UMass Lowell Shoots Past Franklin Pierce, 66-49
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River Hawks shoot 52-percent in building 16-point halftime lead en route to win
RINDGE, N.H. (January 24, 2009) - The University of Massachusetts Lowell built a 16-point halftime lead and never looked back in posting a 66-49 victory over Franklin Pierce University in Northeast-10 Conference men's basketball action at Costello Athletic Center this afternoon.
Junior Victor Colon (Chicago, Ill./Niles West) scored 19 of his game-high 20 points in the first half for UMass Lowell, as he finished shooting 7-for-16 from the field, including 3-for-8 from three-point range, to go with a game-best 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists. Junior Craig Heatherly (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka) added 11 points, six rebounds three assists and two steals, while classmate Kevin Carr (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) posted nine points, six assists and five steals. Freshman Kyle Caiola (Parma, Ohio/Normandy) chipped in nine points as well.
Junior Marcus Wellman (Monroe, Conn./Hamden Hall) was the lone Franklin Pierce player in double-figures with ten points to go with six rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes off the bench. Sophomore Kinard Dozier (Dedham, Mass./The Winchendon School) added nine points, four rebounds and three assists, while junior Jack Barrett (Reading, Mass./Andover) chipped in nine points, four assists and three rebounds.
UMass Lowell, which notched its 12th-straight victory, finished shooting 45.1-percent (23-for-51) from the field after hitting 51.6% (16-31) in the first half. Franklin Pierce was held to 36.4-percent (16-for-44) shooting from the field, including 25% (6-24) from three-point range. The Ravens shot just 33.3% (7-21) in the first half, including 1-for-10 (10%) from beyond the arc. The River Hawks rolled to a 28-6 advantage in points off turnovers as the Ravens committed 22 miscues to 11 for the hosts.
UMass Lowell led 8-2 4:15 into the contest with six points coming from junior Ali Kanaan (Montreal, Quebec/Georges-Vanier). Junior Terrell Ray (Brooklyn, N.Y./Fort Hamilton) scored a bucket to pull Franklin Pierce within four with 14:48 left in the first half, but the River Hawks reeled off a 13-5 run over the next five minutes to push their lead to double-digits (21-8) after Colon converted two free-throws with 9:13 left in the half. A 12-3 run late in the first half pushed the UMass Lowell advantage to 22 points (38-16) after a Colon three-pointer.
Franklin Pierce scored the last six points of the first half, capped by a Dozier three-pointer, and Barrett opened the second half with a three to draw the Ravens within 13 (38-25) a minute into the second half. A Dozier jumper had Franklin Pierce down 13 (42-29) with 16:44 to play, but UMass Lowell posted a 16-6 run over the next nine minutes to open a game-high 23 point cushion (58-35) with 7:26 left that sealed the victory.
Franklin Pierce (9-8, 6-6 NE-10) is right back in action on Monday when it continues its four-game road trip at two-time defending regional champions Bentley University at 7:30 p.m. The Ravens next home game is Wednesday, February 4, when they host No. 13 Stonehill College at 7:30 p.m. UMass Lowell (16-3, 11-3 NE-10) hosts Southern New Hampshire University next Saturday at 4 p.m.