RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The University of Massachusetts Lowell pulled away in the final four-plus minutes to earn a 75-69 non-conference men's basketball victory over host Felician College on Wednesday night at Job Gymnasium. Felician senior swingman Antoine Obery (Roselle, N.J./Abraham Clark) registered game highs of 23 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists in defeat.

UMass Lowell (8-2) led, 62-55, with five minutes, 24 seconds, remaining in regulation, its largest advantage of the night to that point. But Felician quickly erased the deficit, with Obery sandwiching two pairs of free throws around an Ayotunde Oyeniyi (Lagos, Nigeria/Rock School [Fla.]) three-point field goal to tie the score with 4:13 to play.

UML graduate student Greg DeSantis (Trumbull, Conn./Notre Dame) then nailed a three to put the visitors back ahead. Following three consecutive empty possessions by the Golden Falcons, DeSantis buried another trifecta off an out-of-bounds play at the 2:54 mark for a 68-62 edge. Felician never got back within a single-possession deficit for the rest of the evening.

Junior forward Antonio Bivins (Miami, Fla./American) paced the River Hawks with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Bivins' 7 for 11 shooting total included five dunks. DeSantis netted 15 points, making 4 of 6 from distance.

Obery shot 6 for 10 from the field and 11 of 16 at the foul line. He was supported by senior guard Anthony D. Green (Jersey City, N.J./Snyder) (15 points, three steals) and junior guard Tajric Boggs (Coram, N.Y./Longwood) (12 points).

Felician (4-9) led for the entire first half, but saw a 12-point edge with 8:37 remaining in the period cut to 34-33 at halftime. The River Hawks did not move ahead for the first time until two Akeem Williams (Brockton, Mass./Winchendon School) free throws snapped a 51-51 deadlock with 10:12 left in the contest.

Felician ended a 13-day competitive layoff, and was playing at home for the first time in 23 days. The Golden Falcons have lost five consecutive games and 7 of their last 8, and are idle for another week until hosting Caldwell College in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference action on Jan. 9 at 8 p.m.