 (55.6%) shooting. As a team, UMass Lowell once again outshot its opponent, holding Sacred Heart to 36.2% from the field.

The opening half proved to be a defensive battle, as both teams combined for three baskets in the first five minutes of action. After a Pioneer layup cut the River Hawk lead down to 8-4, junior Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) made his first basket of the night with a deep three. Morris III quickly followed up with a layup of his own, extending UMass Lowell’s lead to nine with 12 minutes remaining in the first.

The teams continued to trade baskets, but a Hammond long ball put the River Hawks up 20-9 with 6:19 to play. Sacred Heart fought back, going on a 5-0 run to pull within six. With under two minutes until the break, the River Hawks tallied seven straight, capped off by a three from junior Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) with 30 seconds remaining. The Pioneers landed a shot of their own from behind their arc at the buzzer, cutting the lead to 27-17 at halftime.

Coming out of the locker room, both teams found their rhythm offensively, combining for six baskets in just over three minutes of action. With UMass Lowell still up ten, Sacred Heart went on a 14-2 run, taking the 39-37 advantage, their first lead of the afternoon. The River Hawks, however, did not let up and tallied an 11-2 run of their own, ignited by another long ball from Hammond, to regain a 50-42 lead.

Sacred Heart continued to battle, cutting UMass Lowell’s lead down to 60-55 with just over three minutes to play. However, the River Hawk defense stepped up, allowing only two more baskets for the remainder of the game. In the final minute, Hammond converted on all of his free throws (6-6) to help seal the 70-59 victory.

Next up, the River Hawks will have a quick turnaround as they continue their road trip and head to New York to take on Long Island University on Monday, December 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Steinberg Wellness Center.