UML women roll to 3rd straight win

Umass Lowell basketball. Our defense was steady throughout the game and I thought we got out and created some easy opportunities for ourselves. Glad to have another brick in the foundation as we build upon our season.”

Junior guard Kharis Idom put up a team-high 18 points, going 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Senior Tiahna Sears matched her career-high of 17 points, while sophomore forward Denise Solis came close to her second double-double of the season with 15 points and nine boards.

Fellow sophomore Kaylen Banwareesingh rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 second-half points. As a unit, the River Hawks shot 45.2% from the field, while dishing out a season-high 18 assists.

The River Hawks outscored Hartford 27-10 in the second quarter and 22-5 in the third frame, limiting the Hawks to only one shot from outside the arc to secure the win.

The teams will finish out their twogame series on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m.).

Noel leads UML men to win

Led by two, 20-point scorers, the Umass Lowell men’s basketball team fended off a late attack to defeat Hartford, 71-62, in the first game of a weekend series at Costello Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon.

Umass Lowell improved to 4-7 (3-4 AE), while Hartford dropped to 7-5 (4-3 AE)

Although Hartford cut the difference to just one with less than four minutes remaining in the contest, sophomore Connor Withers beat the shot clock with a clutch three and followed with four consecutive free throws to help the River Hawks pull away down the stretch.

Senior Obadiah Noel led all scorers with 24 points. Withers matched a careerbest with 20 points, in addition to grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Graduate student Salif Boudie (Bamako, Mali) set a new season high and rounded out the double-digit scorers with 19 points, while redshirt-sophomore Bryce Daley dished out six assists.

As a team, the River Hawks shot a season-high 53.2% from the floor.

“This was a great win against a very good Hartford team, who was ahead of us in the standings,” said UML head coach Pat Duquette. “Just about everybody who played in today’s game contributed and I thought we played the right way. We made winning plays, high-percentage plays, defended and rebounded.”

Umass Lowell and Hartford will wrap up the two-game, weekend series tomorrow afternoon with a 1 p.m. tilt.