
A very good college basketball game was played at Costello Athletic Center on Thursday night witnessed by 532 fans. Unfortunately, if you are a UMass Lowell (13-7, 2-3) fan, the outcome was not what you were hoping for. The Maine Black Bears (13-8, 5-1) received a combined 55 points from A J Lopez (27) and Quion Burns (28) to defeat the River Hawks 86-85. The loss by UMass Lowell puts them in unfamiliar territory in America East. That of an under .500 conference team. For Maine, it extends their current winning streak to five games. For the River Hawks, it was just their second loss at home this season and both have come in league play.
There was some good news for UML. First, 5th-year senior Quinton Mincy went over the 1,000-point mark for his career (1005 points) with his 20-point night. The second thing was that for the sixth time this season and for the 21st time in his career, 5th senior Max Brooks had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. UML finished the game with four of the five starters in double figures. Cam Morris III had 16 points, and Quincy Clark added 10 points. But turnovers at the wrong time, and there were 17 of them which led to 18 Black Bears points, did them in. Maine also was credited with nine steals on the night. Eight of them came from the starting five. Maine found ways to win this game and the River Hawks did not. As head coach Pat Duquette said afterwards “Still not the team we need to be.”
You would not have said that if you saw the first twenty minutes. UML shot 69% (20-of-29)and they were 5-of-8 (69%) from 3-point land. Their largest lead in the first half was 13 on a 3-point shot by Clark with 2:13 left in the half that made it 48-35. The Black Bears stayed in the first half behind the scoring of Lopez. who scored the team’s first 11 points on his way to 13 in the half. He got help from Burns who chipped in with 11 himself. The two had 24 of the team’s 38 first-half points. UML was getting production off the bench as well with 14 points. Eight of them came from Xavier Lino who was 3-of-4 from the field and 2-of-2 from deep. The River Hawks were scoring in the paint with 30 of their 43 points coming inside the lane. Brooks was a perfect 6-for-6 in the half. Things were looking good for the home team at this stage.
Maine started the second half on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 48-45 with 18:20 left. Lopez had four of those points and Burns’s 3-pointer brought Maine back into the game. A Lopez second-chance basket off a turnover tied the game at 58-58 with 11:37 left. Burns got a layup in the paint to give Maine their first lead at 65-64 with 9:41 left. The game went back and forth from there with each team having chances to win the game in regulation. With a second to go, backup guard Anthony Blunt had a shot at winning the game at the buzzer. But his attempt was blocked by Maine Guard Kellen Tynes (16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers). The game went to overtime tied at 75-75.
In the extra time. The River Hawks grabbed a four-point lead at 81-77 on two free throws by Mincy and a Morris steal and dunk with 3:03 left in extra time. Maine would tie the game back up on free throws by Tynes and a Burns jumper with 1:47 left. The River Hawks went back up by four on two free throws from Morris and a Mincy layup in the paint. After a Lopez free throw, the Black Bears were down one at 85-84 with 30 seconds left. Lopez made the play of the game when he stole the ball from Clark and took it to the basket for the game-winning layup. UML did have chances in the final 13 seconds but two 3-point shots from Martin Somerville (2-of-12, 2-of-9 from deep) would not fall and the River Hawks lost a tough one 86-85 to Maine.
Duquette admitted his team had chances to not only win the game in OT but in regulation too. He thought the Black Bears “Play connected.” His team would outscore Maine 50-32 in the paint, 17-8 off the bench, but still lost. The River Hawks are back at it on Saturday at home vs UNH. Maine does not play again until Jan. 30 vs the Wildcats at the Pit in Oromo.
Author Profile

Latest entries
America East ConferenceFebruary 11, 2025America East Basketball News & Notes: Second is Half Underway
America East ConferenceFebruary 8, 2025Vermont Upsets #10 UMass Lowell 5-3 in Hockey East
America East ConferenceFebruary 6, 2025America East Baseball: Bryant is the Preseason Pick
ACCFebruary 5, 2025ACC Basketball News & Notes: Changes ahead for Florida State