SECOND HALF SURGE LIFTS NO. 20
UMASS LOWELL OVER PACE, 87-79
LOWELL, MA (Jan. 16, 2006) – Senior G Brandon Arnette (Lake
Park, FL) scored 17 of his team-high 19 points in the second half
as No. 20 UMass Lowell defeated Pace University, 87-79, Monday
night in a Northeast-10 Conference men’s basketball clash at
Costello Gymnasium.
With the victory, UML improved to 13-4 overall and 9-3 in the NE-10
while the Setters slipped to 8-8 overall and 5-6 in the Conference.
UML visits Southern Connecticut while Pace hosts Franklin Pierce
Thursday at 7:30.
The River Hawks shot .607 in the second half (17 for 28) and .508
for the game 30 for 59) while the Setters struggled to a .364
second half clip (12 for 33) and .403 overall (25 for 62).
Arnette converted 8 of 9 free throws, including six in the final 21
seconds. The River Hawks received a huge lift off the bench from
junior G Kenny Webster (Richmond, VA), who scored a career-high 18
points on 5 of 7 field goal shooting and 6 of 8 free throw
shooting.
Senior F Stacey Moragne (Evanston, IL) posted 15 points and seven
rebounds while shooting 6 for 12 from the floor while senior G Carl
Benn (Far Rockaway, NY) added 11 points, five rebounds and four
assists before drawing his fifth foul with 4:13 left to play.
Junior G Stace Garrick (West Warwick, RI) chipped in 10 points, hitting 4 of 5 field goals, while freshman G Brandon Shelton (Cambridge, MA) also added spark off the bench with four points, six rebounds and three assists in 15 minutes.
The win spoiled a career-high 29 points for Pace senior G Neal Wellington (Wheaton, MD), who became the 29th player in school history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. The milestone came when he hit a 3-point shot to give the setters a 16-9 edge with 12:04 left in the first half.
The Setters led at the half, 38-37, and opened the second stanza with a 21-7 outburst – led by 15 points from Wellington – to grab a 59-44 cushion with 13:16 left to play.
UML regrouped, however, and countered with a 21-4 run to grab a 65-62 edge with 9:12 remaining. Arnette scored 10 of his points in the run while Webster and Benn each had four points.
The River Hawks led 76-73 with 3:44 to
play when Moragne converted a conventional 3-point play to give UML
a 79-73 cushion with 2:51 left. After a jumper by sophomore G
Maurice Douglas (Waldorf, MD), Shelton buried a jumper and Arnette
converted two free throws with 21 seconds left to give UML an 83-75
lead.
Press release courtesy of University of Massachusetts Lowell Sports
Information