Lowell, Mass. — The UMass Lowell River Hawks extended their home winning streak to 19 in a 117-69 routing of Fisher College at the Costello Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Fisher would take advantage of the River Hawks early when Christian Finney made a layup to put the Falcons up 2-0… that would be their only lead of the night.
Starting with a 25-foot three-pointer from senior guard Yuri Covinton, Lowell would put together a 10-point run that would take them to the first timeout of the game just past the four-minute mark of the first half.
By the halfway point of the first, Lowell held a 27-9 lead and looked totally relaxed. During one possession, Max Brooks and Yuri Covington were seemingly cracking jokes as they brought the ball up the court.
Fisher added a second digit to their score with 7:53 remaining in the first frame. Ayinde Hikim would achieve the same milestone himself minutes later, knocking down two free throws to make the score 45-17. At halftime, the score stood 51-23 in favor of UMass Lowell.
Lowell would open the second half with a 13-0 run as Ayinde Hikim and Brayden O’Connor combined for back-to-back-to-back threes to extend the lead to 40.
With 7:33 to go, Lowell would surpass the century mark for the first time this season. Their final point tally of 117 set a new team scoring record since the River Hawks transitioned to Division I in 2013.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
“More than anything else, I think it is great to be home,” said UMass Lowell head coach Pat Duquette. “It feels like forever since we’ve been here.”
This was the River Hawks’ first home game since November 6. In that time they went on a six-game road trip that included stops at Georgia Tech (W, 74-71) and Arizona State (L, 69-71).
“[The road trip] was good for us,” said senior guard Ayinde Hikim. “Playing two power five schools, we definitely grew a lot playing in those hostile environments.”
Hikim led the way for the River Hawks, scoring 20 points and dishing out eight assists.
“I think the road trip helped us figure out what kind of team we’re going to be when adversity hits,” said Covington. “On the road, there’s a lot more adversity. Whether it’s being away from home or playing in front of a different crowd, all of that helps you grow.
“We’re still a work in progress,” said Duquette. “There’s still room to get better. We’re going to keep getting better, we’re not as good as we can be.”
The River Hawks head back on the road to face in-state rival Massachusetts with Kennedy Cup points on the line this Saturday.
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