BOSTON – Following the opening Saturday of conference road teams earned wins in three of four contests, including defending champion Bryant and preseason 1st place pick Vermont. Read about all four of Thursday’s matchups and then check back on Friday for highlights from every single contest.
UMass Lowell (6-10, 1-0) at Bryant (5-10, 1-0) – 6 PM
- The River Hawks opened conference play last Saturday with an impressive 83-71 win at home over UAlbany. Xavier Spencer led the team with 23 points, 6 rebounds, five assists and three steals while Angel Montas, Jr. had 18 points and 9 rebounds.
- Bryant took its conference opener as the defending champions outscored Maine 7-1 over the final three minutes to win 56-51. Freshmen Ashley Sims III and Ty Tabales each had 12 points as four players scored in double figures.
- Bryant has won the last two matchups in the series after losing the previous five contests. Last year the Bulldogs won by 17 at home and then by a single point on the road.
- The River Hawks are currently 2nd in the league in scoring (77.3), but rank last in scoring defense (79.9). Bryant, meanwhile, is 2nd in scoring defense (70.7), but 8th in scoring offense (64.1)
Maine (2-14, 0-1) at UMBC (7-6, 0-0) – 6 PM
- Maine dropped its conference opener, losing 56-51 to Bryant. Maine shot 31.6 percent from the floor and was led by 20 points from TJ Biel. The team was also 2-for-18 from three.
- UMBC is 7-6 this season and hosts Maine in its first #AEHoops contest. The Retrievers are 2-3 in their last five, though two of the losses were by four points or less. DJ Armstrong Jr. is averaging 13.0 points and 2.8 assists per game with a league-high 42 threes.
- Maine has won three straight games against UMBC and the teams are 4-4 in the last eight. Over the last three Black Bear wins, Maine held the Retrievers under 65 points in each contest.
- This year UMBC ranks third in the league in scoring (75.2), while Maine is last at 60.8. Conversely, the Black Bears are first in scoring defense (69.4), while the Retrievers rank 3rd (71.7).
Binghamton (4-12, 0-1) at Vermont (9-7, 1-0) – 7 PM
- Vermont opened #AEHoops action with an 80-61 win at New Hampshire on Saturday. The Catamounts shot an efficient 53 percent from the floor and were led by TJ Hurley’s 20 points while Gus Yalden added 18 and Sean Blake had 17.
- The Catamounts lead the league in scoring (77.6 ppg) and three of the league’s top scorers. Yalden paces the conference at 17.5 ppg while TJ Long is sixth at 14.4 ppg while Hurley is at 13.3 ppg.
- Binghamton dropped its league opener to NJIT, 73.65, on Saturday. Ryan Richardson’s 16 points paced the Bearcats. Demetrius Lilley leads the team in scoring and ranks fourth in the conference at 14.6 ppg and also is tops in the league in rebounding at 9.6 rpg.
- Vermont has dominated the series of late, winning 22 of the last 23 meetings, including 18 straight at home. However, Binghamton did snap a 22-game losing skid to the Catamounts with a 75-72 win last Jan. 30.
New Hampshire (4-10, 0-1) at NJIT (6-10, 1-0)
- NJIT got 38 points from its bench led by Sebastian Robinson's game-high 22 points in a 73-65 win over Binghamton in its league opener on Saturday. The Highlanders outscored the Bearcats by 11 in the second half.
- UNH dropped its league opener to Vermont on Saturday, 80-61. The Wildcats lead the league in turnover margin +0.21.
- Jack Graham paces UNH and ranks 12th in the league in scoring while NJIT's David Bolden is 14th overall at 11.8 per game, which leads all America East rookies.
- The all-time series has been even with UNH holding a slight 6-5 edge.
Saturday’s Games
- New Hampshire at UMBC - 2 PM
- UML at Binghamton - 2 PM
- Bryant at UAlbany - 2 PM
- Maine at NJIT - 2 PM
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