River Hawks Grind Out 63-61 Rock Fight Victory over Marist to Stay Unbeaten

It may not have been their best offensive effort to date in the early stages of the college basketball season, but the UMass Lowell River Hawks (3-0) found a way to win a gritty, defensive battle on Sunday afternoon at the Kennedy Family Athletic Center against a tough, well-coached Marist University (1-2) squad.

The 63-61 victory proved to the River Hawks that they have the versatility to win in different ways. UMass Lowell endured a cold shooting afternoon (21-of-61, 34.4%), including struggles from beyond the arc (6-of-23, 26.1%). What ultimately secured win No. 3 was clutch execution at the charity stripe, where the River Hawks converted 15-of-19 attempts (78.9%).

Head coach Pat Duquette reflected on his team’s resilience after the game, admitting, “I was not sure we could win this kind of game early in the season.” However, his squad proved otherwise.

Early Tug-of-War in the First Half

Marist entered Sunday’s matchup having won five consecutive games against America East opponents, holding a 1-1 all-time series record against UMass Lowell with each team previously winning on its home floor. This marked the Red Foxes’ first road test of the season after splitting their opening home slate—a loss to Dartmouth followed by an eight-point victory over UMBC on Thursday night.

The opening half was a physical, hard-nosed 20 minutes featuring five ties and nine lead changes. Marist built its largest lead of the half at 7-3 with 18:09 remaining, fueled by five early points from Jack Graham (12 points), who converted a traditional three-point play.

The River Hawks responded by building two separate six-point leads. Victor Okojie (11 points, 8 rebounds) put UML ahead 21-15 on a second-chance basket with 5:53 left, and an Isaiah Walters layup extended the advantage to 23-17.

Marist quickly erased the deficit with a 6-0 run, starting with a free throw from Myles Parker, followed by a bucket and free throw from Dwayne Chess (20 points, 7 rebounds). Jordan Gabriel (10 points, 4 rebounds) capped the run with a jumper in the paint to tie the game at 23-23 with 2:17 remaining.

The teams traded blows over the final two minutes until Okojie scored with 27 seconds left to send UMass Lowell into the locker room with a 30-29 halftime lead.

Clutch Down-the-Stretch Execution Seals the Win

The second half remained a tightly contested affair. Marist surged ahead 43-42 at the 13:11 mark when Jadin Collins-Roberts sank a jumper outside the paint, and extended the lead to 49-46 on a Chess lane jumper with 9:32 remaining.

UMass Lowell reclaimed the lead for good at the free-throw line, as Jakai Newton sank consecutive free throws to make it 50-49 with 7:51 on the clock.

Down the stretch, the River Hawks made winning plays. Jasiah Cannady (13 points, 3 assists, 0 turnovers) leaked out on a fast break to push the lead to 61-57 with 2:33 left, and Okojie added a clutch paint layup to make it 63-59 at the 1:15 mark.

Chess drew Marist back within two at 63-61 by sinking a pair of free throws with 42 seconds remaining before Chess eventually fouled out. Following a missed three-pointer from Okojie, Marist gained possession with one final chance to tie or win.

Expecting Marist to run their final play for Chess, Coach Duquette called a timeout with eight seconds remaining to set up the defense. The River Hawks executed the game plan, forcing Marist to defer to their second option, Gabriel, whose potential game-tying jumper in the paint fell short. Newton cleared his 10th rebound of the contest as time expired to secure the victory.

Highlights from the Clutch W 😌

#UnitedInBlue https://t.co/hHsgo8ugui

— UMass Lowell MBB (@RiverHawkMBB) November 8, 2026

Defensive Grit and Looking Ahead

The River Hawks received a disciplined floor game from Christian Jones, who posted 10 points, four assists, and zero turnovers. UMass Lowell maintained exceptional ball security overall, committing just six turnovers while snatching eight steals. Jayden Harris contributed 10 points, including a 4-of-5 performance at the free-throw line.

Following the win, Harris and Cannady spoke about the chemistry and trust built within the locker room.

“I am trying to make an impact,” Cannady said of his mindset, while Harris expressed excitement over his growing role and opportunity to contribute to winning efforts.

With a 3-0 record in hand, UMass Lowell now turns its attention to a major rivalry matchup. The River Hawks will travel to Amherst on Wednesday night for the annual Kennedy Cup clash against UMass Amherst at the Mullins Center, with tipoff scheduled for 7:00 PM.