Freshman Katherine Smith goes for a layup against a Black Bear defender in Thursday night’s loss against the University of Maine. (Photo courtesy of UMass Lowell Athletics)
The UMass Lowell’s women’s basketball team found themselves trailing a dominant Maine squad (20-7, 11-1 AE) for the entire contest in a 73-46 loss Thursday night at Costello Athletic Center.
“Whenever we weren’t getting the ball inside we were turning it over, so of course we’re not going to win a game with as many turnovers as we had tonight,” said UMass Lowell Head Coach Jenerrie Harris. “We’ve just got to continue to get better in that way.”
The defeat did see notable individual performances from the River Hawks. Junior guard Nicole Hayner led the team with 15 points on 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, and sophomore forward Kayla Gibbs helped lead the offense and defense, earning 14 points and seven defensive rebounds.
The first quarter started out slowly for the River Hawks, while the Black Bears controlled the ball and went an 11-0 run to start the game. UMass Lowell was unable to get on the board until less than three minutes remained in the quarter when Gibbs came off the bench to earn six points for the River Hawks. UMass Lowell finished the quarter with 11 points compared to Maine’s 15.
The River Hawks began the second quarter with a three-pointer from junior guard Asia Mitchell-Owens. The high-scoring quarter saw a lot of defensive pressure from both sides, but UMass Lowell was unable to stop Maine’s offense. The Black Bears were able to exploit the River Hawks’ defense and earn 20 points in the quarter, taking a 35-24 lead into halftime.
UMass Lowell struggled offensively in the third quarter. The River Hawks saw nine turnovers and failed to convert several offensive opportunities when they had the ball in their end.
The Black Bears were able to earn five steals in the quarter and hold UMass Lowell to just 12 points. Maine extended their lead to 16 by the end of the quarter at 52-36.
The final quarter saw the largest lead of the game, with Maine leading UMass Lowell by 27 points in the final minutes. The River Hawks saw some offensive success from Hayner, who made her 100th career three-pointer in the final quarter, as well as from Gibbs, who earned two more rebounds to lead the team with nine in all during the quarter. UMass Lowell was outplayed, however, and scored 10 points to Maine’s 21 for a 73-46 finish.
The River Hawks travel to UMBC Sunday for a 1 p.m. tip-off against the Golden Retrievers.