LEE, N.H. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant opening act and a frantic, imperfect finish, the New Hampshire Wildcats survived a second-half collapse to edge the Massachusetts-Lowell River Hawks 66-61 in an America East Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Lundholm Gym.

A crowd of 505 watched the Wildcats build a commanding 40-30 halftime lead, only to see it evaporate completely in the second half before a series of clutch free throws in the final 11 seconds secured the victory.

The first half was a story of New Hampshire’s control and Massachusetts-Lowell’s offensive struggles. The Wildcats, fueled by an 8-0 run midway through the period, shot efficiently inside and capitalized on River Hawks turnovers. Jack Graham, a junior guard from Smithfield, Rhode Island, paced the Wildcats with 10 first-half points, including a steal and dunk in the final minute that punctuated the 10-point advantage. Massachusetts-Lowell, meanwhile, labored for clean looks and committed eight turnovers, which New Hampshire converted into 11 points.

The narrative flipped dramatically after intermission. The River Hawks emerged with renewed defensive intensity, holding New Hampshire without a field goal for over six minutes to start the half. A 13-2 run, capped by a Xavier Spencer 3-pointer, brought Massachusetts-Lowell all the way back to tie the game at 44-44 with 13:39 remaining.

From there, the contest settled into a tense, back-and-forth affair with neither team able to establish more than a two-possession lead. The River Hawks’ Angel Montas, a forward from Romana, Dominican Republic, shouldered the offensive load, scoring 14 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. His driving layup with 2:42 left tied the score at 62-62, setting the stage for the dramatic finale.

With the score still knotted, Massachusetts-Lowell had two critical chances to take the lead but committed turnovers on consecutive possessions. New Hampshire capitalized at the free-throw line. Graham was fouled on a drive and sank both shots with 11 seconds left to put the Wildcats up 64-61.

After a Massachusetts-Lowell timeout, the River Hawks’ last-gasp attempt to force overtime failed when Darrel Yepdo’s contested 3-pointer missed everything. New Hampshire’s Tyler Bike collected the loose ball, was fouled, and sank two more free throws with three seconds remaining to seal the five-point win.

Graham led New Hampshire with 16 points, while Belal El Shakery of Alexandria, Egypt, added nine points and a game-high nine rebounds. For Massachusetts-Lowell, Montas’s 18 points were complemented by 15 points from Spencer of Calgary, Canada, and 13 points from JJ Massaquoi of Prince George County, Maryland.

The Wildcats improved to 8-12 overall, while the River Hawks fell to 8-14. Both teams are now 2-5 in America East play. New Hampshire next travels to face Bryant on Saturday. Massachusetts-Lowell visits Maine on Saturday.

The game’s most pivotal sequence occurred in the final 30 seconds with the score tied. Massachusetts-Lowell, after a defensive stop, had possession with a chance to hold for the last shot. Instead, a costly offensive foul on Angel Montas — his seventh turnover of the game — gave the ball back to New Hampshire with 21 seconds left. The Wildcats immediately attacked, and Graham drew a foul on a hard drive to the basket. His two made free throws provided the winning margin, a stark contrast to the River Hawks’ self-inflicted error on the preceding play.