The UMass Lowell men’s basketball team almost knocked off another traditional national power on the road.

A couple of days after stunning Georgia Tech, the River Hawks took a nine-point halftime lead only to be nipped by Arizona State, 71-69, Thursday night at the ASU Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz.

UMass Lowell (3-1) received a 19-point, eight-rebound performance from Abdoul Karim Coulibaly. Ayinde Hikim continued his strong play with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Also starring for the River Hawks were Yuri Covington (14 points, 7 rebounds) and Quinton Mincey (8 points, 9 rebounds). Despite the narrow loss, the River Hawks continue to turn heads in the early going.

UML took a 31-22 lead into the intermission.