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Tag: umass lowell basketball

  • College basketball: UMass Lowell teams sweep away New Hampshire

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    Powered by Angel Montas Jr., the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team continued to surge Thursday night.

    Montas tallied 25 points and ripped down 10 rebounds to fuel the River Hawks to a 78-56 America East win over New Hampshire at the Kennedy Family Athletic Center in Lowell.

    Xavier Spencer heated up in the second half and finished with 17 points and six rebounds for UML (12-15, 7-5), which has won three straight and four out of five. The River Hawks are now 8-3 on their home floor.

    Darrel Yepdo, a Dracut native, collected 12 points and dished out four assists, while Austin Green was powerful inside with seven points and 12 rebounds.

    UNH (8-17) won the first meeting between the schools last month, 66-61. UML dominated the rematch, bolting out to a 42-28 halftime lead. Montas scored 16 of his points in the opening half. For the game, the River Hawks (31-for-61) shot better than 50 percent from the floor.

    UML has averaged 85 points during its three-game winning streak.

    Women’s basketball

    Paris Gilmore sparked UMass Lowell to a tough 57-54 America East victory over host New Hampshire at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, N.H.

    The River Hawks (8-18, 2-11 AE) held on for the clutch road win thanks to free throws down the stretch from Gilmore and Jaini Edmonds.

    Two free throws by Gilmore put UML up 55-52 with 1:15 remaining. The Wildcats pulled to within one point before Gilmore drained two free throws with two seconds left.

    Gilmore was 4-for-8 from 3-point range. Edmonds contributed 11 points, four rebounds and five assists. Sabrina Larrson was 3-for-7 on 3-pointers and finished with nine points. UNH’s Eva DeChent led all scorers with 29 points.

    It was the third road win of the season for UML, which fell 62-58 in overtime to the Wildcats last month.

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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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  • College basketball: UML men fall on road to 25th-ranked Iowa

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    Junior Angel Montas Jr. (La Romana, Dominican Republic) scored a game-high 23 points, but as the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team (5-10) dropped its final non-conference game of the season 90-62 to 25th-ranked Iowa on Monday afternoon in Iowa City, Iowa.

    “We are excited to be done with our non-conference schedule and move onto conference play,” said UML head coach Pat Duquette. “Iowa is a top 25 team and was the most well-coached team we played all year. I feel like our team has noticeably improved and survived our toughest non-conference schedule ever.”

    Montas Jr., who added six rebounds, three assists, and two steals, was one of three River Hawks (5-10) to finish with double-digit scoring efforts. Junior Darrel Yepdo (Dracut) added 10 points and five assists, while junior Xavier Spencer (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) finished with 10 points and three assists.

    Iowa got to work early, scoring the first eight points of the game in the opening minutes.

    Women win

    The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team turned in a wire-to-wire performance on Monday evening, rolling past St. Joseph’s Brooklyn, 109–45, at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex in Lowell.

    “Any win is a good win, but I thought we had a lot of players step up tonight, which was great to see,” said UML head coach Jon Plefka. “Coming off the break, it was important for us to get back on track and carry some momentum into conference play.”

    The River Hawks set the tone early, using energy on the glass and strong ball movement to jump out to a 25–5 lead after the opening quarter.

    Junior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) knocked down an early three during a 15–3 run, while graduate forward Anabel Latorre Ciria (Zaragoza, Spain) and sophomore guard Nia Chima (Toronto, Ontario) controlled the boards to extend possessions and limit the Bears to one shot at the other end.

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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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