Second-Half Comeback Propels River Hawks to America East Semifinals

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On Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Family Athletic Center, before a crowd of 677, the UMass Lowell River Hawks (15–17) delivered a second-half performance as tough and gritty as any you will ever see. Down seven at the break, UML outscored the UAlbany Great Danes (11–21) by eight in the final frame to secure an 81–76 victory and advance in the Air Force Reserve America East Tournament.

The win may have been one of head coach Pat Duquette’s most satisfying. As he bluntly noted after the game, “We were getting our asses kicked in the first half.” However, the “three-headed monster” of Angel Montas Jr., Darrel Yepdo, and Xavier Spencer came through with clutch shots when the team needed them most.

A Tale of Two Halves

The game could not have started worse for the home team. The River Hawks missed their first seven shots, while the Great Danes ignited a 13–0 run to open the contest. “We were ready from the start,” UAlbany coach Dwayne Killings said.

The catalyst for the Great Danes was sophomore guard Amir Lindsey, who dropped 16 of his game-high 30 points in the first half. Killings praised his star after the game, calling him “the best player in the league.” Lindsey received interior support from Okechukwu Okeke, who nearly posted a triple-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 blocks.

What kept the River Hawks within striking distance was the individual brilliance of Montas Jr. He poured in 14 of his 28 points in the first twenty minutes, single-handedly preventing the game from spiraling out of reach while UAlbany held the lead for the entire first half.

The Comeback Trail

The momentum shifted early in the second half. An 8–0 run—fueled by five points from Montas Jr. and a ferocious Victor Okojie dunk off a Xavier Spencer (19 points) pass—cut the deficit to 50–48 with 13:41 remaining.

The Lead Change: UML took its first lead of the game with 13:01 left on an Okojie three-pointer.
The Surge: Spencer converted a three-point play shortly after to push the lead to 54–50.
The Response: UAlbany refused to go away, with Okeke hammering home a dunk to keep it a one-possession game.

Things got dicey when Lindsey knocked down a three with 6:12 left to make it 61–60. However, Darrel Yepdo (17 points, 8 assists) took over, scoring five straight points to give UML breathing room at 65–60. Despite a late three-pointer from UAlbany’s Zach Matulu (14 points) and 13 points from Isaac Abiddle, the River Hawks maintained their composure, outscoring the Great Danes 15–13 over the final four minutes to seal the win.

Tournament Outlook

With the victory, UMass Lowell has now advanced to the America East Semifinals for the third time in the last four years. The River Hawks will wait for the remaining tournament results this weekend to determine their next opponent and location for the semifinal matchup.