America East foes will collide when the New Hampshire Wildcats (15-10) face the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks (11-15) at Lundholm Gym. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
The Wildcats are hoping to rebound after their 59-58 loss to Stony Brook on Sunday. Tanner Leissner was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points. The River Hawks, meanwhile, are coming off a 96-92 win against UMBC on Sunday. Logan Primerano was the team’s top scorer, accounting for 29 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
Over the last five games, Leissner has taken his game to another level for the Wildcats, averaging 21.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 three-pointers. Jahad Thomas has upped his play for the River Hawks. In the same five-game span, he is averaging 20.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.4 steals.
The River Hawks may not find many second-chance opportunities in this matchup. They’re ranked 295th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 26.3%), whereas New Hampshire is third-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 77.3%).
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 78-76. Leissner had a stellar game with 27 points, eight rebounds, one assist, and one three-pointer.
Notes
Massachusetts-Lowell beats New Hampshire in both possessions per game and points per possession. The River Hawks average 74.5 possessions and 1.040 points per possession, while the Wildcats average 69.0 possessions with 1.040 points per possession.
The Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks average an effective field goal percentage of 54.3% this season. The New Hampshire Wildcats have a losing record of 3-7 when opponents have an eFG% of 54.3% or greater.
On average, the New Hampshire Wildcats attempt 19.0 three point field goals per game and the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks attempt 22.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, New Hampshire is 7-6, while Massachusetts-Lowell has a poor record of 9-14.
New Hampshire, the 56th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 39.1 rebounds per game. Massachusetts-Lowell does worse, ranked 311th with 33.0.
The Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks make an average of 7.3 steals per game. When the New Hampshire Wildcats give up 7 or more steals, they are a solid 8-3.
