Press Release

UMASS LOWELL BESTS PURPLE KNIGHTS IN BASKETBALL TWINBILL Purple Knights drop fifth straight as SMC women fall, 61-49; SMC men downed, 84-70 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                               FOR MORE INFORMATION January 22, 2005                                                                                Contact: Seth Cole                                                                                                          Phone: (802) 654-2537 COLCHESTER, Vt. – Saint Michael’s College saw its losing streaks reach five games as the University of Massachusetts Lowell swept the Purple Knights in Northeast-10 Conference basketball action on Saturday at the Ross Sports Center. In the opener, the UMass Lowell women rallied past Saint Michael’s, 61-49, and in the nightcap, the River Hawk men held off the Purple Knights, 84-70. In the women’s contest, UMass Lowell shot 56 percent from the field in the second half to pull past the Purple Knights. Junior Mariette Guillaume (Audubon, Pa.) led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points, while senior Enjoli Edwards (Philadelphia, Pa.) added 12 points and a game-high five assists. Sophomore Lindsay Woodfield (Brick, N.J.) chipped in 11 points and four steals for UMass Lowell (11-8, 8-6 NE-10), who is coached by Saint Michael’s Hall of Famer Kathy O’Neil ’81. For the Purple Knights, sophomores Dani and Jevy Rayner (Westminster, Vt./Bellows Falls Union) combined for 35 points and 20 rebounds, as Dani tallied 21 points and seven rebounds, while Jevy notched 14 points and a career-high tying 13 rebounds. The rest of the squad combined for just 14 points on 3-of-29 shooting from the field as Saint Michael’s (4-13, 1-12) connected on just 23 percent of its field goal attempts, including 1-of-11 from beyond the arc. Both teams were cold from the field in the first half, as the River Hawks shot just 26 percent from the field, and the Purple Knights 23 percent. UMass Lowell closed the period on a 20-9 run to take a 22-19 lead into intermission. In the second stanza, the lead changed hands six times in the opening three minutes, as Saint Michael’s took its final lead, 28-27, on a lay-up by Jevy Rayner with 17:14 to go. UMass Lowell scored the next nine points to take the lead for good, starting a 30-10 run over a 12-minute span that sealed the victory. In the men’s game, the River Hawks outrebounded Saint Michael’s, 37-25, and held off the Purple Knights in the second half to earn the win. Junior Stacey Moragne (Evanston, Ill.) led the way with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds, while senior James Whyte (Vancouver, B.C.) added 18 points. Junior Carl Benn (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) chipped in 13 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench for UMass Lowell (13-6, 9-5), winners of nine of its last 11 contests. Senior Eric Swiezynski (Wilmington, Mass./Wilmington) paced the Purple Knights with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists, and is just 24 points away from becoming the 36th player in program history to record 1,000 points. Freshman James Sorrentine (Pawtucket, R.I./Saint Raphael Academy) added 20 points and five assists, connecting on six 3-pointers, for Saint Michael’s (5-13, 2-11). The visitors dictated the tempo early, as UMass Lowell shot 54 percent in the first half and held a 19-11 rebounding edge in the opening period to take a 50-34 lead at intermission. Whyte tallied 14 first-half points for the River Hawks, which committed just four turnovers in the opening 20 minutes while forcing 11 Saint Michael’s miscues. The Purple Knights responded in the second half, as Saint Michael’s scored the first 11 points in the period, capped by a jumper from junior BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington), to pull within 50-45 with 17 minutes remaining. Robertson, however, committed two quick fouls in the next minute to foul out of the contest, and Saint Michael’s would get no closer than five for the remainder of the game. The River Hawks clinched the win by making 8-of-9 free throws in the final 2:16.    Both teams return to action on Tuesday, as UMass Lowell hosts Saint Anselm College, and Saint Michael’s visits Franklin Pierce College in a league doubleheader. The Purple Knights play their next home games on Thursday against NE-10 rival Southern New Hampshire University, with the women tipping off at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men at 7:30 p.m. Women's Box Score Men's Box Score  ###PURPLEKNIGHTS###

For more information please contact the SMC Sports Information Office at (802) 654-2537
Last Revised: October 25, 2002