Thrilling Showdown Ends in Heartbreak for River Hawks: A 67-63 Clash!

LOWELL, Mass. – Freshman Martin Somerville (Bowie, Md.) recorded a team-high 17 points, as the UMass Lowell men’s basketball squad (12-5, 1-1 AE) lost, 67-63, to Vermont (9-8, 2-0 AE) in a closely contested match on Thursday night in front of a full house at Costello Athletic Center.
 
The teams exchanged the lead on 11 occasions with six scores tied. The River Hawks were trailing by just two points on two instances in the final minute, but the home team could not overcome the deficit created by two late three-pointers from Vermont’s TJ Hurley.
 
“This was a challenging defeat in an excellent college basketball game between two of the premier teams in the conference,” remarked Head Coach Pat Duquette. “I didn’t think we performed at our best. We picked a rather unfortunate moment to do so against a very strong team that played incredibly well, exhibiting great physicality and toughness. I felt we struggled to score throughout the game, with limited open opportunities and lacking rhythm. Defensively, we did a commendable job against their three-point shooting, but regrettably Hurley managed to sink two late threes and that decided the outcome. It was a back-and-forth game; I was displeased with the result, but credit to Vermont.”
 
Somerville achieved 10-for-12 from the free-throw line, making him the only double-digit scorer for the River Hawks in the game. Fifth-year players Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.), along with senior Xzavier Lino (Phoenix, Ariz.) each contributed nine points during the contest.
 
Senior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) charged to the basket to initiate scoring in the game, while fifth-year Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) added an early three-pointer, despite the Catamounts establishing a six-point lead. However, Lino entered the game and ignited the River Hawk offense, hitting two threes during a 10-3 run that put the home team ahead, 17-16, with 8:30 left in the first half.
 
The teams fought through three rapid lead changes before Somerville netted six consecutive free throws to give his team a 25-21 lead at 4:14. Vermont managed to close the gap to two on two occasions in the dying minutes, but fifth-year Anthony Blunt (Glen Dale, Md.) scored on a fast-break layup, followed by free throws from Mincey to open a six-point advantage at 31-25 just before the end of the half. The visitors came back in the final seconds with free throws of their own, yet the River Hawks went into halftime ahead, 31-28.
 
Covington ignited the second half with a three-pointer, but a 12-2 run saw the Catamounts take a 40-36 lead with 15:09 still remaining. Brooks brought the River Hawks back in motion with an and-1 play, followed by Lino sinking another three to level the score. Moments later, Somerville equalized once again, this time at 44-44, but Vermont responded with the next six points to lead 50-44 at 12:12.
 
The River Hawks did not relent on their home court, firing back with a 7-0 run that was concluded by a basket from Brooks, allowing them to regain the lead for the final time, 51-50, midway through the period. Although UVM retaliated with 12 of the next 14 points, a critical dunk by Mincey followed by a clutch three from Somerville brought the score to 62-60 with 44 seconds on the clock. Vermont’s Hurley hit one last three-pointer on a tough shot with 16 seconds left, and even though Somerville made three free throws to narrow the gap to just two points again, the visitors managed to secure the 67-63 victory.
 
The River Hawks will be back at home on Saturday, January 11, to take on NJIT. The game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.