River Hawks Suffer Defeat Against Bryant in Saturday Showdown, 85-62

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Fifth-year Max Brooks (Waldorf, Md.) recorded 12 points and eight rebounds, as the UMass Lowell River Hawks (13-6, 2-2 AE) lost to the Bryant Bulldogs (10-9, 4-0 AE) on Saturday afternoon, 85-62.

Brooks was among four River Hawks who achieved double-digit points. Fifth-year Yuri Covington (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.) also contributed 12, while freshman Martin Somerville (Bowie, Md.) added 11 points and three steals. Completing the lineup, fifth-year Quinton Mincey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) contributed 10 points along with a team-high 13 rebounds.

The match commenced as a defensive contest, with Bryant netting the only basket for over three minutes. Although the Bulldogs added six more points to stretch the lead to eight, senior Cam Morris III (Alexander City, Ala.) converted two free throws, and Somerville answered a Bryant basket with a three-pointer to narrow it to a two-score game, 10-5, with 13:27 remaining. The home team then responded with a three-pointer of their own, and despite Somerville’s layup trimming the deficit, the Bulldogs surged with an 11-0 run, establishing a 24-7 advantage midway through the first half.

Despite the early setback, the River Hawks persevered, as Mincey found senior Xzavier Lino (Phoenix, Ariz.) wide open beyond the arc to halt the opponent’s run. Both teams continued to exchange points, with the River Hawks holding a narrow lead, 8-7, thanks to four points from both Brooks and fifth-year Anthony Blunt (Glen Dale, Md.). With just over five minutes left in the half, the Bulldogs aimed to increase their lead, executing a 5-0 run to reach 36-18, but UMass Lowell answered with a five-point surge including a trey from Covington and a turnaround jumper from Somerville. Nevertheless, in the final minutes of the period, the Bulldogs launched a 9-5 run to claim a 45-28 lead at halftime.

Even though Bryant scored the first basket of the second half, the visitors sprang into action, going on a 7-1 run, featuring four points from Mincey and a three-pointer from senior Quincy Clark (Columbus, Ohio), cutting the gap to 48-35. Shortly after, the Bulldogs executed an 8-0 run to extend their margin, and although UMass Lowell managed to respond with an 8-3 run, the home team retaliated with 12 of the next 13 points to elevate the score to 71-44 with just over 11 minutes to go.

In an effort to claw their way back into the matchup, the River Hawks continued to fight in the closing minutes, but were unable to erase the deficit, resulting in a final score of 85-62.

Next, the River Hawks are set to return home to face the Maine Black Bears on Thursday, January 23. The game is scheduled to commence at 6 p.m. at Costello Athletic Center.