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  • College basketball: UMass Lowell tops Binghamton, stays perfect in AE

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    The River Hawks are playing like beasts in America East.

    The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team remained perfect in league play Saturday afternoon with a 73-68 victory over host Binghamton before 1,651 fans in Vestal, N.Y.

    The River Hawks (8-10, 3-0 AE) have now knocked off league opponents Albany, Bryant and Binghamton in successive games.

    Xavier Spencer tallied 18 points to power the winners, sinking 4-of-6 3-point attempts. Angel Montas Jr., coming off a career-high 27 points against Bryant, contributed 17 points. Also in double figures with 12 points was Austin Green and he hauled down eight rebounds.

    Guard Darrel Yepdo, a Dracut native, chipped in nine points. The River Hawks broke out to a 45-36 halftime lead and then held off the hosts.

    UML returns to action Thursday, hosting NJIT at 6 p.m.

    Women fall

    UMass Lowell fell 80–52 to Binghamton during America East play Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex in Lowell.

    The River Hawks (6-11, 0-4 AE) opened the afternoon with early energy, trading baskets in the opening minutes as junior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) finished inside for the first UML field goal before graduate forward Anabel Latorre Ciria (Zaragoza, Spain) converted a second-chance layup to keep the deficit within single digits. Binghamton, however, began to assert control late in the first quarter, closing the period on a 7–2 run to take a 17–12 advantage.

    Senior guard Sabrina Larsson (Uppsala, Sweden) helped spark the offense early in the second quarter, knocking down a three before freshman guard Tyanna Medina (Lawrence) finished a fast-break layup to keep UML within six. Senior guard Jaini Edmonds (Worcester) later buried a triple from the wing, and junior guard Paris Gilmore (Youngstown, Ohio) connected from deep to trim the margin to 10 late in the half.

    “They were very aggressive and very smart against what we do, and the second-chance points really hurt us to start,” said UML head coach Jon Plefka. “For us, we couldn’t match their physicality off the jump, and that set the tone.”

    Larsson led UML with 18 points, hitting five three-pointers. Medina added 11 points and five rebounds, while Edmonds recorded 11 points and five assists.

    The River Hawks play Thursday (11 a.m.) at NJIT.

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  • UMass Lowell men’s, women’s basketball teams to begin seasons Monday

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    Excitement abounds as the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team is gearing up for a new season. The River Hawks will open the new campaign against Rivier University at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex, formerly Costello Athletic Center, on Monday at 7 p.m.

    This season brings a new level of anticipation, as UML will feature an entirely new look, with 12 of the 13 players having never suited up for the program. Despite the challenge of the unknown, head coach Pat Duquette is looking forward to seeing what his roster, which features eight transfers, two true freshmen and three redshirts can do.

    “It’s unlike any other team I’ve ever had. I’ve never been through this experience where you get 10 new guys and we only return a few minutes from a previous team. It’s been fun, though, it’s a great group of guys. I’m really enjoying working with them and being around them, but it’s just been a different experience for me and my coaching staff to really have so many new guys and have to teach this way and start from scratch,” Duquette said.

    Last season, the River Hawks finished 17-15 under Duquette’s tutelage, marking their third consecutive winning season. Despite the new roster for 2025-26, UMass Lowell was still selected fourth in the America East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, signifying the respect for Duquette’s recruiting abilities.

    The 2025-26 roster features 10 newcomers, which marks the largest class to join the team in its Division I history.

    Bringing a mix of experience and youth to the lineup, the incoming group features two true freshmen, Victor Okojie (Castlebar, Ireland) and JJ Massaquoi (Prince George’s County, Md.), alongside senior Austin Green (Sicklerville, N.J.), juniors Darrel Yepdo (Dracut), Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, D.R.), Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Shawn Simmons II (Philadelphia, Pa.), Jared Frey (Columbus, Ohio), Jerrell Roberson II (Upper Marlboro, Md.), and Khalil Farmer (Philadelphia).

    Women

    In his first season at the helm, head coach Jon Plefka leads the UMass Lowell women’s basketball program into the 2025–26 campaign focused on communication and steady growth. With a roster split evenly between returners and newcomers, the River Hawks look to establish a foundation that reflects those principles from day one.

    UML will open Monday by hosting Saint Anselm at 4 p.m.

    “Our standard is the standard. We’re focused on doing everything to the best of our ability and letting that process define who we become,” Plefka said.

    Seven River Hawks return to the lineup this season, bringing familiarity and leadership to a roster otherwise full of fresh faces.

    Junior Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) appeared in 26 games last year, averaging 6.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Senior Amina Kameric (Seattle, Wash.) started 16 contests, while sophomores Nia Chima (Toronto, Ontario), Jennah Johnson (Woodbridge, N.J.), Emina Kameric (Seattle, Wash.), Carla Subirats (Barcelona, Spain), and senior Sophie Baydanov (Vienna, Austria) also return after contributing during the 2024–25 campaign.

    Together, the returning group provides experience across multiple positions as the team transitions into its new era.

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  • UML hockey notebook: River Hawks look to continue winning ways vs. Holy Cross

    UML hockey notebook: River Hawks look to continue winning ways vs. Holy Cross

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    LOWELL  — The leaves are falling and the wins are piling up again for the UMass Lowell hockey team.

    And folks nationally are noticing. After four straight wins, the River Hawks (4-1) have soared into the USCHO.com top 20 poll for the first time this season.

    The No. 20 River Hawks have scored 17 goals during their streak. After a season-opening loss to Minnesota Duluth, UML has defeated Duluth, Colgate (twice) and Merrimack College. UML is coming off a 6-3 win at Merrimack to open the Hockey East slate.

    “I like our compete level and it’s been good in four of the five games. They seem to be meshing well and getting along well,” said head coach Norm Bazin. “It’s a small sample size. We’re just trying to add to our identity. I think we’ve been strong on special teams. I think our goaltending for the most part has been pretty good.”

    Scoring has been an issue with the team in recent years. But pucks are flying into opposing nets with regularity and three players are averaging more than a point a game in the early going – senior forward Owen Cole (4-3-7), freshman forward Chris Delaney (4-2-6) and graduate defenseman Ben Meehan (1-5-6).

    Cole earned Hockey East Co-Player of the Week honors following his one-goal, three-assist gem during the win at Merrimack.

    Not far behind are junior Scout Truman (3-1-4) and freshman Mirko Buttazoni (0-4-4). UML has showed impressive balance as 12 players have at least one goal and 19 skaters have tallied at least one point.

    UML’s best seasons under Bazin have come when the River Hawks featured balanced scoring up and down the lineup.

    Scouting report

    For the second straight week, UML will only play one game. On tap Friday (7 p.m.) is a visit to Worcester and the Hart Center Rink to battle Holy Cross (3-4).

    Last season the Crusaders tied UML 2-2 in Lowell and then won the rematch the next night in Worcester 4-2.

    “They took care of business against us last year. I can tell you they play extremely hard. They’re extremely aggressive,” Bazin said. “I can appreciate and respect their compete. They charge the net like it’s their job. They beat UConn and it was a legitimate win. They beat us last year and it was a legitimate win.”

    Holy Cross is coached by Bill Riga, a former UMass Lowell skater.

    Loose pucks

    Graduate student Henry Welsch has been named the Hockey East Goaltender of the Month. He went unbeaten between the pipes in October, compiling a 4-0-0 record with a 1.75 goals against average and .918 save percentage.

    He is the only Hockey East goalie to not record a loss or tie and Welsch leads the conference in winning percentage. He is tied for second in goals against average. … A couple of weeks ago defensemen Nick Anderson and Pierson Brandon played against Colgate, a team they had been with for four seasons before transferring. This week defenseman Jack Robilotti is in the same spot.

    Robilotti played four seasons at Holy Cross before joining UML. He has one assist in five games. He had five blocked shots and sports a terrific +5 in the plus/minus category. “To be honest they have good friends over there,” Bazin said, “but they have good friends over here, too.” … Transfers Andover (0-3-3), Connor Eddy (1-1-2), Brandon (1-0-1), Ian Carpentier (1-0-1) and Robilotti (0-1-1) have all contributed in the early going.

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    Barry Scanlon

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