Sophomore guard Ryan Jones makes a move around a NJIT defender. (Matt Dwyer/Connector)

Hannah Manning
Connector Editor

The River Hawks clawed back from a fifteen-point deficit after the first half, coming within seven points of NJIT only four minutes into the second half.

They came within one point six minutes in. Scoring was back and forth, and the two teams were neck and neck. With 3:23 on the clock, UMass Lowell tied the score with a free throw made by junior guard Matt Harris. With 2:58 on the clock, the River Hawks took a lead and the air in the Tsongas Center was charged with anticipation and hope.

But in the waning minutes of the second half, the River Hawks slipped up and committed fouls, allowing NJIT to climb back up and force a tie with under a minute remaining. The Highlanders then regained their lead on a free throw shot, and the game ended with a 75-74 win for NJIT.

The score was tied at four points in the game, and the lead changed five times.

With the loss, the River Hawks now trail 4-3 in their all-time series against NJIT, and are 2-7 in their overall record this season. They are currently on a three game losing streak.

“I’m disappointed with the outcome, a little more disappointed with our effort in the first half. It was very uncharacteristic of us, the way we came out and played, but I’m very proud of the way we played in the second half. That’s definitely the UMass Lowell team that I know and I love working with every day,” said head coach Pat Duquette.

The River Hawks had a strong start in the first half, but NJIT was able to come back and assert themselves thanks to their quick hands. The Highlanders often broke up the River Hawks’ momentum by intercepting passes.

UMass Lowell allowed two breakaways in the first half. In the first attempt, redshirt sophomore Dontavious Smith swatted the ball away from the Highlander player in the last second. The next attempt would be a successful one, a layup that redshirt junior Jahad Thomas could not quite get his hands on.

However, the River Hawks displayed a strong defensive game in the first half, which would improve in the second half. Their pressure often forced the Highlanders to pass the ball around and fight to get to the basket. The River Hawks ran out NJIT’s clock twice in the first half, and once in the second.

The River Hawks were proactive in blocking NJIT shot attempts, and then charging down the court to score. In a particular play early in the second half, senior forward Tyler Livingston blocked a shot, and then came back down the court to later shoot a three-pointer.

UMass Lowell became much less shy in making three point attempts in the second half, with sophomore guards Ryan Jones and Isaac White shooting back-to-back threes. The River Hawks went five for eight three-point field goal attempts in the second half, and had a 40 percent success rate overall.

Reassessing plays on the fly was also a strong component of their second half comeback. Matt Harris went down on a breakaway that fell apart, but got sophomore guard/forward Logan Primerano the ball. Primerano shot from under the net and drew a chance at a three-point play.

Free throws were huge in this particular game, with the very outcome of the game dependent on one. UMass Lowell has an 83.3 percent success rate in free throws, going 11 for 11 in the second half alone.

Harris was perfect on the free throw, going five for five. He finished the night with 17 points, the most of any other River Hawk.

Jones finished with 16 points, and went four for five on the line for UMass Lowell. He earned Star of the Game honors for his play.

“Typically, we’re a good free throw-shooting team. We have to be. We’ve got other deficiencies, but as a team I think we’re shooting almost 80 percent for the season. So that’s an area of strength for us,” said coach Duquette.

But Duquette also noted that the River Hawks could not coast on their free throw prowess.

“We’ve got to focus on the things we can control, and the way that we came out in the first half, that’s got to be our focus, because we need to make sure that doesn’t happen again,” said coach Duquette.

The River Hawks will head to Connecticut on Tuesday, Dec. 6 for a contest against Sacred Heart. The next time they play in Lowell will be Sunday, Dec. 18 at the Costello Athletic Center, for a matchup against Central Connecticut State at 1 p.m.