WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — The Hartford men's basketball team was unable to recover from a double-digit deficit in the second half, as it dropped a 74-67 decision to UMass Lowell inside Reich Family Pavilion on Saturday afternoon. Obadiah Noel scored a game-high 25 points for the River Hawks (11-16), who improve to 5-7 in the America East with their second straight win.
Hartford (14-13), which falls to 7-5 in league games, was led by 23 points and seven rebounds from graduate transfer
Malik Ellison.
PHOTO GALLERY
UMASS LOWELL 74, HARTFORD 67
The opening half saw seven lead changes, and a half-ending 7-1 run from the River Hawks sending the visiting squad into the break with a 31-26 lead. Hartford would push ahead on an 8-0 spurt to open the half, but was unable to buckle down defensively.
Despite
D.J. Mitchell's three midway through the half cutting a 49-42 deficit down to four, the River Hawks pushed their lead into double figures for the first time with 8:23 left on an 8-2 spurt. Chipping away at their deficit, Ellison contributed five points to a 7-1 spurt that pulled the Hawks within two inside the final two minutes, but UMass Lowell used the free-throw line to preserve its lead.
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES
- Hartford shot 54 percent (27-of-50) from the field in the defeat, including 58.6 percent (17-of-29) in the second half
- Grad student had a career-high eight assists
- The Hawks shot just 7-for-15 (46.7%) from the free-throw line, while the River Hawks cashed in with a 13-for-16 effort (81.3%)
- Connor Withers also had a 20-point effort for UMass Lowell (20 points)
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks hit the road for their next three games, beginning with a rare Thursday night America East tilt at New Hampshire. Tipoff from Lundholm Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m.
For more information on the Hartford men's basketball team, stay with HartfordHawks.com for updates and follow the team on social media (
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Instagram).
