Vermont Takes Down UMass Lowell, 67-63

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If you are a fan of UMass Lowell Basketball, this is a movie you are all too familiar with. The River Hawks (12-5, 1-1) were riding a seven-game win streak heading into their first showdown with the Vermont Catamounts (9-8, 2-0) at Costello Athletic Center on Thursday night. The Catamounts were struggling on the road just 2-6 heading into this game. However, when plays needed to be made it was Vermont that was making them. TJ Hurley (23 points), with two big 3-point shots down the stretch, helped the Cats to a 67-63 road win.

Hurley got some help from Ileri Ayo-Faleye who had a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. It was his first double-double of the season. Nick Fiorillo chipped in with 10 points. Vermont’s starting five would outscore the River Hawks starting unit by a 60-33 margin. That and 17 offensive rebounds led to 16 second-chance points, which would do UMass Lowell in. The bright spot for the River Hawks was their bench which would outscore Vermont’s by a 30-7 count. Freshman Martin Somerville (17 points) not only led the bench scoring, but he was also the only River Hawks player to finish the game in double-figures.

The first half had three ties and eight lead changes and both teams had runs of six points in the half. They each had a difficult time putting the ball in the basket. After the game, head coach Pat Duquette of UMass Lowell said he thought his team “labored on offense.” While they were perfect from the foul line (12-for-12), they would shoot just 34.8% from the field (8-of-23), and from 3-point land, they were just 3-of-9 (33.3%). Vermont was not much better themselves. 10-of-35 28.6% from the field, 3-of-17 from deep, they were 5-of-7 from the line. The difference was 12 offensive boards that led to 11 second-chance points. UMass Lowell had zero second-chance points and only two offensive rebounds. The River Hawks had a three-point lead at the half, 31-28.

The River Hawks were 6-0 when leading at the half and Vermont was 0-6. Something was going to give on Thursday night. A 10-0 run by Vermont gave them the lead at 40-36. Nick Fiorillo, with seven of those points, made a layup in the paint. Then next time down the court he knocked down a 3-pointer to give his team the lead at the 15:42 mark. He extended the lead by hitting two free throws. UMass Lowell came right back to tie the game at 42-42. Max Brooks with a three-point play, then a 3-pointer by Xavier Lino, whose baskets were all three-point shots, tied the game at 42-42 with 14:19 left. Now the game was a back-and-forth affair with each team taking turns with the lead.

Vermont would stretch the lead to nine at 62-53 on the strength of Hurley. In a span of a little over three minutes, Hurley made four free throws and a 3-point shot. The sold-out crowd at Costello was starting to become fearful of what they were seeing and they had reason to be. The River Hawks made one final push. Quinton Mincy got a three-point play that featured a man-sized dunk. Quincy Clark hit a free throw, then off a Catamounts turnover, Somerville nailed a three-pointer to bring the River Hawks within two at 62-60 with 44 seconds left. But Hurley hit a three from the right wing with 16 seconds left to put the game away. Vermont wins for the 17th time in the last 21 meetings with UMass Lowell, 67-63.

Afterward, Duquette gave Vermont all the credit they deserved. He thought their defense in the paint was excellent. They put up “A wall” that made it difficult to drive on. He also did not think his team “Played well.” But with a game on Saturday afternoon, there was no time to dwell on it. NJIT comes to Lowell on Saturday for an afternoon game. While Vermont ends their three-game road trip at Bryant.