A Step Slow: First-Half Struggles Cost River Hawks in Loss to NJIT

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LOWELL, MA — Punctuality and pace are paramount in college basketball, and the UMass Lowell River Hawks learned that the hard way on Thursday night. A sluggish start proved insurmountable as the River Hawks fell to the NJIT Highlanders, 73–64, at the Kennedy Family Athletic Center.

The loss served as a stark reminder that in conference play, a slow start is often a death sentence. “It was not our best showing,” River Hawks head coach Pat Duquette admitted postgame. “We were a step slow, especially in the first half.”

The Fulton and Robinson Connection

NJIT’s victory was fueled by two dynamic playmakers that the River Hawks simply could not contain.

Ari Fulton: The story of the first half, Fulton exploded for 15 of his career-best 24 points before the break. He showed his range by knocking down three triples and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe.
Sebastian Robinson: When Fulton cooled slightly in the second half, Robinson took over. He scored 13 of his 20 points in the final frame, consistently beating UML defenders one-on-one.

“They are both hard to guard one-on-one,” Duquette noted, praising the Highlanders’ individual talent.

A First-Half Hole

The game was essentially decided in the first twenty minutes. While NJIT head coach Grant Billmeier successfully schemed to stop UML’s penetration, the River Hawks’ offense went cold:

The Shooting: UML shot a dismal 28.9% (7-for-26) from the field and 16.7% from deep in the first half.
The Turnovers: Forced into contested drives, the River Hawks committed 10 turnovers as they struggled to find a rhythm against the Highlanders’ wall.
The Bench Gap: In a staggering disparity, NJIT’s bench outscored UML’s reserves 39–5 for the game. At the half, the Highlanders led 36–17, their largest lead of the period.

Second-Half Surge Falls Short

Despite having the UMass Lowell baseball and men’s lacrosse teams in the stands providing energy, the 19-point halftime deficit was too deep to climb out of.

The River Hawks did find a bright spot in Angel Montas Jr., who recorded his first double-double of the season with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Montas Jr. has been on a tear lately, averaging 21 points over his last five games. Behind his effort and 11 points each from Daniel Yepdo and Xavier Spencer, UML outscored NJIT 47–37 in the second half.

Five different times the River Hawks cut the lead to nine points, but they could never get over the hump. NJIT (8-11-3-1) held the lead for 37:07 of the contest, never truly allowing the home team to threaten the result.

Looking Ahead

The River Hawks (8-11, 3-1) now have a week to regroup. Coach Duquette emphasized that his team is “not a finished product by any means” and noted that improving their zone offense will be a priority during the break.