Late Run Dooms Men’s Basketball in America East Quarterfinal
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By Quincy Irvin | March 10, 2026
The University at Albany men’s basketball team saw its season come to an end with an 81-76 loss, to the UMass Lowell River Hawks in the America East quarterfinals on Saturday, March 7.
The Great Danes came out of the gate strong, quickly taking control of the game. The Great Danes defense and rebounding were on full display as it helped create an early 9-0 lead.
To add to the run, Amir Lindsey threw a lob to Okechuckwu Okeke for a slam dunk, which led to a UMass Lowell timeout.
Following the timeout, Okele showcased his defensive prowess with a block and followed by a dunk of his own, extending the run to 11-0. The Great Danes consistently forced turnovers and controlled the boards, holding the River Hawks scoreless for the first five minutes of the first half.
After The River Hawks scored their first basket, Lindsey immediately answered with a triple, making it 16-2.
It was clear the Great Danes wanted to set the tone defensively as their intensity was present throughout the first half, with Ma’Kye Taylor adding a block and Lindsey’s ability to hit tough shots, giving UAlbany a 25-16 lead with around nine minutes remaining in the first half.
Despite the early 14-point lead for the Great Danes, UMass Lowell started to make a run of their own, going on a 19-9 run to cut the deficit to 25-21, prompting a UAlbany timeout.
Out of the timeout, Isaac Abidde hit a triple to push the lead back to seven. Coach Dwayne Killing’s defensive adjustments between zone and man-to-man marked a strategic effort to disrupt UMass’s offensive flow throughout the first half.
Okeke continued his strong defensive performance, registering multiple blocks in the first half. While the Great Danes did their best to maintain a double digit lead, UMass Lowell hit a three pointer just before the end of the first half with the Great Danes leading 42-35.
Lindsey led all scorers with 16 points, while Okeke contributed 10 points and six blocks in the first half.
The second half began with another defensive highlight from Okeke, leading to a layup by Abidde, followed by a three from the next possession, extending their lead to 49-37.
With around 14 minutes left, the Great Danes committed back-to-back turnovers allowing UMass Lowell to close the gap, forcing UAlbany to call another timeout as the lead was down to just two points. Shortly after, the River Hawks took their first lead of the game, 51-50, with 13 minutes left remaining.
UMass Lowell capitalized off the Great Dane’s missed shots and got out in transition as they increased their pace on both ends of the floor, making it difficult for the Great Danes to take good shots.
With six minutes remaining left, Darrel Yepdo pushed the River Hawks’ lead to 63-60 with a layup. After a UAlbany turnover, He scored again and added a free throw, widening the gap to 66-60.
UAlbany battled back with a much-needed three from Zacharie Matulu, narrowing the score to 66-63, but Yepdo responded with another three, making it 69-63.
In a pivotal moment with only 1:28 remaining, Angel Montas Jr. sank what seemed to be a dagger triple extending the River Hawks lead to 74-67. The Great Danes fought hard to the end, but they were unable to complete the comeback as the Great Danes lost to the second half resurgence of the River Hawks 81-76.
Amir Lindsey finished with a career high 30 points, while also adding a team high of six assists. Isacc Abiide had 13 points and Okechukwu Okeke added 16 points, 11 rebounds, and a career high of eight blocks.
Angel Montas Jr. led the River Hawks with 28 points, while Xavier Spencer added 19 points, and Darrel Yepdo had 17 points.
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