UMass Lowell: 'River Hawks Bring Northeast-10 Championship Home with 73-58 Victory over Adelphi'

(Photo By Bob Blanchard)

Information Provided By UMass Lowell Sports Information


Lifted by Scotty Tavares-Taylor (Roxbury, MA) and Kyle Caiola's (Parma, OH) second half performances, the UMass Lowell River Hawks defeated the Adelphi Panthers 73-58 to capture the 2010 Northeast-10 Championship at Costello Athletic Center on Saturday afternoon. The #7 River Hawks downed the #9 Panthers for the program's third conference title in its 10 years as part of the NE-10.

Tavares-Taylor led all scorers with 19 points, tallying 11 in the second half, notching eight of the River Hawks' 11 points during an 11-3 UMass Lowell run in the second. The freshman finished the game 8-15 from the floor with three steals, as well.

"I told Scotty after the game that I was glad he was a freshman," head coach Greg Herenda said. "I think his inexperience helped him because I still don't think he realizes exactly what he did in this situation. He took over the game and helped send his team to the NCAA Tournament."

The River Hawks struggled offensively in the first half, shooting 23.1% from the floor and sinking just six field goals. Their 12-16 free throw shooting helped keep them neck and neck with the Panthers, though, entering the break down by one (29-28). Adelphi shot 44.4% (12-27) in the first half, while the teams were even with 19 rebounds apiece.

In the second, the River Hawks outscored Adelphi 45-29, shooting 60.9% (14-23) from the floor and sinking all but one of their 14 free throw attempts. They held Adelphi to just 26.7% shooting and outscored the Panthers 14-6 in the paint in the second. Despite committing 16 turnovers to Adelphi's 12, UMass Lowell scored 12 points off the Panthers' miscues and held them to just eight off their own mistakes.

Despite building a seven-point lead with 12:04 remaining (47-40), Adelphi would not back down, going on a 10-2 run over the next four minutes to recapture the 50-49 lead with just under eight minutes in regulation with a Casey Cosgrove three-pointer. UMass Lowell answered back, finishing the game on a 23-9 run. Tournament MVP Caiola sank six consecutive free throws and tallied 11 of the River Hawks' 13 points.

"I think Kyle has really carried this team for most of the season and in my mind was a First Team All-Conference selection," Herenda said. "But I told him today that it doesn't matter if he was First Team or Second Team because tonight, he's on the championship team."

Caiola finished the game with 18 points, six rebounds a pair of blocks and two steals, going a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates Ali Kanaan (Montreal, Que.) and Tavares-Taylor. Adelphi's Richard Byrd and Merrimack's Darren Duncan were also named to the squad.

Kanaan grabbed seven rebounds in the game, tallying nine points including seven free throws, while fellow center Kingsley Onyechi (Lowell, MA) came in off the bench to match Kanaan's seven boards and score eight points, as well. Onyechi went 3-5 from the floor and had a block, as well.

"Kingsley has backed up Ali all year and waited for his chance to shine," Herenda said. "I was very proud of his effort and the things he did for us in the second half today."

The River Hawks outrebounded Adelphi 40-30 in the game, including a 21-11 mark in the second half. They sank 25 of 30 free throw opportunities and drained eight threes in the game. The UMass Lowell bench outscored Adelphi's reserves 20-14, led by Onyechi's eight.

"That was a very, very hard-working, good basketball team we beat in Adelphi and I'm not just saying that to be politically correct," Herenda said. "In the second half, our offense started rolling and that made things easier on the defensive end."

Freshman Matt Welch (Lowell, MA), another local product, tallied six points and also had seven boards, including three on the offensive glass. Junior captain Max Kerman (Watertown, MA) was not far behind with six rebounds, seven points and a team-best two assists in the victory.

Sophomore Robbie Walton (Boston, MA) had five rebounds, starting some big plays for the River Hawks down the stretch. Senior Kevin Carr (Lancaster, OH) had six points and an assist in the game.

"It's hard to talk about individuals in a game like this, which was such a team effort," Herenda said. "Now, we're going dancing."

Adelphi's Rob Johnson led the way for the Panthers with 13 points, while three of his teammates also scored in double-figures. David Akinyooye came off the bench to grab a team-best nine rebounds, nearly tallying a double-double with 10 points, as well.

With the victory, UMass Lowell earns an automatic bid to the 2010 NCAA Tournament and will find out their seed, opponent and bracket information tomorrow night. Check back to www.GoRiverHawks.com for all the information regarding UMass Lowell's trip to the NCAA Tournament.

The contest marked the fourth time the River Hawks have made it to the NE-10 title game during their 10 years in the conference. They are now 3-1 in the championship game and have earned their eighth trip in school history to the NCAA Tournament and second trip in as many years.