Blondeau Tchoukuiegno scored a career high 19 for UNH in a win at UMass-Lowell on Saturday. (Courtesy photo by Michelle Bronner/UNH Athletics)

LOWELL, Mass. – Redshirt freshman Blondeau Tchoukuiegno (Montreal, Quebec) scored a career-high 19 points and junior Nick Guadarrama recorded one of his career-high four steals at the final buzzer to secure a 69-67 victory for the University of New Hampshire men’s basketball team in Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale against UMass Lowell at Costello Athletic Center.

The win lifted UNH into third in the America East standings and secured the No. 3 seed for the upcoming 2021 Hercules Tires America East Men’s Basketball Playoffs. The Wildcats (10-8 overall, 9-6 AE) will host a pod next weekend that includes the sixth and seventh seeds.

Tchoukuiegno scored 12 of his personal-best 19 points in the second half, when he made 3 of 4 from the floor, including 2-for-3 on 3-pointers, and was perfect on four free throws; he also tallied three of his four assists and played all 20 minutes after halftime.

In addition to the steals, Guadarrama finished with 13 points, four rebounds and three blocks – another personal best. Redshirt freshman Nick Johnson (Bronx, N.Y.) recorded 13 points, team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Junior Qon Murphy (Charlotte, N.C.) had 10 points, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block.

UMass Lowell falls to 8-11 and 7-8 in America East. The River Hawks were led by Connor Withers (16 points), Allin Blunt (14) and Kalil Thomas (12).

In other local college action:

MAINE TOPS UNH WOMEN’S HOOP

Senior guard Amanda Torres of Hudson scored a team-high 16 points and junior forward Ivy Gogolin (Hopkinton, Mass.) netted 14, but the University of New Hampshire women’s basketball team lost to the University of Maine, 82-53, in Saturday afternoon’s regular-season finale at Memorial Gym in Orono, Me.

Along with 16 points, Torres added three rebounds and one assist. Torres shot 66.7 percent from the field and made all three of her 3-point attempts. Gogolin added four rebounds on top of 14 points.

Maine was led by Blanca Millan and Anne Simon with 21 points apiece. Both Millan and Simon were one rebound shy from a double-double with nine boards.

The Wildcats fall to 5-14 overall and 5-11 in America East, while the Black Bears improve to 16-2, 13-2. UNH is one of two teams to defeat Maine in the regular season, but the Black Bears won the season series (2-1).

MERRIMACK TOPS UNH MEN’S HOCKEY

Six different Warriors scored a goal as the University of New Hampshire men’s hockey team fell to Merrimack, 6-2 at Lawler Rink on Saturday afternoon. Junior forward Filip Engarås (Stockhom, Sweden) and junior defenseman Ryan Verrier (Reading, Mass.) both posted goals for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats fall to 5-13-3 (5-13-3 HE), while the Warriors improve to 4-10-2 (4-10-2 HE).

Senior goalie Mike Robinson of Bedford made 19 saves while Zachary Borgiel recorded 24 to earn the win.

NU TOPS UML SKATERS

The UMass Lowell hockey team (5-8-0) faced a 4-0 setback against No. 16 Northeastern (9-6-2) to split the weekend series.

Freshman Henry Welsch (Lakeville, Minn.) registered 19 saves in net in the loss, while Northeastern’s Connor Murphy stopped 32 attempts in the win. Ty Jackson and Tyler Spott each finished the night with two points for the Huskies. Senior Connor Sodergren (Tewksbury, Mass.) and sophomore Zach Kaiser (Orangeville, Ontario) paced the River Hawks with five shots on goal apiece.

(UML Athletics Communications contributed to this report.)

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