BANGOR, Maine – Senior Abdoul Karim Coulibaly (Bamako, Mali) netted 16 points as the UMass Lowell men’s basketball team fell to the Maine Black Bears, 75-70, during America East action Wednesday night.
“We ran into a good and tough Maine team tonight who played well,” said UML head coach Pat Duquette. “We lacked some mental toughness tonight and need to be a lot more consistent in order to win on the road.”
Alongside leading the team in points, Coulibaly also collected a game-high eight rebounds for the River Hawks (17-5, 5-3 AE). Graduate student Everette Hammond (Silver Spring, Md.) added 14 points and led the squad with two steals. Rounding out double-digit scorers was graduate student Allin Blunt (Crownsville, Md.), who chipped in 10 points.
Coulibaly dominated in the paint early, scoring seven of the River Hawks’ first 10 points, giving the visitors an early three-point lead. However, the Black Bears (8-12, 2-5 AE) quickly erased the deficit, going on a 10-2 run to jump in front by five. Hammond broke up the hosts’ scoring run with a three, but Maine followed with a 13-4 run to take a 30-19 lead, its largest of the night.
With just over five minutes remaining in the half, freshman Brayden O’Connor (Ottawa, Ontario) drilled a triple and three free throws to pull the River Hawks within five. Although Maine fired back with a three of their own to hold an eight-point buffer, the River Hawks closed the half with an 8-4 run, capped off by another Hammond trey, to cut the Black Bears lead in half.
UML women fall
LOWELL – The UMass Lowell women’s basketball team (2-16, 1-7 AE) fell 61-50 to the Maine Black Bears in front of a lively crowd on Wednesday afternoon at the Tsongas Center.
Graduate student Mili Carrera (Lima, Peru) led the River Hawks (2-16, 1-7 AE) with 16 points and added five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Sophomore Ivory Finley (Minneapolis, Minn.) scored 12 points and tallied two rebounds and one block. Fellow sophomore Amaya Dowdy (Woonsocket, R.I.) led all players with three blocks while scoring seven points and grabbing four rebounds.
“We love having the kids come in for games. They’re always loud and excited and it’s one of our favorite days of the year,” said UML head coach Denise King. “On the court, though, it was not our best day. If you’re not ready to go from the start, you’re not going to win in this league. Every game is important and that’s how everyone is playing, and we need to be ready to play.”
The Tsongas Center was jumping as local schools filled the arena on Field Trip Day. Both teams came out with plenty of energy to start the game. After going scoreless for over two and half minutes, Maine went on an 8-0 run to open a 17-8 lead at the end of the quarter. The River Hawks struggled to take care of the ball in the opening frame, turning the ball over eight times.
Siow soars
KEENE, N.H. – Lowell native Nate Siow is a major reason the sixth-ranked Keene State men’s basketball team is off to an 18-1 start.
The Owls defeated Plymouth State on the road Wednesday night, 80-63, in a Little East Conference battle before 398 fans at Foley Gymnasium.
Siow, a 5-foot-8 junior point guard, leads Keene State in assists (69) and steals (41). He scored 11 points Wednesday, the sixth time he’s reached double figures this season. Siow averages 6.8 points per game for the Owls.
Bramanti chosen
EASTON – Stonehill College fifth-year guard Emily Bramanti (Chelmsford/Westford Academy) has been named as a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s 20th “So You Want To Be A Coach” class, the organization has announced.
Bramanti is the first student-athlete in Stonehill program history selected to participate in the program and the lone Northeast Conference representative among the 62 selections across all levels of women’s college basketball. The “So You Want To Be A Coach” program, in partnership with WeCOACH, will be held over two days during the 2023 WBCA Convention in Dallas, Texas, March 30-31.
“I am very honored to be selected for the ‘So You Want To Be A Coach’ program,” said Bramanti. “I am looking forward to attending all of the different speakers and events that this program entails. I am excited to learn from the great coaches all around the country that will be there and have the ability to learn the ins and outs of coaching at a high level.”
She has started all 20 games in the Skyhawks inaugural Division I season and leads the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game (5th NEC) on 41.6-percent shooting (10th), including 41.3% (50-for-121) from three-point distance (2nd), converting 69.2% (45-65) of her free-throws (10th). She adds 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists (5th) and a steal in a team-high 33.5-minutes per game (4th).
High school girls basketball
Innovation 38, Gr. Lawrence 22: Innovation Academy Charter School netted a big home win Tuesday.
Sadie Coleman-Plourde led the Hawks (6-4) with 12 points, three blocks, two assists and seven rebounds. Maddie Darlington and Hannah Minato-Hanus put up six points each. Keira Frazier also played great defense, tallied seven points and dished out two assists.
High school football
Bishop Guertin has hired former Lunenburg High coach Anthony Nalen to coach its football program.
Nalen coached three seasons at Lunenburg. In a post on Twitter, Nalen thanked the Lunenburg football community, from players and parents to boosters and media.
“This is truly a wonderful place to coach. We were able to do some special things in the last three years at Lunenburg,” Nalen wrote. “The Blue Knights have compiled an overall record of 18-9 while capturing a 2022 league championship, holding a 10-game win streak, beating Oakmont on Thanksgiving for the first time since 1978 and wins over rivals West Boylston and Littleton for the first time in almost a decade.”
Boxing
Reyes Boxing Promotions kicks off their 2023 schedule with “Down and Dirty 5,” on Saturday at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium.
One of the boxers fighting Saturday night, Gabriel Morales, was born and raised in Lowell. He’s 5-0 and fights in the lightweight (135-pound) division. Between his amateur and pro career, many of his fights took place in Lowell. If victorious on Saturday evening, he may fight for a regional title in his next bout.
Promoted in association with Fire Fist Boxing Promotions, tickets for “Down and Dirty 5” are on sale at shorturl.at/bikx1. Doors open at 4 p.m. and the opening bell is scheduled for 5 p.m.
New umpire class
A new umpire class began Jan. 23 and continues every Monday until Feb. 2. This will be held in person at St. Michael’s School in North Andover. The exam is Feb. 27. Ron Annand and Scott Young are the instructors. Any interested candidates, please reach out to Scott at scott.young@gmail.com or call (978) 590-3262. Successful completion of the class will make you a certified umpire for the Massachusetts Baseball Umpires Association (MBUA) and the Greater Lawrence Baseball Umpires Association.