Vermont Soars Past River Hawks with a 77-52 Triumph

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Redshirt-senior Sydney Watkins (Indianapolis, Ind.) and freshman Nia Chima (Toronto, Canada) both achieved a team-high of 10 points, as UMass Lowell (2-13, 0-3 AE) lost to Vermont (7-10, 2-1 AE) by a score of 77-52 at Patrick Gymnasium on Thursday morning.

“I felt we exerted ourselves more effectively in the second half on both sides of the court,” stated Head Coach Denise King. “We will have to begin games more strongly if we wish to have a shot at winning.”

Watkins connected on 5-6 attempts from the floor, also contributing four assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. Chima marked a personal best in scoring with 10 points, hitting 5-7 from the field. She further contributed with four rebounds and one assist.

During the initial quarter, River Hawks’ sophomores Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) and Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) each tallied long-range jumpers prior to Vermont initiating a 10-0 streak, seizing an early, 14-point advantage heading into the second.

Chima and Durant took turns finding success at the basket, each scoring four points for the River Hawks in the second quarter. The Catamounts surged ahead with eight consecutive points to lead 32-12 with six minutes left in the second. Senior Amina Kameric (Seattle, Wash.) delivered the last points of the half for UMass Lowell, sinking a three-pointer at 1:28. At the intermission, the Catamounts held a 45-23 lead over the River Hawks.

UMass Lowell showcased some notable moments in the third quarter. At the 5:32 mark, Watkins denied a three-point attempt, swiftly recovering the ball to race down the court and achieve a fast break layup. Following that, with 47 seconds remaining in the quarter, sophomore Abbey Lindsey (Staten Island, N.Y.) grabbed an offensive rebound to tip it in for a UMass Lowell score. However, the Catamounts responded with seven consecutive points, as the matchup entered the final quarter with Vermont leading, 65-39.

The River Hawks delivered their strongest quarter in the fourth, accumulating 10 points. UMass Lowell concluded the game positively, going on a five-point run highlighted by a successful shot from beyond the arc with 36 seconds remaining, credited to senior Alex Gitchenko (Ashdod, Israel). The River Hawks fought until the final buzzer but fell to Vermont, 77-52.

The River Hawks will return to play with another away game against America East rival NJIT on Saturday, January 11, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.