Sophomore guard Rinardo Perry drives to the basket. (Courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics).

Kelly Skelton
Connector Editor

The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team fell to the Hartford Hawks 77-70 Saturday night, despite the River Hawks lead at halftime.

A mixture of offensive woes and foul trouble plagued the visiting Hawks early as UMass Lowell looked to pull away. A scoring eruption led by senior guards Matt Harris and Jahad Thomas opened up a 32-6 River Hawks lead in the first half. UMass Lowell would enter into halftime with the score narrowing to 42-32.

Hartford proved resilient as they battled back and disrupted the River Hawks’ success. The Hawks stole the lead 52-51 just after the break as the Tsongas Center fell silent.

Never to disappoint, junior guard Ryan Jones helped the River Hawks stay in the contest with back-to-back 3-point plays. He would finish the night with 13 points and six assists.

The battle got tense late in the game as Harris completed a layup and a foul shot to tie the game 70-70. Despite the valiant effort, Hartford would prevail 77-70.

Thomas scored a team-high 20 points for the River Hawks with numerous crafty drives toward the basket. Harris likewise helped the team by adding 15 points.

For Hartford, a well-balanced attack was brought forth by junior guards Jason Dunne and J.R. Lynch, as well as senior forward Jack Hobbs as they amounted for a combined 55 points.

The crowd continued to support UMass Lowell until the end as one fan shouted “We still love you” while the final buzzer sounded.

The River Hawks return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 31 as they play at the University of Maine.