UMass Lowell's strong first-half performance set the tone for their 73-68 win over Binghamton at the Events Center. The River Hawks came out firing, scoring 45 points in the first half, led by Xavier Spencer's 13 points. Spencer would go on to finish with a team-high 18 points, helping UMass Lowell secure the road win.
Binghamton's Jeremiah Quigley did his best to keep the Bearcats in the game, scoring 18 points and dishing out 8 assists. Quigley's impressive all-around performance was not enough, however, as UMass Lowell's balanced attack proved too much for the Bearcats to handle. The River Hawks had three other players score in double figures, including Angel Montas Jr. with 17 points and Austin Green with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
At halftime, UMass Lowell held a 9-point lead, with the score sitting at 45-36. Binghamton came out strong in the second half, outscoring the River Hawks 32-28, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. The Bearcats cut the lead to as few as 3 points with just over 2 minutes remaining, but UMass Lowell made enough free throws late to secure the win.
The victory for UMass Lowell is a Quad 4 win, which may not significantly boost their tournament resume but does help them build momentum heading into the rest of their schedule. For Binghamton, the loss is also a Quad 4 defeat, which will not hurt their resume significantly but does drop them to 4-18 on the season.
With the win, UMass Lowell improves to 8-12 on the year, while Binghamton falls to 4-18. The River Hawks want to build on this momentum as they continue their season, while the Bearcats will try to regroup and find ways to come out on top in close games. As it stands, UMass Lowell's tournament chances remain slim, but they have taken a step in the right direction with this road win. The loss for Binghamton, on the other hand, is just another setback in what has been a tough season, and their tournament hopes appear to be all but extinguished.