Score: UAlbany 69, UMass Lowell 73
 
Location: Broadview Center | Albany, N.Y.
 
Records: UAlbany (8-8, 0-1 America East), UMass Lowell (12-4, 1-0 America East)
 
Short Story: The University at Albany men's basketball program hosted UMass Lowell, the top team in the America East entering conference play, and following a close battle came up short against the River Hawks 73-69.
 
Coach Dwayne Killings: "All credit to UMass Lowell, arguably one of the best teams in the league. I thought we competed, we dominated them on the glass, 45-32. They're arguably one of the better mid-major programs in the country in terms of ability to rebound. We killed them in the paint 54-38, our bench outscored them, 23-14, and we took care of the ball better than them. Five turnovers to their seven. I thought our guys played well, except for some spurts in the second half, they took advantage of it. We went 2-18 from three, which I think we shot better than that. But you know, in league play, it comes down to one or two possession games, and they [UML] answer on one or two possessions, and we did not, and a tough loss for us, hard lesson. But I think the message to the team was we could win this league, that was the goal to make a statement. Obviously, we wanted to win the game today, but if that's the best team in the league, we can beat them any day of the week, and we're going to get this thing [America East Championship]"

Key Stats:

• Four Great Danes found themselves with double-digit points in Byron Joshua (18), Justin Neely (15), DeMarr Langford Jr. (13), and Amar'e Marshall (11).
• Neely recorded a double-double with 13 rebounds to go with his 15 points.
• Both Marshall and Joshua tallied three assists.
• Marshall led the Great Danes with two steals and 37 minutes of play.
• UAlbany shot 30-74 (40.5%) from the field,  2-18 (11.1%) from the three, and 7-14 (50.0%) from the free throw line; UMass Lowell Shot 27-56 (48.2%) from the field, 4-22 (18.2 %) from the three, and 15-17 (88.2%) from the free throw line.

 
How it Happened:

• UMass Lowell scored the game's opening basket from a midrange jumper by Quincy Clark and went on a 6-0 run to start the game.
• DeMarr Langford Jr. would score the Great Danes first point off a free throw to make it 6-1 three minutes into the game.
• An 8-2 run by UAlbany would put the Great Danes ahead 9-8, thanks to six points from Amar'e Marshall with 14:20 to play in the first.
• Before a media timeout, the River Hawks would outscore UAlbany 6-2 to regain their lead, 14-11 with 12:47 to go.
• Trailing 15-13 with 11:05 before the half, UAlbany would regain the lead at the 7:39 mark, 21-20, thanks to four points from Justin Neely.
• A 7-4 run by UMass Lowell would see the River Hawks regain the lead 27-25 with just under five to go in the half.
• The final three minutes of the half saw the Great Danes outscore UMass 8-2 thanks to six points from Langford Jr., taking a 37-33 lead for the Purple and Gold entering the half.
• UML started the half by scoring eight points, thanks to two threes, to the Great Danes six points as UAlbany maintained the 43-31 lead at 16:02.
• The River Hawks would go on an 8-0 run over the next two minutes before a UAlbany timeout, leading 49-43.
• The Great Danes would come back within one at 11:50, 51-50 before the River Hawks scored three straight baskets to go ahead 57-50 at 9:46.
• The Purple and Gold would go on a 10-5 run, bringing its deficit to two, 62-60, with the help of seven points from Byron Joshua and a three from Zach Matulu.
• The Great Danes would regain the lead 64-62 with 4:26 to play.
• Both teams would trade threes in a back-and-forth contest, eventually leading to a 69-69 game at the 2:29 mark.
• With 0:29 to play, the River Hawks would gain the lead 71-69 off a layup.
• Following two UML successful free throws with 0:02 to play in the game, the River Hawks would take away the 73-69 victory.

 
UP NEXT: UAlbany's men's basketball is back in action for its first road contest of conference play when they take on New Hampshire on Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 p.m. in  Durham, N.H.
 
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