Preview: River Hawks, Great Danes Meet in America East Matchup

ALBANY, N.Y. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in the back half of the conference schedule will meet Saturday when the Albany Great Danes host the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks in an America East men’s basketball game.

The matchup at SEFCU Arena features teams with nearly identical records. Massachusetts-Lowell enters at 9-15 overall, while Albany sits at 8-16. Both squads are coming off games on Thursday, Feb. 5, with contrasting results.

The River Hawks are looking to rebound from an 81-56 road loss to NJIT. In that game, guards Xavier Spencer and Shawn Simmons each scored 15 points to lead Massachusetts-Lowell. Albany, meanwhile, snapped a three-game skid with a narrow 65-63 victory at Bryant, powered by Isaac Abidde’s 19 points.

Spencer, a consistent scoring threat for the River Hawks, has reached double figures in seven of his last eight games, including an 18-point performance in a win over Binghamton on Jan. 10. For the Great Danes, Abidde has been a key offensive piece, averaging 17.3 points over his last three contests.

The season’s first meeting between these teams resulted in an 83-71 victory for Massachusetts-Lowell at home on Jan. 3. The River Hawks have struggled since, however, losing five of their last seven games. Albany’s win over Bryant provided a boost after a stretch where they dropped five of six.

Both teams will aim to improve their positioning in the America East standings with a head-to-head victory. Following this contest, Massachusetts-Lowell returns home to face Bryant on Feb. 12. Albany hits the road for a game at Binghamton on Feb. 14.

Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at SEFCU Arena.