“This game was a real gut check for us,” said Head Coach Greg Herenda. “We were decimated with injuries and foul trouble, but it was all about team tonight. All about stepping up.”
In the first half, the River Hawks owned the 31-27 advantage, led by Honore who notched 11 points off the bench in the first stanza. The forward matched his stats in the second, finishing the night with 22 points, going a perfect 10-10 from the floor.
The Penmen pulled ahead with 13 minutes remaining in the contest, 42-41, but Romeo Diaz (Methuen, Mass.) answered back with a three-pointer seconds later, putting his team back on top. Freshman guard Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass.) followed up with a short jumper, giving UMass Lowell the 46-42 lead.
Although the Penmen tried to chip away, Honore came back to convert a three-point play with just under 11 minutes remaining in the game, giving UMass Lowell a five-point lead.
The score remained knotted for over three minutes until freshman Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla.) made a layup to bring the River Hawks up by seven and Honore followed up with a dunk to give his team a nine-point advantage (53-44) with just over seven minutes remaining.
Despite SNHU retaliating with a three-pointer, junior Robbie Walton (South Boston, Mass.) fought through a crowd for a layup to bring it back to an eight-point advantage (55-47) with six left in regulation.
Williams hit a fade-away jumper with two minutes remaining to keep UMass Lowell’s lead at six (58-52), but the Penmen answered with a three-pointer to bring the game within three points with 1:43 on the clock.
With less than 30 seconds remaining, SNHU’s Greg DeSantis hit a three to close the gap and make it a two-point game (60-58). The Penmen missed a long-range shot at the buzzer that would have given them the victory and the River Hawks held on for the 60-58 final score.
The River Hawks shot 48.1% from the floor in the second and outscored their opponent 32-20 in the paint. They forced 25 SNHU turnovers, compared to just 13 of their own, and capitalized on that by outscoring SNHU 24-11 off turnovers.
“Our defense and intensity were definitely the difference for us tonight,” said Herenda.
Honore finished the night with 22 points, four rebounds and two blocks, while Walton also scored in double figures, going 4-9 from the floor for 10 points. He also dished three assists and grabbed five steals in the game.
“I always tell the team that when a door closes, a window opens, and that opportunity was huge for some of our guys tonight,” Herenda said. “Heman was immense for us offensively.”
Freshman Kerry Weldon (New York, N.Y.) led the River Hawks with eight rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Classmate Williams also scored 10 points in the game, dishing a team-best four assists and grabbing a pair of steals.
DeSantis led the Penmen with 16 points, while Cory Vejraska enjoyed a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards in the loss.
The victory marks just the fourth time that UMass Lowell has opened its season 4-0 in the last 35 years and second time in as many years.
Next up, the River Hawks will host Bentley on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. at home in Costello Gymnasium.
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