The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team secured its first America East conference win of the season on Saturday, defeating UAlbany 58–45 at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex. The victory brings the River Hawks to a 7–17 overall record and 1–10 in conference play, while UAlbany falls to 12–12 overall and 2–9 in league games.
“This was a full 40-minute team effort and just an unbelievable game for us, especially defensively holding Albany to 45 points,” said head coach Jon Plefka. “We stuck to the game plan, locked it down and got our first conference win. It was a true team win — everybody that stepped on the floor or supported from the bench played a part in it.”
UMass Lowell led from start to finish, allowing only six points by UAlbany in the opening quarter and never trailing during the contest. The River Hawks held their lead for more than 36 minutes and extended it to as much as 13 points in the fourth quarter.
Junior guard Maddie Rice led all scorers with 18 points on efficient shooting, also contributing five assists and six rebounds. Sophomore forward Nia Chima added nine points along with a team-high nine rebounds. Senior guard Jaini Edmonds contributed nine points and three assists. Additional perimeter scoring came from sophomore Tyanna Medina and senior Sabrina Larsson as UMass Lowell made seven three-pointers.
The River Hawks established an early advantage with a strong defensive showing and effective offense from Rice, ending the first quarter ahead 14–6. They maintained control through halftime with balanced scoring, leading 28–22 at the break.
After halftime, timely baskets by Rice and Edmonds helped UMass Lowell respond to a push from UAlbany, restoring their lead to nine by the end of the third quarter. A key three-pointer from Edmonds contributed to a 42–33 margin entering the final period.
In the fourth quarter, contributions included a three-pointer from Amina Kameric and solid rebounding by Chima that helped keep UAlbany behind as UMass Lowell closed out its win.
Defensively, UMass Lowell limited UAlbany to just over 31 percent shooting from the field and one successful three-point attempt out of thirteen tries. The River Hawks also forced sixteen turnovers during the game.
UMass Lowell will next face Bryant on Thursday, February 12 at 6 p.m.
