River Hawks Best New Hampshire, 82-75, in Conference Opener

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DURHAM, N.H. – Sophomore Brayden O’Connor (Ottawa, Ontario) scored a career-high 23 points to help lead the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team (10-4, 1-0 AE) to an 82-75 victory at New Hampshire (8-6, 0-1 AE) on Saturday afternoon in the America East Conference opener.

“Great way to start conference play with a well-earned road win against a tough opponent,” said Head Coach Pat Duquette. “We had lots of good contributions in a total team effort with some crucial execution and timely free throws down the stretch.”

One of four double-digit scorers for the River Hawks, O’Connor shot 58% (7-12) from the field, including hitting a personal-best three triples. Senior Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) also totaled a career-high 19 points alongside a team-best 12 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. Senior Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) added in 17 points and eight rebounds, while junior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) chipped in with 12 and nine boards, including eight on the offensive glass. In addition to shooting 43% from the field as a team, the River Hawks dominated on the boards with a 47-30 rebounding advantage.

Brooks got things started early for the River Hawks, scoring the team’s first 10 points to put his squad up four with 15:46 on the clock. Meanwhile, UMass Lowell began to lock down on defense, allowing only one jumper over five minutes of play. The Wildcats countered with a strong defensive presence of their own, but a triple and two free throws by Mincey helped the visitors maintain a seven-point edge, 17-10, with 11 minutes remaining in the first.

New Hampshire began to find its rhythm on the offensive end as Jaxson Baker sank the team’s first three of the night, followed shortly after by another three from Clarence Daniels. Although O’Connor followed with a trey of his own, the hosts responded with a 12-2 run over six minutes of play to jump in front, 28-24, with 3:34 on the clock. The River Hawks, however, battled right back with a 7-2 burst, highlighted by four points from O’Connor, to hold a one-point advantage, 31-30, heading into the break.

The start of the second half began with a back-and-forth battle that was capped off by a three-pointer from Trey Woodyard to put the Wildcats up one. The River Hawks maintained their composure, though, as they put together a 12-2 run that included a stout defense, which forced four Wildcat turnovers over five possessions. Although New Hampshire found a quick five points to cut the lead down to 48-44 with 14:46 on the clock, UMass Lowell fired right back with seven straight points, kick-started by a second-chance bucket from Morris III.

The River Hawks fended off the Wildcats to maintain a double-digit lead, 63-52, with just under eight minutes to play. New Hampshire continued to battle through the late minutes, as they used a 7-2 stretch to make it a two-possession game with 6:36 remaining. Looking to close the game out, UMass Lowell tallied 10 of the game’s next 14 points, including five from Brooks, to regain the double-digit advantage. In the final two minutes, the hosts sank two three-pointers, but the River Hawks went 7-8 from the free-throw line, sealing the 82-75 decision.

The River Hawks will return home to take on the NJIT Highlanders on Thursday, January 11. The opening tip is set for 6:30 p.m. at Costello Athletic Center.