Coverage from:
The Boston Globe
The Mass. Daily Collegian
The Mass. Daily Collegian -- column
The Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Daily News
The Daily Hampshire Gazette
The Daily Hampshire Gazette -- Rafael Cruz spotlight


UMass has enough to get past Hokies
By Joe Burris, The Boston Globe Staff, 3/5/98

PHILADELPHIA - At the outset, it looked as if the contest would be over long before the final buzzer.

Third-seeded Massachusetts dominated sixth-seeded Virginia Tech in their Atlantic 10 tournament first-round meeting yesterday as it had in the regular season. The Minutemen began the contest with an intensity they haven't had in weeks, outshooting, outdefending, and outhustling their overmatched adversary.

But this is UMass basketball 1997-98, which means at least one stretch of mediocre play by the Minutemen is a virtual guarantee. Surely, coach Bruiser Flint wasn't surprised when his team went from focused to careless over the last 2:50 and allowed an 18-point lead to shrink to 6 with four seconds left. The Minutemen managed to milk those final seconds without a problem and claimed a 64-58 victory.

Playing without starting senior forward Tyrone Weeks (twisted knee and ankle), UMass led for the entire game and jumped out to a double-digit advantage within the first five minutes. Junior guard Charlton Clarke (21 points, 6 steals, 5 rebounds) keyed the hot start, scoring 9 points in the first 3:44. Center Lari Ketner (21 points, 15 boards) took it from there, giving the Minutemen an inside presence the smaller Hokies could not counter.

''I thought we played hard. We didn't always play smart, but we played hard,'' said Flint, whose team (21-9) advanced to today's second round, in which it will meet George Washington (22-7) at 2:30 p.m. (Fox Sports New England).

''[On Tuesday] we broke down the tape of the entire season, some of the plays we made the entire season, and how much energy we had. We showed them diving, getting after balls, playing defense. That's the way we have to get back to playing.''

The film review paid off through much of the contest; UMass outrebounded Virginia Tech, 42-26, and prevailed despite shooting 41 percent.

It was that kind of play that helped the Minutemen rout George Washington, 79-48, in Amherst, Mass., Jan. 10, but they aren't taking the Colonials lightly. Last season the Colonials lost to UMass during the regular season but knocked them out of the A-10 tournament in the second round. Flint said he is less worried about his players' lapses than he is about getting them to realize a loss would send them home.

''We have freshman guards, so they're going to make mistakes,'' said Flint. ''We can't be concerned about the lapses. We just have to be ready to play. GWU is going to be a tough game. We can't look past anybody.''

They might have to play a while without Weeks, a fifth-year senior who has struggled at times this season but has provided leadership. Flint said his status is doubtful for today. ''Very doubtful,'' he added. ''It will be a game-time decision. Yesterday he couldn't go.''

Said Weeks, ''If I play, I know I'm not going to be 100 percent. I can't believe the way my season has been going. This is like a smack in the face. Just look at the month of February. I played very bad. And December, too. If I had played better, we could have won some of the games'' they lost.

Yesterday his services weren't needed. Ketner stepped up his game at both ends of the floor and offset Weeks's absence. He also made certain UMass didn't miss a beat inside when forward/center Ajmal Basit (who started for Weeks) encountered foul trouble.

''I think I had to get more rebounds without Tyrone in the game,'' said Ketner. ''I also had to pick it up a little on offense.''

He helped the Minutemen mount a 61-43 lead with 2:50 left. Then Virginia Tech, which cut a 14-point first-half deficit to 7, played with its best intensity of the game and threatened in the final seconds.

The Minutemen aided the Hokies (10-17) with two turnovers in the last 24 seconds, both of which led to Tech baskets. Yet with the Tech defense trying to create another turnover and hoping for a minor miracle, Clarke took an inbounds pass and ran out the clock.

''You should never think a game is over because of the 3-point shot,'' said Clarke. ''We just tried to execute at the end. We made some mistakes, but we made up for it at the end.''


Men's basketball downs VT, will face old foe GW
League honorees lead as Minutemen tackle Tech
By Luke Meredith, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Staff, 3/5/98

PHILADELPHIA - If you listen to the No. 23 Massachusetts men's basketball team, the late season slide that saw the Minutemen drop from the Atlantic 10's No. 1 East seed to the No. 3 isn't anything to be concerned with now.

In their eyes, a new season started yesterday, and the Minutemen celebrated their post-season opener with a 64-58 win over Virginia Tech yesterday at the CoreStates Spectrum in Philadelphia in the first round of the A-10 tournament.

UMass (22-9) will play George Washington in the quarterfinals today at 2:30 p.m. (A-10 Network, WHMP- FM, WMUA-FM).

"It's a new season," junior Charlton Clarke said. "We had a great regular season, but we have to start over. We're 1-0 and we're just trying to go as far as we can."

The final score didn't indicate how lopsided the game actually was - UMass led 61-43 with under three minutes to go - but the Minutemen slipped late, much like they did in the teams' first meeting, according to UMass coach Bruiser Flint.

Nonetheless, Massachusetts coasted to the win without the services of Tyrone Weeks, who is still day-to-day with a sprained ankle. In his absence, junior center Lari Ketner filled the void with a monster game, scoring 21 points and adding 15 rebounds.

Clarke added 21 points of his own as he and Ketner - the two UMass players named All-Conference - combined for 42 of UMass' 64 points.

Massachusetts put the game out of reach with a 19-6 run to open the game, 10 of which came from Clarke. Clarke buried a three-pointer to open the game, and with the Hokies shooting cold, he and Ketner outscored 17-6 in the game's opening 10 minutes.

Tech cut the lead to seven, 29-22, on a Myron Guillory three-pointer with 2:29 remaining in the first half, and UMass led 31-22 at the intermission. The Minutemen then pushed the lead back to 15, 40-25, early in the second half.

Clarke went 4-of-7 from three-point range, and his 21 points were only three off his career-high (set Feb. 18 in the double overtime loss to Rhode Island at the William D. Mullins Center).

"I thought we played hard," Flint said. "Not always smart, but hard. I thought Charlton Clarke helped get us going early."

Virginia Tech closed out the game with a 15-3 run, and the final was the closest the Hokies got in the second half. Rolan Roberts led the Tech with 21 points, and Russ Wheeler added 10 points. The Hokies finished their rebuilding season at 10-17, 5-12 in the conference.

Next up for UMass is GW, a team the Minutemen destroyed 79-48 at the Mullins Center in their only meeting this season. George Washington is (22-7, 11-5 A-10) earned a first-round bye because of their second-place finish in the Atlantic 10 West.

One of the bright spots for the Minutemen was the play of Rafael Cruz, who impressed for the second straight game. After scoring eight points in his first real action of the season against Temple on Sunday. Cruz scored three points in six minutes.

Flint put him in because, "he can hit some shots" and is useful to break down zone defenses, which Virginia Tech employed against the Minutemen. Flint acknowledged that Cruz is now in the rotation.

In the noon game, St. Joseph's advanced to the quarterfinals with a 73-72 win over La Salle. St. Joe's will play Temple tonight, with the winner facing the UMass-GW winner in the semifinals tomorrow.


Ketner-Clarke combo, defense give UM win
By Corey Peter Goodman, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Staff, 3/5/98

PHILADELPHIA - Has the Massachusetts men's basketball team finally returned to midseason form?

That was one of the questions swirling around the CoreStates Spectrum following the Minutemen's decisive 64-58 victory over the West No. 6 seed Virginia Tech Hokies yesterday afternoon in day one of the Atlantic 10 tournament.

Many are also wondering about the status of senior Tyrone Weeks looking ahead to today's quarterfinal matchup with West No. 2 seed George Washington (22-7) at 2:30 p.m. (A- 10 Network, WHMP-FM, WMUA-FM). The senior forward, a native of Philadelphia, was inactive Wednesday after suffering a sprained ankle in practice earlier this week.

Massachusetts (22-9) coach Bruiser Flint was unsure if his forward would be able to play tomorrow.

"It's still up in the air," Flint said. "We'll see tomorrow."

From the way his team played, however, Flint may hold off on his big man with the NCAA tournament looming in the background. The Minutemen, playing without their top rebounder, outrebounded a smaller Virginia Tech squad 42- 26, and owned a 19-6 edge on the offensive glass.

The reason for the large margin is very simple: Lari Ketner played like he was the best center in college basketball. The junior gave perhaps his most complete effort of the season with a game-high 15 rebounds - 11 on the defensive end - and 21 points.

Photo
Chris Kirkland had to step it up a notch in Tyrone Weeks' abscence.
Five Minutemen also contributed at least four rebounds. Chris Kirkland finished with six, while Mike Babul added five.

The defensive intensity was just as effective as UMass held the Hokies' starting guards scoreless for nearly 39 of the game's 40 minutes.

"UMass is just too strong," said Virginia Tech coach Bobby Hussey, whose team finished the season 10-17. "They pounded us on the boards. When you're outrebounded 42- 26, it's real tough to win."

Rolan Roberts, one of six freshmen on the Hokies' squad, led Virginia Tech with 21 points, four rebounds and four blocks.

Charlton Clarke, after a solid performance at Temple last Sunday, was once again Mr. Clutch for UMass. The junior anchored a 13-2 Minuteman run to open the game with seven points on three field goals. Clarke led an offensive thrust in which all eight UMass players had at least one assist, with four three-pointers and 21 points.

When the Hokies solved Clarke by switching to a man-to- man defense, the Minutemen pounded the ball inside to Ketner, who used his overwhelming size and quickness to his advantage. Ketner unveiled an arsenal of short-range hooks and turnaround jumpers.

"With Tyrone out, I have a bigger load to take on offense," Ketner said. "I also have to concentrate on rebounding now."

After a stretch of four bad games, in which UMass dropped three, Flint was satisfied with his team's effort Saturday.

"I thought we played hard today," he said. "We didn't always play smart, but we played hard."

For the second game in a row, Flint called upon freshman guard Rafael Cruz to perform after fellow freshman guard Jonathan DePina was ineffective.

Flint did not deny that Cruz has been earning minutes over his classmate.

"They went to a zone, and I think [Rafael] can hit some shots," Flint said. "I tell you the kid is making the best of his opportunity."

Clarke admitted the win was refreshing for UMass, which has struggled lately, but added the team has to play with the same intensity from now on.

"This is a new season. We're starting from scratch now," Clarke said. "We're 1-0, and we want to keep winning because we want to accomplish some things."

UMass is trying to do something no other conference team has down before: win the A-10 championship by virtue of four wins in four days. The Minutemen's quest continues today against the Colonials, who were embarrassed by UMass on Jan. 20 in Amherst, 79-48, in their worst loss of the season.


Hokies follow pattern in loss
Tech's season ends as rally comes up short
By Jeff White, The Richmond Times-Dispatch Staff Writer, 3/5/98

PHILADELPHIA -- Time and time again this season, Virginia Tech would fall way behind one of the Atlantic 10's NCAA tournament-bound teams, only to stage an inspired but futile comeback that resulted in a deceptively close final score.

Why should yesterday have been any different?

In the opening round of the A-10 tournament at the Spectrum, Tech trailed Massachusetts by 18 with 2 minutes left. You know the rest. The Hokies refused to go quietly into the off-season, and the final horn sounded none too soon for the Minutemen, who walked off relieved 64-58 winners before an announced crowd of 6,204.

"It shouldn't surprise you," said UMass coach Bruiser Flint. "This game is almost the same as the game we played [in Blacksburg]."

In that Jan. 24 contest at Cassell Coliseum, Tech trimmed a 20-point deficit to seven in the second half before losing 68-59. The Hokies (10-17) fell behind early in that one and repeated the pattern yesterday. Five minutes into the game, UMass led 13-2.

"It just became a very physical game right from the very beginning, and it didn't change," said Tech coach Bobby Hussey. "We didn't react to it very well, so we were fighting an uphill battle all night long."

And to think that UMass (21-9) played without 6-7, 247-pound forward Tyrone Weeks, its only senior. Weeks, who had game highs of 15 points and 11 rebounds in Blacksburg, twisted his left knee and ankle in practice this week and stayed on the bench yesterday. His status is uncertain.

"That really didn't make any difference for them," Hussey said.

That's because UMass' all-Atlantic 10 center, Lari Ketner, made a triumphant return to his hometown.

"He dominated inside," said Minutemen guard Charlton Clarke, who had 21 points and six steals. "We just kept going into the post."

Ketner, a 6-10, 268-pound junior, had 21 points and 15 rebounds against a Tech team whose tallest starter is 6-8 sophomore Russ Wheeler, who gives away 30 pounds to Ketner. UMass obliterated Tech in the rebounding battle 42-26. The Minutemen had nearly as many rebounds on offense (19) as the Hokies had on defense (20).

"UMass is just too strong, too physical," Hussey said. "They just pounded us on the boards."

The Minutemen, bidding for their sixth A-10 tourney title in seven seasons, will meet George Washington (22-7) in today's 2 p.m. quarterfinal.

"They're a team that's very capable of winning this tournament and going a long way in the NCAA tournament," Hussey said.

The Hokies, never a threat to make the NCAA's field of 64, ended their first season under Hussey with their fewest victories in five years. But they lose only two seniors -- neither of whom started against UMass -- and Hussey believes better days are ahead.

"I think what you saw at the end of the game, the way the guys were battling to the very last, know

ing the game was pretty much over, is an indication of the character these guys have and what our future might be," he said.

Wheeler (10 points), senior Shawn Browne (eight points) and 6-6, 242-pound freshman Rolan Roberts supplied nearly 70 percent of the Hokies' offense. Less than 24 hours after being named to the A-10's all-rookie team, Roberts had 21 points, four blocked shots and two steals. He also turned the ball over six times, failed to grab a rebound in the first half, and, not surprisingly, struggled against the taller, heavier Ketner in the post.

But at least Roberts found ways to contribute. Tech's starting guards, freshman Jenis Grindstaff and sophomore Brendan Dunlop, were scoreless for the first 38 minutes and 48 seconds.

"That was basically [the UMass] defense," Hussey said, "more so than what we were not doing."

Tech trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half before closing to 31-22 at the break. The sleepy crowd might have rallied behind the Hokies if they had continued their spurt, but UMass scored the first six points of the second half to regain control.

"It's been a rough season ," Grindstaff said. "We've got to get all the positives we can, and after that, forget this season and look forward to next season."


UMass limps past Virginia Tech, 64-58
Lari Ketner took over for the Minutemen, scoring 21 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.
By Mike Jensen, The Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer, 3/5/98

In the UMass locker room, Tyrone Weeks stretched out his left leg.

"I can't believe it," he said. "The way my season's been going, this is a smack in the face."

Weeks hadn't planned to spend his last Atlantic Ten tournament on the bench, nursing his left ankle and knee, which were sprained in practice Monday when his leg went out making a cut. Without him, the Minutemen got past Virginia Tech, 64-58, yesterday at the CoreStates Spectrum. But Weeks was far from upbeat.

"If I play, I know I'm not going to be 100 percent," the Franklin Learning Center graduate said of his chances for today's quarterfinal game with George Washington.

The Minutemen's other Philly guy, Lari Ketner, took care of the inside for UMass, with 21 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Ketner said he knew he had to concentrate on rebounding without Weeks, the A-10's fourth-leading rebounder. Those troubles were compounded yesterday when Ajmal Basit, starting for Weeks, played only 19 minutes because of foul trouble.

In the regular season, UMass (21-9) lost three of its last four games, so coach Bruiser Flint said he had his staff put together a highlight film to show the team this week, so the players would see how much energy they'd been playing with when they reeled off 10 straight wins.

Weeks was self-critical about the team's recent play: "Just look at the month of February. I played very bad. And December, too. It's been tough personally. If I had played better, we might have won a couple of those games."

This really wasn't a six-point game. UMass had an 18-point lead with 2 minutes, 50 seconds left and a 12-point lead with 54 seconds left.

The danger was earlier, when a 10-3 Virginia Tech run closed the score to 47-39. But UMass got the ball to Ketner and pulled the lead back out.

Early on, Charlton Clarke had the hot hand for UMass. He had 10 of the Minutemen's first 17 points, finishing with 21, including four three-point baskets.

Freshman Rolan Roberts provided most of Virginia Tech's offense, with 21 points. The 6-foot-8 post man also had four blocks and two steals at the other end. Virginia Tech finished 10-17.

As for Weeks and his leg, "It's going to get better with some rest," he said, knowing this isn't the time of year for that.


UMass advances, seeks vengeance against GW
By Mike Kern, The Philadelphia Daily News Sports Writer, 3/5/98

Massachusetts lost three of its last four regular-season games, two in overtime. At Monday's practice, the Minutemen lost senior forward Tyrone Weeks with injuries to his left ankle and knee. Is that any way to head into the upcoming NCAA Tournament?

"It's a new season," junior guard Charlton Clarke said. "We felt we played some great basketball during the season. Now we're starting from scratch. We're going to play hard, to try and accomplish some great things."

The Minutemen improved to 1-0 in the second season, 21-9 overall, with a 64-58 win over Virginia Tech (10-17) yesterday afternoon at the CoreStates Spectrum in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.

They'll play George Washington (22-7) in today's 2:30 quarterfinal. GW, which lost four straight before closing out the season with back-to-back wins, beat UMass in last season's quarters. The Colonials have also won twice at UMass in recent years. But the Minutemen beat GW on Jan. 10 at home by 31 points.

The winner will meet either Temple or St. Joseph's in tomorrow's 7 o'clock semifinal.

"I think we played hard. We didn't always play smart," said UMass coach Bruiser Flint, whose team lost the A-10 East title Sunday at Temple. "Most of the season, we played with a lot of energy. But we watched tape to see how we're not playing with it right now.

"We have to be ready to play. We have to make plays. Or we could be in trouble. It's about defense and rebounding. That's what will make us advance in this tournament. The first game [ against GW ] we played well. And we played like that from time to time."

With Weeks, a Franklin Learning Center product, listed as day-to-day, junior center Lari Ketner responded with 21 points and 21 rebounds. He was 9-for-18 from the field. The Minutemen's other quality big man, sophomore Ajmal Basit, got in foul trouble and had only six points and four boards in 19 minutes.

"I just had to concentrate more on rebounding," said Ketner, of Roman Catholic, a first-team all-conference selection. "I had to take a bigger load on offense as well."

Clarke also finished with 21 points, 13 in the first half, to go with six steals.

UMass, which led by 11 at the break and by 16 with three minutes left, got seven points and six boards from sophomore forward Chris Kirkland, who played a career-high 30 minutes, 18 more than his average.

"It doesn't matter who we face," Clarke said. "If we play hard, we can advance to the next round."


UMass advances to face GW
By Matt Vautour, The Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 3/5/98

PHILADELPHIA - The University of Massachusetts tuned up for a quarterfinal meeting with George Washington by clicking on most cylinders Wednesday to beat Virginia Tech, 64-58, in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament at the CoreStates Spectrum.

Virginia Tech has made a habit this season of taking games that appear to be out of reach, making them interesting and then losing anyway. That trend held true in the Hokies' final contest of the year as they made a too-late 15-3 run to narrow the final UMass margin of victory.

The win advances the Minutemen (21-9) to the A-10 quarterfinals, where they will take on George Washington (22-7) at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

After watching the Atlantic 10 regular season championship and a first-round bye slip from their grasp Sunday against Temple, the Minutemen hoped to use Wednesday's game as a springboard toward a return to their early-season level of play. UMass did struggle offensively at times, shooting just 41 percent from the field and a miserable 56 percent from the free throw line, but the Minutemen were happy with other areas of their game.

"I thought we played hard," said UMass coach Bruiser Flint. "We didn't always play smart, but we played hard ... harder than we've been playing."

During the program's best years, UMass hung its hat on defense, rebounding and intensity. Those characteristics had been missing during the team's recent slide, but were back in force Wednesday.

"It's about defense and rebounding, that's what's going to get us to advance in this tournament," Flint said.

Photo
The Hokie defense couldn't stop Lari Ketner from collecting a double-double.
Even without senior Tyrone Weeks, who sat out the contest due to a left ankle injury, the Minutemen dominated the glass. Led by 15 boards from Lari Ketner, the Minutemen outrebounded the smaller Hokies, 42-26. To go along with his rebound harvest, Ketner added 21 points.

"Without Tyrone, I have to concentrate more on rebounding," Ketner said. "I have a bigger role to play on offense too."

Charlton Clarke was impressed.

"Lari had a great game," Clarke said. "He dominated the game. When we needed a basket we went inside to Lari."

Ketner's 21 tied him with Clarke for the team lead in points scored. Clarke also anchored the UMass defense with a career-high six steals.

With Weeks out of the lineup, sophomore Chris Kirkland saw significant time at the power forward spot and his play sparked the Minutemen.

"I like to play against the bigger guys," Kirkland said.

UMass never trailed and got things started early when Clarke buried a straight-on 3-pointer 15 seconds into the game. With Clarke and Ketner shouldering most of the offensive load, the Minutemen stretched their lead to 22-8 with 8:32 remaining in the first half.

"Charlton got us going early and it carried over," Flint said.

The Hokies cut the UMass lead to seven points late in the half at 29-22, but the Minutemen answered with an 8-0 run that crossed halftime to grab a 37-22 advantage. That lead reached 18 points at 61-43 with 2:48 left.


Cruz makes most of his minutes
By Matt Vautour, The Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 3/5/98

PHILADELPHIA - For the first 28 games of the season, it appeared that this season was a lost cause for freshman Rafael Cruz. He spent games sitting at the far end of the University of Massachusetts bench cheering for his teammates, but seldom did his sneakers get a chance to squeak on the game floor.

Cruz played a few times early, seeing sparse minutes against early Minuteman foes, but erratic play quickly found his warm-up jersey back on for another long stint as a spectator.

In a six-minute stretch at Fordham, Cruz produced two points, four turnovers and four fouls and a return to the shelf.

With that history behind him, there were more than a few groans from UMass fans when Cruz was inserted Sunday against Temple. But Cruz proved to be a pleasant surprise. He scored a career-high eight points and dished out three assists in the loss to the Owls.

His stint impressed Flint, who put him in the lineup again last night. Cruz continued to establish himself as a reliable free throw shooter going 3-for-4. He has now hit 9-of-10 free throws in the last two games.

"He's played excellent," Clarke said. "The last two games he's come in off the bench and helped us. He's done a fine job"

Cruz is enjoying the ride.

"Bruiser gave me the opportunity to play so I'm just trying to go out there and do my best," Cruz said. "All season long they've been telling me to be patient and stay ready. I've been waiting all season long for this chance and now it's here so I'm taking advantage. I have nothing to lose."

Cruz said he is proud of how much he's improved since the early season.

"When I first came here I used to throw the ball away all the time," Cruz said. "It was frustrating to sit on the bench every game. I learned to just calm down and run the offense and look for open shots and stuff like that."

While Cruz's minutes have gone up, Jonathan DePina's numbers have decreased, but Flint warned not to read too much into it.

"They went to a little zone and I think Rafy can hit shots. The kid is making the most of his opportunity," Flint said. "It's nothing against Jonathan."

* * *

TYRONE Weeks is feeling better, but isn't sure whether his left ankle will be ready to go Thursday.

"I'm able to put a little more pressure than I did yesterday. It's going to get better with some rest," Weeks said. "I'll be all right and just bounce back."


Virginia Tech Hokies (W6) 58
Massachusetts Minutemen (E3) 64
Atlantic-10 Tournament First Round
at the CoreStates Spectrum, Philadelphia PA

VIRGINIA TECH (58)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Roberts         35 10-19   1-2   1-4  0  4   21
Ray             27   1-3   2-2   0-4  5  5    5
Wheeler         27   4-5   2-2   1-4  0  0   10
Dunlop          33   1-5   0-0   1-3  5  3    2
Grindstaff      28   1-3   1-2   0-0  3  4    4
Guillory        21   1-5   0-0   0-1  1  3    3
Whaley           1   0-0   0-0   0-0  0  0    0
Browne          16   4-6   0-0   0-2  0  2    8
Lucas           12   1-3   2-4   0-2  0  0    5
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 23-49  8-12  3-20 14 21   58
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.469, FT-.667. 3-Point Goals:
4-11, .364 (Roberts 0-2, Ray 1-2, Dunlop 0-1,
Grindstaff 1-3, Guillory 1-2, Lucas 1-1). Team
rebounds: 6. Blocked shots: 5 (Roberts 4, Ray).
Turnovers: 19 (Roberts 6, Grindstaff 5, Ray 2,
Browne, Dunlop, Guillory, Lucas). Steals: 7
(Dunlop 2, Roberts 2, Wheeler 2, Browne).

MASSACHUSETTS (64)
                      fg    ft    rb
               min   m-a   m-a   o-t  a pf   tp
Babul           30   1-4   2-2   3-5  1  1    4
Basit           19   2-6   2-2   2-4  1  4    6
Ketner          33  9-18   3-7  4-15  2  1   21
Clarke          39  7-12   3-4   0-5  1  4   21
Mack            33  1-10   0-2   0-0  1  3    2
Depina          10   0-0   0-0   1-2  2  2    0
Cruz             6   0-0   3-4   0-0  1  0    3
Kirkland        30   3-6   1-4   4-6  1  1    7
_______________________________________________
TOTALS         200 23-56 14-25 14-37 10 16   64
_______________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.411, FT-.560. 3-Point Goals:
4-11, .364 (Clarke 4-7, Mack 0-4). Team rebounds:
5. Blocked shots: 2 (Kirkland, Clarke).
Turnovers: 17 (Mack 5, Babul 3, Kirkland 3,
Clarke 2, Depina 2, Basit, Ketner). Steals: 7
(Clarke 6, Depina).
__________________________________
Virginia Tech      22   36  -   58
Massachusetts      31   33  -   64
__________________________________
Technical fouls: None.  A: 6,204. Officials:
Larry Lembo, Mike Sanzere, John Moreau.

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