Press Release

INBAR, JONES LEAD UMASS LOWELL TO COMEBACK VICTORY
 14th-ranked River Hawks rally from 12-point deficit to spurn SMC upset bid

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                      FOR MORE INFORMATION
January 3, 2004                                                                         Contact: Seth Cole
                                                                                               Phone: (802) 654-2537

 

                                                                                           

COLCHESTER, Vt. – Seniors Elad Inbar (Kiryat Haim, Israel) and Dana Jones (Bronx, N.Y.) each tallied a game-high 21 points as 14th-ranked University of Massachusetts Lowell rallied for a 77-74 victory versus Saint Michael’s College in Northeast-10 Conference men’s basketball action on Saturday at the Ross Sports Center.

Inbar added a game-best 14 rebounds, while sophomore Stacey Moragne (Evanston, Ill.) also recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds for the River Hawks. Junior James Whyte (Vancouver, B.C.) chipped in 10 points as UMass Lowell (9-2, 4-2 NE-10) won its fourth straight contest.

Five Purple Knights placed in double figures. Senior co-captains Delbert Randall (Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall) and Ben Smith (Southport Island, Maine/Boothbay Region) each scored 14 points, with Smith grabbing a team-high eight rebounds and Randall seven. Freshman Ryan Maloney (Chicopee, Mass./Chicopee) notched a career-high 13 points, connecting on five-of-six field goals. Sophomores Chase Graves (West Chester, Pa./Storm King) and BJ Robertson (Burlington, Vt./Burlington) added 10 points apiece for Saint Michael’s (4-7, 1-6).

UMass Lowell dominated play in the opening nine minutes, racing out to a 25-7 lead. The Purple Knights then locked down defensively, and closed the opening period with an improbable 33-8 run to take a 40-33 lead at intermission. Maloney made a trio of three-pointers during the stretch, as Saint Michael’s connected for six trifectas in the first 20 minutes.

The hosts stretched their lead to 47-35 early in the second half before the River Hawks slowly chipped away at the lead. A Moragne three-pointer tied the game at 60-all with 7:07 remaining, the first of four ties in the closing minutes. A pair of free throws by Robertson with two minutes left gave Saint Michael’s its final lead at 70-68, but a 7-0 UMass Lowell run and four free throws by Inbar in the final 17 seconds clinched the River Hawks’ win.

UMass Lowell returns to action on Tuesday with a league contest at Le Moyne College. Saint Michael’s visits conference-rival Franklin Pierce College on Tuesday before hosting NE-10 foe Bentley College on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.    

 

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