(Photo Courtesy of Sarah Mahannah) “Quinton Mincey shoots a basket.”

Sarah Mahannah
Connector Editor

The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team (18-7) faced off against the Binghamton University Bearcats (12-14) on Thursday night. They just scraped by with a score of 87-80. 

It was a historic night in the city of Lowell as the River Hawks hosted their Black History Month game which included a pregame ceremony with a plaque being unveiled in memory of Harry “Bucky” Basketball Lew.  

Lew was the first black professional basketball player and coach of an integrated collegiate team in 1902. The plaque was presented to his granddaughter Wendy Johnson and historian and UMass Lowell Alumni Chris Boucher, who wrote Lew’s biography, “The Original Bucky Lew”. It will be hung up in Costello Athletic Center.  

Senior Yuri Covington dominated the court as he led three, 20-point scorers with a game-high 22 points. He also clocked in four three-point field goals for the second game in a row, which combined with his teammates would total to a conference season-high nine.  

Seniors Max Brooks and Quinton Mincey each added 20 points. This is the first time since 2017 that UMass Lowell has had three 20-point scorers in a game. Brooks has a career-best 10-for-10 from the foul line, along with 10 rebounds, which would be his sixth double-double of the year. Mincey finished with four threes, and he shot 67% from long range. 

UMass Lowell utilized their free opportunities to inch above the Bearcats, and shot 90% (28-31) on free throws that evening. 

Brooks put the River Hawks on the board, but the Bearcats, being led by Tymu Chenery, were able to take an advantage in the earlier part of the first half. The River Hawks put on a strong fight, and sophomore Brayden O’Connor and Covington were able to build a 13-7 lead. 

 The River Hawks would go almost four minutes without a field goal, but sophomore Cam Morris III was able to find Covington open and drove towards the hoop. Mincey would add some points to the half with a pair of threes, making it a two-point game. Then Morris III and Hikim were able to even the board to 27-27 as the clock hit 5:44.  

Morris III and Covington would continue this by forcing stalemates, with another at 34:34. By the end of the half, the River Hawks were ahead of the Bearcats by two, going into halftime with a score of 38-36.   

 Brooks spent no time scoring points going into the second. The Bearcats were able to trail right behind UMass Lowell by two, four different times.  

Mincey was able to create a 16-4 run by scoring four in a row, which would include five points from Covington. The River Hawks were able to gain a double-digit lead with 11:20 left on the clock with a score of 62-48. 

 The Bearcats used the last minutes of the game to their advantage and would bring their score up to 80 by the end of the half. The River Hawks were able to sustain their lead and kept ahead of Binghamton at the end with 87 points. 

The River Hawks hope to finish their season strong as they have four games left of the regular season before the America East Quarterfinals which will take place on March 9 with a location that is to be decided.