(Photo courtesy of UML Athletics) “The game on March 8th was the conclusion to a shaky season.”
Jake Messer
Connector Editor
On March 8, the River Hawks season came to a merciful end in the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Maine Black Bears 72-64. In a season where the River Hawks were supposed to finally reach the mountaintop, they ended up tripping and falling right back to the bottom.
On paper, one could point to their notably poor defense this season as a culprit for the team’s lack of success. However, it is much deeper than just a weak defense. The truth is, the inability to close out victories in crunch time was their ultimate undoing this season.
In conference play this season, the River Hawks went 6-10. In those 10 losses, their average point differential was just 7 points, which included two overtime losses at home, a place in which they have only lost just three times over the previous two seasons.
“Disappointing and frustrating year for us to be perfectly honest,” said Head Coach Pat Duquette. “We felt like we should have been better, could have been better. We lost games every imaginable way and didn’t catch many breaks or have much luck, but we didn’t always put ourselves in position to be lucky, so that’s on us. It’s one of the few years that I think I can say that. Something was missing this year and I couldn’t get ahold of it.”
Enough has been said about the struggles the team went through this season, which is why it is best if fans look towards the future and see how the team can retool and improve for next season.
Except, they can’t retool. They have to start from the ground up. This year was their last shot with the current core.
Returning next season, from all the players who logged minutes for the team this season, is just freshman Armani Perkins, a guard who was only given 11 minutes of playtime this season. That is alarming for a program that is supposed to be building towards legitimacy in America East.
All the seniors, fifth years and graduates who played this season are done, they have all played their four years of collegiate basketball and have moved on for greener pastures in life.
The one underclassman that was really given an opportunity to make an impact this season was freshman Martin Somerville, who averaged 13.8 points per game, gave the River Hawks much needed depth and a spark off the bench in the early goings of the season. His excellent play this season gave him the America East Rookie of the Year award by a comfortable margin.
However, this bright spot has now vanished, as Somerville has publicly announced that he is entering the transfer portal, thus ending his time in Lowell.
“Thank you for embracing and supporting me since the moment I stepped on campus,” Somerville said on social media. “I am forever grateful for Coach Duquette, the staff, my teammates, administrative staff and everyone who had an impact on my growth as a person. I am thankful for the opportunity to play the game I love and create memories that will last forever. After much prayer and thought, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal. RiverHawk 4L”
This is a tough blow for the program, who must have been planning on his return next season to jumpstart the rebuild. Now, that plan is out the window and the staff must look at the alternatives options to try and start anew.
Even though this season was a disappointment to many, and the future is rather bleak, the seniors should be celebrated as collegiate legends in Lowell, as they have put the men’s basketball program on the map.
“The seniors, who had unbelievable careers, should be very proud,” Duquette said. “I’ll miss them, I’ll miss coaching them. They brought this program up to such a high level, that when we get 16-17 wins, we’re disappointed. I’m thankful to have coached them for as long as I did and I wish them luck in the future.”
A truly special time in River Hawks athletics has come to an end. Next season will indeed see an overhauled roster, full of new faces. It is now up to the coaching staff to mold the next era of River Hawks basketball into champions.
