The Daily Hampshire Gazette
The Boston Globe
The Boston Herald
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Springfield Union-News - preview 
our games in four days, essentially with seven players, starting against a team that beat them by 26-points last time. The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team's difficult task begins at 7 tonight against Duquesne in the Atlantic 10 Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena in Ohio.
The winner will face defending champion Dayton at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Flyers have a first-round bye.
But despite the odds against them and the fact that nobody has ever won the Atlantic 10 Tournament without a first-round bye, the Minutemen (10-18, 4-12 A-10) express optimism about their chances.
''Now we look at it as 0-0. All the records are out the window,'' freshman guard Artie Bowers said. ''Whoever gives the best goes to the NCAA Tournament.''
Senior Anthony Anderson agreed.
''It's never been done. So its going to be tough,'' he said. ''It's a whole new season. We've been playing well lately and we know we can beat good teams, so we feel we have a good chance.''
The Minutemen are trying to avenge an 88-62 loss at Duquesne on Jan. 18, when Jack Higgins came off the bench to score 24 points for the Dukes.
''We went down there and they had fun and blew us out in their own gym,'' Anderson said. ''We're looking to get them back.''
Bowers said UMass has gotten better since then. ''A whole lot better. I think as a team we've gotten more mature and progressed a whole lot. I think this time around things are going to be a whole lot different,'' he said. ''They kicked our butt last time. We have to come out and prove that it shouldn't have happened the first time and its not going to happen this time.''
Duquesne coach Danny Nee said his team has gotten better too.
''The players have responded. This team has gotten stronger,'' he said. ''We've improved from the beginning of the season to the end. We just could not sustain the consistency.''
The Dukes (11-16, 6-10 A-10) regularly go at least nine players deep led by senior big man Elijah Palmer, who is averaging 14.1 points per game.
Lappas said he's not going to let the depth factor change his team's approach.
''They have a lot of depth and we don't, so that's a factor. But we're not going to worry past Wednesday,'' he said. ''We're going to do whatever we can do to win Wednesday and then worry about what happens after that. We're going to play the game the way we would play the game.
''It's a long season for these guys, especially the young guys that have to play so many minutes. I think we've found a bit of a kick again. Hopefully that's going to carry us through this week.''
Lappas, who in recent weeks has been preaching a message about the future, said ''Every game that these young guys play in a tournament atmosphere helps them grow more for the future.''
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected].
Mass coach Steve Lappas doesn't think the Minutemen's reliance on the 3-point shot is a high-risk strategy.
The long ball has been the Minutemen's signature play during Lappas' tenure and that trend should hold true when UMass confronts the Duquesne Dukes in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 tournament tonight (7 p.m.) at University of Dayton Arena.
UMass (10-18, 4-12) is the fourth seed in the East Division, while the Dukes (11-16, 6-10) were the fifth qualifiers in the West Division. The winner will face Dayton, the top seed in the West, in the quarterfinal round.
The Minutemen set school records for 3-point shots made (18) and attempted (40) in a double-overtime loss at Temple on Feb. 3. UMass has connected on 185-of-549 heaves from behind the arc for a healthy 33.7 percent. Only the 2001-02 UMass team hit (204) and attempted (587) more 3-point shots.
``Temple is a zone team, so you end up shooting a lot of 3's against them,'' said Lappas, who is in his third season at Amherst. ``But we've got some pretty good perimeter guys.''
UMass junior point guard Anthony Anderson combines a nice jump shot with slashing speed. He became the 36th player in UMass history to eclipse the 1,000-point barrier in the season finale at Richmond. Anderson is third all-time for the Minutemen in 3-point baskets (226), fourth in attempts (578) and fifth in percentage (39.1).
Anderson, who played scholastic ball at Lynn English, is the elder of the five players Lappas will start against the Dukes. Center Rashaun Freeman, forward Maurice Maxwell and guard Art Bowers are freshmen and forward Jeff Viggiano is a sophomore.
The 6-foot-9, 255-pound Freeman has quickly emerged as one of the bright young stars in the A-10. Freeman started 27-of-28 games, played 29.3 minutes per outing and averaged 15.3 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. Freeman registered career highs for points (31) and rebounds (18) in an 82-71 win over St. Bonaventure at the Mullins Center on Feb. 28. ``He just turned 19, he's a young kid who has had a great, great year, and I think he's one of the best freshmen in the country,'' said Lappas.
The Dukes blitzed the Minutemen, 88-62, when they met in Pittsburgh on Jan. 18. Duquesne coach Danny Nee, who is two wins shy of the 400 mark, will likely start Jimmy Tricco and Bryant McAllister at guard, Elijah Palmer and Martin Osimani at forward, and Kieron Achara at center. Sixth man Jack Higgins came off the bench and scored 24 against the Minutemen in January. ``I watched the tape of that game and they really rammed it down our throats in transition,'' Lappas said. ``We have to get back on defense and they have a lot of different weapons.''
ith a seat next to play-by-play voice Bob Behler left open in honor of the late Jack Leaman, tonight the Massachusetts men's basketball team will begin its quest to attempt to do what its former coach, commentator and most dedicated supporter preached that it could: make a run in the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
The A-10 East Division's fourth seed, the Minutemen (10-18 4-12 A-10) will face West Division No. 5 seed Duquesne (11-16 6-10 A-10) at the University of Dayton Arena, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
The winner of the contest will move on to meet tournament host and West Division top seed Dayton.
UMass is hoping to avenge an 88-62 road loss to the Dukes in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Jan. 18, in which Jack Higgins scored a career-high 24 points to help send the Minutemen to what was their sixth consecutive loss.
However after a pair of promising performances in narrow losses to A-10 rivals Temple and Richmond, Massachusetts coach Steve Lappas feels his team is on the right course heading into the postseason.
"There's no question, we're learning and improving," Lappas said. "This is what happens when you start three first year players; they're going to have their growing pains, but they're also going to learn from them and get better.
"We played a couple good games over the past week, we just weren't able to keep it together until the final buzzer and we need to be able to do that from here on out."
In a 98-92 double overtime loss to the Owls, the Maroon and White benefited from a season-high 18 3-pointers made, as well as having all five starters scoring in double figures, including 23 points from sophomore forward Jeff Viggiano and 18 points and eight assists from freshman guard Art Bowers.
In falling 69-65 to the Spiders, however, UMass relied almost solely on a gargantuan effort from six-time A-10 Rookie of the Week Rashaun Freeman. The sophomore forward poured in his second-highest point total of the season with 27 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and a 9-of-12 effort from the free throw line, and also chipped in with seven rebounds.
However now entering the post season, where a loss would send the Minutemen home, Lappas knows that the winning formula lies somewhere in the middle of these two vastly different efforts.
"We have to have some sort of balance," Lappas said. "We want to be able to get the ball to Ray on the block and have him carry some of the offensive load, so we don't necessarily have to rely on our perimeter players making a ton of shots.
"But at the same time, we have to have some disparity in our offensive game that will take some of the pressure off of Ray."
The Dukes, meanwhile, ended their season on a sour note with losses in eight of their last 11 contests - all league games - after beginning conference play 3-2.
Head coach Danny Nee, a recent beneficiary of a two-year contract extension, will look to powerful forward Elijiah Palmer, along with guards Jimmy Tricco and Bryant McAllister to carry the load against UMass.
A 6-foot-7 senior, Palmer leads the team in both scoring (14.1 points per game) and rebounding (6.1 rebounds per game), while also shooting an efficient 55.4 percent from the field.
Tricco, a perimeter player who stands 6-foot-8, poses a match up problem for the Minutemen and has been impressive in his last four contests, recording double figures in each and averaging 13.5 ppg over the stretch.
McAllister checks in as Duquesne's second leading scorer with an 11.2 ppg average, and has scored in double figures in 20 of his 27 games on the season.
four-point loss to the second-best team in the Atlantic 10 Conference -- and the best in the West Division -- isn't sitting well with the Duquesne men's basketball team.
Only East Division champion and No. 2-ranked Saint Joseph's has a better record in the A-10 than West winner Dayton, entering the conference tournament, and the Hawks (27-0) are undefeated.
Dayton's 73-69 victory Saturday at Palumbo Center, dampening the Dukes' Senior Day activities, was another missed opportunity for Duquesne, which lost its sixth game by five points or less, including three in overtime.
Trailing by three points with 13.6 seconds remaining, Duquesne had a chance to tie the score. But Bryant McAllister's off-balance 3-pointer skipped off the rim and was rebounded by Dayton.
Jimmy Tricco, one of the seniors who were honored in their final home game at Duquesne, led the Dukes with 18 points. But it was the disappointment of another tough loss that commanded the 6-foot-8 forward's attention.
"We could have rebounded a lot better. We missed some easy layups that really hurt us. I don't think we played to the best of our ability," Tricco said.
Ramod Marshall scored a career-high 33 points to lead Dayton. Many of Marshall's outside shots went uncontested, as Duquesne centered much of its attention on the Flyers' inside game of 7-0 Sean Finn (13 points, 11 rebounds) and 6-8 Keith Waleskowski (11 points, 5 rebounds).
"I wish we could have a half-inch more," Duquesne coach Danny Nee said.
Duquesne (11-16) enters this week's A-10 tournament in Dayton, Ohio, as the fifth seed from the West. The Dukes open play at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday against Massachusetts (10-18), the fourth-seeded West team. Duquesne defeated the Minutemen, 88-62, on Jan. 18 at Palumbo Center.
But Duquesne's sub.-500 record easily could have been reversed. Included in the Dukes' six close losses were three in which the team wasted double-digit, second-half leads.
"We definitely played hard (against Dayton), but just little mental errors that we made we need to fix. We need to step it up," Tricco said.
Duquesne had Sunday off and was scheduled to practice today at Palumbo Center before departing for Dayton. The Dukes are looking to advance past the first round of the A-10 tournament for the first time since an 82-69 victory over Rhode Island in the 1994-95 season.
If they succeed in doing so, they would face Dayton (22-7) for a third time this season. The Flyers already have beaten the Dukes twice.
"We're still confident, all of us, from me to everybody on the team," Tricco said. "We're going to take that confidence with us. We're going to have a mind-set that we're going to beat whoever we're playing. We have to have that confidence in ourselves that we can beat whoever we're playing."
Notes: Tricco shot 4 for 8 from 3-point range against Dayton and is 17 for 34 (50 percent) in his past five games. ... Martin Osimani nearly had a double-double, scoring 10 points and adding nine assists. ... Dayton, which had lost four of its past six games and was coming off a 65-63 home loss to Rhode Island, began the season by winning the championship of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. The past five winners of the tournament read like a who's who of college powers: Indiana, Duke, Arizona, North Carolina and Syracuse.
ot since the days of No. 1 Massachusetts has the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament attracted so much national attention.
| Duquesne (11-16, 6-10 Atlantic 10) vs. Massachusetts (10-18, 4-12) Game info: 7 p.m., University of Dayton (Ohio) Arena On air: KQV-AM (1410) Coaches: Duquesne, Danny Nee (3rd year, 30-55; 24th year overall, 398-334); Massachusetts, Steve Lappas (3rd year, 34-52; 16th year overall, 264-224) Probable starters: Duquesne, Elijah Palmer, F, Sr., 6-7, 14.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg; Jimmy Tricco, F, Sr., 6-8, 9.1, 3.3; Kieron Achara, C, Sr., 6-9, 5.8, 3.6; Bryant McAllister, G, Soph., 6-3, 11.2, 3.2; Martin Osimani, G, Jr., 6-4, 4.6, 2.8; Massachusetts, Maurice Maxwell, F, Fr., 6-5, 7.8; Jeff Viggiano, F, Soph., 6-6, 9.7, 5.3; Rashaun Freeman, C, Soph., 6-9, 15.3, 8.4; Anthony Anderson, G, Sr., 5-11, 13.1, 4.3; Art Bowers, G, Fr., 6-4, 9.3, 3.6 The skinny: Duquesne, coming off a 73-69 home loss Saturday to Dayton in its regular-season finale, makes its 27th appearance at the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament, which is being held at Dayton for the second consecutive year. The Dukes are the fifth-seeded team from the West Division and will face Massachusetts, the East Division's fourth-seeded team. The Minutemen lost their final two regular-season games on the road by close margins -- 98-92 in overtime against Temple on Wednesday and 69-65 against Richmond on Saturday as Rashaun Freeman scored 27 points and Anthony Anderson topped 1,000 career points for Massachusetts. Duquesne, which defeated Massachusetts 88-62 on Jan. 18 at Palumbo Center, has not won an A-10 tournament game since beating Rhode Island in the first round in 1995. The winner of the Duquesne-Massachusetts game will meet West top-seed Dayton in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Thursday. |
The Hawks, who drew a first-round bye and open play in Thursday's quarterfinals against either Xavier or St. Bonaventure, are clear-cut favorites to win the tournament and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"There can't be anybody better in the league than (Saint Joseph's point guard) Jameer Nelson. He's the real deal," said Duquesne coach Danny Nee, who led the Dukes to their best regular-season finish in the league in nine seasons.
Duquesne (11-16, 6-10), the fifth-seeded team from the A-10 West Division, will meet Massachusetts (10-18, 4-12), the East's fourth-seeded team, at 7 p.m. today in one of four first-round games at the University of Dayton (Ohio) Arena.
The winner will advance to face host Dayton (22-7, 12-4), the West's top seed, in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Thursday. The semifinals will be held Friday and the championship game Saturday.
Nee, a veteran of 24 years as a college head coach who needs two victories to reach 400 for his career, thinks the A-10 is wrongly perceived across the country as a second-rate league.
"The Atlantic 10 is a little better than people think," said Nee, who has posted 11 20-win seasons combined at Ohio and Nebraska. "When you get out of the Northeast, you've kind of been blinded. The league has been a consistent product all along. Everybody has trouble getting the big men."
Saint Joseph's and Dayton are the likely locks for NCAA Tournament bids out of the conference, with a handful of others, including perennial contender Temple, hoping to snare at-large berths.
"If we have any shot of going to the NCAAs, we're all going to have play better," said Temple guard David Hawkins, who is averaging a team-best 24.6 points per game for the Owls (15-12, 9-7).
Duquesne and Massachusetts, however, are not among the postseason pool. Their only hope of advancing is to win the A-10 Tournament title.
Nee is banking on his program becoming a contender again after a long layoff for the Dukes, who haven't reached the NCAA Tournament since 1977. The school apparently thinks he can do it, too, extending his contract last week by two years through the 2007-08 season.
"Our program is trying to turn the corner," he said. "We're trying to recruit well. We can build a whole cemetery on former Duquesne coaches. How many guys have come here and gotten fired? It's kind of scary."
Duquesne defeated Massachusetts, 88-62, during the regular season and is hoping to advance past the first round of the A-10 Tournament for the first time since 1995.
"They're a very tough team. They do a lot of good things. They run a zillion plays," Massachusetts coach Steve Lappas said. "Duquesne has a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. They're a difficult matchup. They have good depth, and we're anticipating a very tough game."
Likewise, Duquesne should be expecting a similar toughness from Massachusetts. Since nearly falling flat on their face, the Minutemen seem to have regrouped. Their past two games have resulted in close road losses to Temple and Richmond.
his has been a season of changes for Duquesne's team and its coach, Danny Nee.
| More Dukes coverage Matchup: Duquesne (11-16, 6-10 Atlantic 10) vs. Massachusetts (10-18, 4-12) 7 p.m. today, University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio. Radio, Internet: KQV-AM (1410)/ www.GoDuquesne.com, www.redzonemedia.com Duquesne: Is coming off a 73-69 loss to Dayton in which Jimmy Tricco scored a team-high 18 points that included 4 of 8 from beyond the arc. Tricco has made 17 of 32 3-point attempts in the past five games. ... Is 0-13 when scoring fewer than 70 points. ... Averages 15.4 assists per game, second in the A-10. ... Holding teams to 41.2 percent shooting from the field. ... Won the first meeting this season, 88-62, but Massachusetts leads the series, 29-20. Massachusetts: Is coming off a 69-65 defeat at Richmond for its seventh loss in the final eight games of the regular season. ... Is led by freshman F Rashaun Freeman (15.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg), G Anthony Anderson (13.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 81 3-pointers), G/F Jeff Viggiano (9.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg) and G Art Bowers (9.3 ppg). ... Is coached by Steve Lappas (34-52 in third season). Hidden stat: This is the eighth meeting between Duquesne and Massachusetts in the tournament, with the Dukes winning the first three and the Minutemen the past four. |
"I'm more comfortable knowing what the players can do," he said, "and I think they understand better what I expect from them."
The Dukes have gone from patsy to at least pretender in the Atlantic 10 Conference, moving out of the cellar for the first time since 1997-98. Seeded fifth in the West Division, Duquesne (11-16, 6-10) meets No. 4 Massachusetts (10-18, 4-12) from the East at 7 p.m. today in the opening round of the tournament at the University of Dayton Arena.
Duquesne defeated Massachusetts, 88-62, in mid-January at the Palumbo Center.
The Duquesne-Massachusetts winner will play tomorrow night against Dayton, which received a bye in the opening round by finishing first in the West.
The Dukes certainly would like to change their losing ways in the tournament. They haven't won a game since an 82-69 victory against Rhode Island in the first round in 1994-95.
Although Massachusetts lost seven of its final eight games, the Minutemen proved to be a stubborn opponent in a 98-92 double overtime loss at Temple and a 69-65 loss at Richmond in the past week.
Duquesne is coming off a 73-69 loss Saturday to Dayton in which Nee shortened his bench by using only eight players, all of whom played at least 14 minutes.
Junior forward Jon Pawlak didn't see action for the first time this season and junior guard Tyler Bluemling also didn't play.
Pawlak, whose minutes have dwindled of late, hasn't fulfilled the promise he flashed with a 19-point, 7-rebound performance in an overtime loss at West Virginia in the second week of December.
Pawlak has scored just 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the past 11 games.
"I'm always adjusting and evaluating as the players are performing," Nee said. "A shortened bench is typical of most coaches this time of year. You have to do it. You see things clearer later in the season."
Duquesne's rotation was clouded earlier in the year because Jack Higgins wasn't eligible until the seventh game. He provides instant offense off the bench and the Dukes are 7-1 when he scores in double figures.
"Until he came on the scene we didn't have a lot of options," Nee said. "He does have an impact."
Nee, whose philosophies of the game were molded long ago when he listen to John Wooden and other legendary coaches at summer camps, has changed his use of timeouts this season.
"I've changed on my thinking. I always believed you should save all your timeouts until the final minutes of a half or game. Through my career I've been a saver," he said. "With this team, I've discovered it's best to use them immediately and quickly to keep us in the game."
An example of that was best illustrated in Duquesne's 74-68 victory at Xavier in which Nee called timeouts to stop Xavier's momentum every time the Musketeers got on a roll.
"You've got to coach the way that's best for your team," he said.
"You coach differently if you have a veteran team. You have to keep changing as a coach or you should get out of this business."
NOTES -- No team has ever won four games to capture the A-10 championship. ... The lowest seed to reach the championship game was No. 8 West Virginia in 1980, and the lowest seed to win the title was No. 5 West Virginia in '84. ... The top seed has won eight of the past 12 championships. ... Dayton was a No. 2 seed when it won last year on its home court.
AYTON, Ohio -- The future looks bright to the players and coaches of the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team.
They see the potential. They see the growth in the team's freshman and sophomores. They see a team that could be pretty good.
Next year.
This year ended for the Minutemen (10-19) Wednesday night with a 79-76 loss to Duquesne (12-16) in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament at UD Arena.
The loss - the eighth for UMass in its last nine games - will likely fuel continued speculation about Steve Lappas' future as Minuteman coach.
New UMass athletic director John McCutcheon told reporters at halftime that he will not make a decision about Lappas' future until after the A-10 Tournament. ''We're going to go back (to Amherst) and talk about it and see where we are,'' McCutcheon said. ''We've had some initial conversations, and we'll continue to have those. My guess is that we'll have those talks early next week.''
 Steve Lappas fights for a call during the game. After the season-ending loss he might have to fight for his job. |
''I enjoy coaching these kids,'' said Lappas, who has a 34-53 record in three years at UMass. ''Anybody watching us can see that we have three freshman playing at least 30 minutes. No one in the league is playing that many freshman, and our kids are getting better and better.''
As for how much the controversy has affected the players, that depends on who you ask.
Freshman Maurice Maxwell admitted that the talk about Lappas' future has been a distraction, but senior guard Anthony Anderson said it hadn't affected the team at all.
''That talk's been going on for a long time - all season,'' Anderson said. ''Personally, I don't think (Lappas is) going anywhere, but we're going to be good next year no matter who the coach is.''
Wednesday's game was the most thrilling of the four first-round A-10 Tournament matchups. The game featured 12 ties and 19 lead changes and wasn't decided until the final play.
''I thought that was a great college basketball game,'' said Duquesne coach Danny Nee. ''UMass played at a very high level up until the last shot, and I thought Duquesne played a very high level. This is what tournament basketball is all about.''
The Minutemen led by as many as nine points in the second half. After trailing by four at the half, UMass opened the second half on a 23-10 run, and Rashaun Freeman's bucket with 11 minutes, four seconds to go gave UMass a 57-48 lead.
But Jack Higgins took over for the Dukes, just as he did when the teams met Jan. 18. Higgins scored all 14 of his points Wednesday in the final 10 minutes. He had nine points in an 11-2 run that gave Duquesne the lead with seven minutes to go.
Higgins, who had 24 points against UMass in the Dukes' 88-62 win in January, was 4-for-5 on 3-pointers.
''He hit some big shots for them,'' Maxwell said. ''He found the crack in the defense, and he's got a quick release.''
UMass came back and took a four-point lead in the final three minutes, after Jeff Viggiano hit a pair of free throws. But Duquesne outscored UMass 12-5 over the last 2:32. Bryant McAllister's basket with 1:10 to go gave the Dukes the lead for good.
Martin Osimani hit four free throws in the final 10 seconds for Duquesne, but the Dukes didn't seal the win until Jimmy Tricco intercepted a full-court pass from Freeman just before the buzzer.
Tricco, Higgins and Palmer all had 14 points for the Dukes, who won an A-10 Tournament game for the first time since 1995.
Freeman (12 rebounds) and Art Bowers each had 18 points for UMass, while Maxwell added 16 points. All five Minutemen starters played at least 32 minutes.
''I think anybody who watches the game sees what we have the potential to be,'' Lappas said. ''Our young guys played very, very well. I thought we did great as a team. These kids have given everything they have. Six guys, and you just can't ask for anything more from them.''
AYTON, Ohio -- Perhaps it will make it more determined next season, knowing how close they came in their last three games to pulling out a dramatic victory. Last night, the University of Massachusetts needed to win merely to keep its subpar season alive.
Instead, the Minutemen lost the battle of big plays down the stretch to a Duquesne team equally determined to salvage its campaign. The Dukes rallied from a 4-point deficit over the last 2 minutes 33 seconds to claim their first Atlantic 10 tournament victory since 1995, an opening-round 79-76 win that ended the Minutemen's season at 10-19, their second consecutive 19-loss season. Duquesne, the fifth seed from the West Division, improved to 12-16 and will meet tournament host Dayton, the No. 2 seed in the West, tonight at 7.
The fourth seed from the East Division, injury-hampered UMass played just eight players. They entered the game having lost to Temple in double overtime last Wednesday and at Richmond by 4 points last Saturday. Still, the Minutemen scarcely resembled the team that lost at Duquesne, 88-62, Jan. 18.
"I think anybody who watches the game sees what we have the potential to be," said UMass coach Steve Lappas. "Our young guys played very, very well. I thought we did great as a team. I was very pleased about the way we went about everything in the last couple of weeks especially."
However, the Minutemen's late-season progress wasn't reflected in the win column. UMass lost eight of its last 10 games, its worst finish over the last 10 games since the 1988-89 season. It also lost in the first round of the conference tournament for the second consecutive season and is now 6-2 in its last eight opening-round games.
 Rashaun Freeman breaks through the Duquesne double-team. |
In the contest Jan. 18 contest, Duquesne reserve guard Jack Higgins scored a season-high 24 points with six treys. Last night, Higgins was at it again. He scored 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. All of his treys came in the second half.
"It was just a matter of me staying poised because I didn't do too well in the first half," said Higgins. He finished 13 for 21 from the floor against UMass this season.
Last night, teammates Elijah Palmer and Jimmy Tricco added 14 points each.
In a contest that was close throughout (neither team leading by more than 9 points), the Minutemen led, 71-67, with 3:28 left, but Duquesne scored 8 straight points to take a 75-71 lead with 32 seconds left.
Freeman cut the lead to 2 on a putback bucket with 9.8 seconds left. After Duquesne guard Martin Osimani sank two free throws to put the Dukes ahead, 77-73, UMass forward Brennan Martin drained a trey with three seconds left to cut the lead to 1.
But Osimani sank two more free throws with 1.8 seconds left for the game's final tally. Then Tricco intercepted a length-of- the-court pass by Freeman and ran out the final second.
"It was a great college basketball game. UMass played a very high level up until the last shot," said Duquesne coach Danny Nee, who has led the Dukes to their most victories in a season since 1993-94. The Dukes have now beaten UMass more than any other A-10 tournament foe, 4-4 in their meetings.
UMass trailed, 38-34, at halftime, but at the start of the second half played the type of inspired basketball that has typified its recent contests. The Minutemen quickly scored the first 8 points of the half, including consecutive treys by Maurice Maxwell to forge ahead, 42-38, with 18:13 left.
The Minutemen took the game's biggest lead, 57-48, on a Freeman layup with 11:04 left. Then the Dukes responded with a 13-2 run, including two treys by Higgins, to take a 61-59 lead with 8:07 remaining.
"When our starting five gets tired, we really can't look for any backup and that's been our problem all year," said Freeman.
AYTON, Ohio - The young UMass Minutemen learned what it's like to be within a finger's reach of a postseason victory, but saw a nine-point second-half lead disappear last night in a 79-76 loss to Duquesne in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
``You always feel like you are taking command, but you never really have command until you have command,'' UMass coach Steve Lappas said.
Martin Osimani hit four free throws in the final 8.9 seconds to give Duquesne its first A-10 tournament win since 1995 and keep UMass (10-19) out of the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
``I think anybody who watched the game sees what we have potential to be,'' said Lappas, who fell to 34-53 in three seasons in Amherst. ``These kids have given everything they have. Six guys and you just can't ask for anything more from them.''
The young guys Lappas referred to again led the Minutemen. Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Rashaun Freeman had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and fellow freshman Art Bowers added 18.
With freshman Maurice Maxwell and sophomore Jeff Viggiano also scoring in double figures, 66 of UMass' 76 points came from freshmen and sophomores.
``Our young guys played very, very well,'' Lappas said.
But not well enough to win. Freeman said UMass' lack of depth - all five starters played at least 32 minutes - was a key.
``I didn't play my best because they're a running team and I get tired really quick and that didn't allow me to work as hard as I usually work,'' Freeman said.
``When our starting five get tired, we really can't look for any backup and that's been our problem all year.''
The Minutemen had chances to put the game away in the second half. A 23-10 run to open the half put UMass up, 57-48, with 11:09 left. But Duquesne's Jimmy Tricco and Jack Higgins combined to hit three 3-pointers in the next three minutes. A Kieron Achara jumper gave Duquesne the lead, 61-59, with 8:08 remaining.
``The key to us is we didn't buckle when we were down,'' Duquesne coach Danny Nee said. ``We just kept making shots and showed a lot of heart.''
Nee's team also showed it could hit clutch free throws. The Dukes did not miss a free throw in the game's final 10 minutes, and two players (Osimani, Tyler Bluemling) who went the first 39 minutes without scoring combined to go 6-for-6 from the stripe in the final 32 seconds.
UMass pulled within three points on a 3-pointer by Martin Brennan with 2.3 seconds left. After Osimani hit his final two free throws, the Minutemen had a desperation attempt to tie the game with 1.8 seconds left but were not able to get a shot off.
``I feel like we have been getting better since day one,'' Anderson said of the Minutemen. ``We're very young and sometimes we show that.''
nd that's your season.
Playing its first game following the death of former coach, color commentator and longtime supporter Jack Leaman, the Massachusetts men's basketball team played inspired basketball, but couldn't hold a nine-point second half lead in falling 79-76 to Duquesne in the opening round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
The Minutemen (10-19 4-13 A-10) conclude the season losers of three in a row and eight of nine, while the Dukes (12-16 7-10 A-10) have now won three in a row after losing five straight, and move on to face host Dayton tonight in the quarterfinal round.
Sophomore forward Rashaun Freeman's inside basket with 10 seconds to play brought UMass to within two at 75-73, but a pair of Martin Osimani free throws pushed the Dukes lead back to four with 8.6 remaining in the contest.
Junior Brennan Martin then pulled the Minutemen to within a point at 77-76 with a deep a 3-pointer from the corner, and UMass again was able to foul Osimani on the inbounds pass.
The junior guard, having scored just two points in 31 minutes of play on the night, sank both free throws to give Duquesne a 79-76 lead with 1.8 left on the game clock. Jimmy Tricco then stole the ensuing inbounds pass to seal the win for coach Danny Nee's squad.
Freeman, who was recently named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, tied a game-high with 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for UMass, while fellow A-10 All-Rookie Team selection Art Bowers matched Freeman's output with 18 points of his own.
The Minutemen also received solid contributions from freshman guard Maurice Maxwell (16 points), as well as sophomore forward Jeff Viggiano (10 points).
Tricco, Elijiah Palmer and Jack Higgins all tossed in 14 points for Duquesne, and Kieron Achara and Bryant McAllister chipped in with 13 and 12 points, respectively.
The Maroon and White scored six points in a row to take a 71-67 lead at the 2:32 mark of the second half, but the Dukes evened the score on pair of free throws from McAllister and a Higgins baseline jumper.
McAllister then capitalized on a Minuteman miss when he converted a turnaround jumper in the paint at the 1:10 mark, giving Duquesne a 73-71 edge.
After the Maroon and White missed a 3-point attempt, McAllister was fouled hard in the backcourt by Viggiano and was slow to get up.
Helped to the bench with an apparent injury, McAllister was replaced at the free throw line by seldom-used reserve guard Tyler Bluemling, who proceeded to sink both free throws to push the Dukes' lead to 75-71 with 32.2 seconds to play.
UMass concludes what was its third consecutive losing season under coach Steve Lappas, but with a talented core of promising young players, will look to the future in hopes of furthering what has been a painful rebuilding process.
The Minutemen will graduate only walk-on Paco Kotaridis, and should benefit from the return of center Gabe Lee. In addition, 2003 top-100 recruit and 3-point specialist Lawrence Carrier, a native of San Bernadino, Calif. will join the squad after sitting out a season under Proposition 48.
He will be joined by big men Jeff Salovski of Bristol, Conn. and Oliver Lamareaux, a native of Canada.
Returning for the Minutemen will be all five starters, including All-Rookie honorees Freeman and Bowers, as well as captain Anthony Anderson.
AYTON, Ohio -- Duquesne coach Danny Nee has been first in line to tell whoever is listening, "We've got a long way to go," but he is constantly being encouraged by the progress of his program.
The Dukes gave him another jolt of confidence Wednesday night with a gutty performance in a 79-76 victory over Massachusetts in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament at the University of Dayton Arena.
"Coach Nee is a real good guy, and I love playing with my teammates. I've got unconditional love for them. I like it a lot," said Duquesne sophomore guard Jack Higgins, who gave the Dukes a second-half lift by scoring all of his 14 points off the bench after intermission.
Higgins, who scored a career-high 24 points in Duquesne's 88-62 win over Massachusetts on Jan. 18 at Palumbo Center, hit 4 of 5 3-point shots last night.
"He's been a real bonus," Nee said. "He's come off the bench and been able to make shots and make plays. He's hurt UMass both times we played them. He's done this before, and that's his forte."
Nee then turned to Higgins and said with a half-smile: "If we can get him to play defense, we'd be all set."
Duquesne (12-16) moves on to the quarterfinals tonight (7 p.m.) against host Dayton (22-7). It represents the third time the teams will have met this season and the second in six days. Dayton defeated Duquesne 73-69 on Saturday at Palumbo Center.
A victory for the Dukes would mark the first time since 1985 that they would win two games in the A-10 tournament. What's more, it would give Nee his 400th career win.
"We're real excited. We're happy to be here another day," Nee said. "We just kept making plays and showed a lot of heart. I thought it was a great team victory for us."
 Jimmy Tricco's pumped after hitting a 3-pointer in the second half. |
"Our confidence is really high right now," Tricco said. "I was talking to the other seniors -- Elijah and Ron (Dokes) -- and they didn't want to stop playing. They want to keep it going. We're at our last chance right here and we want to make the most of it.
In addition to breaking a nine-game tournament losing streak, the victory gives Duquesne its most wins in a season since the 1993-94 team finished 17-13 with a split of two games in the National Invitation Tournament.
"To do something Duquesne hasn't done in a while is really special for me, personally, to help the team get where it needs to be going," Tricco said. "Coach Nee and these guys will do a wonderful job of taking Duquesne in the right direction in the future."
Duquesne erased a nine-point second-half deficit with a 13-2 run to take a 61-59 lead with 8:10 to go on a layup by freshman Kieron Achara.
The teams traded leads before Massachusetts (10-19) went in front 71-67 with 3:28 to go on two free throws by Maurice Maxwell.
Duquesne converted 21 of 25 free throws, including 14 of 16 in the second half, and made their final 10 to help seal the victory.
McAllister sank two from the line to cut the Massachusetts lead to two beffore Higgins scored on a baseline move to tie it 71-71. McAllister then put the DUkes up for good, 73-71, on a pullup jumper in the lane.
After Massachusetts failed to convert, Duquesne held the ball and McAllister was fouled hard by the Minutemen's Jeff Viggiano, knocking the wind out of McAllister and sending him to the bench.
Junior Tyler Bluemling sank both free throws for McAllister -- Bluemling's only action of the night -- to give Duquesne a four-point cushion.
But after Rashaun Freeman scored on a putback for Massachusetts, Martin Osimani hit the first of his four consecutive free throws in the final 8.6 seconds. In between, Massachusetts made it very interesting when Brennan Martin hit a long 3-point shot to momentarily move the Minutemen within one point with 1.8 seconds remaining.
"I am a good free-throw shooter. I was fine," Bluemling said. "I was ready. I was loose. I love the guys on this team. They're great. This makes my season sweeter. You never know what can happen now."
Nee elected to use Bluemling as a substitute at the line, even though he had made just 4 of 7 before last night.
"Stats (don't mean anything)," Nee said. "He's a great free-throw shooter. I think he's our best free-throw shooter."
Freeman, who won his seventh A-10 Rookie of the Week Award after averaging 18.5 points and 9.5 rebounds last week, led Massachusetts with game-highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds. Art Bowers also scored 18 points for the Minutemen.
Note: The Duquesne-Dayton game will be broadcast tonight throughout southwestern Pennsylvania for Comcast cable subscribers on the FYI Channel.
AYTON, Ohio -- Maybe it was a move that smacked of genius. Or possibly it was the act of a desperate coach who knew there was nothing else left to do.
With Duquesne trailing by nine points midway through the second half and looking very much like a team ready to pack up its uniforms, Danny Nee sent Jack Higgins into the game.
Higgins scored all 14 of his points in the final 10 minutes to be the catalyst of Duquesne's 79-76 victory against Massachusetts in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament last night at the University of Dayton Arena.
It was the first tournament victory for Duquesne since 1995 and advanced the Dukes (12-16) into the quarterfinals against Dayton (22-7) at 7 p.m. tonight. Dayton, which received a bye in the opening round as the top seed in the West Division, defeated Duquesne twice during the season, 70-58 and 73-69, and has beaten the Dukes 15 consecutive times.
The 12 victories is the most for a Duquesne team since the Dukes were 17-13 in 1993-94 under John Carroll.
"We're happy to be here another day," Nee said. "We're going to have to play a perfect game to be competitive."
Massachusetts (10-19), loser of eight of its final nine games, led, 56-47, when Higgins made his entrance. The Minutemen were still clinging to a 71-67 advantage with 2 1/2 minutes left.
Bryant McAllister (12 points) made two free throws to cut the deficit to 71-69, and Higgins' running one-hander on the baseline tied the score, 71-71, with 2:03 to go. McAllister's jumper in the lane gave the Dukes the lead for good, 73-71, at 1:09.
Duquesne scored its final six points from the line -- Tyler Bluemling was 2 of 2 and Martin Osimani 4 of 4.
Bluemling made his first appearance in the game when he came off the bench to shoot free throws for McAllister, who had the wind knocked out of him in a collision with Massachusetts' Jeff Viggiano.
Bluemling, a seldom-used junior reserve from Mt. Lebanon, calmly sank both shots with 32 seconds remaining to give Duquesne breathing room at 75-71.
"He's our best free-throw shooter," Nee said. "He's a great free-throw shooter. Period."
When it was pointed out that Bluemling was just 4 of 7 for the season, Nee said with a laugh, "Stats, I don't care about stats. He's the best free-throw shooter on the team."
McAllister added, "I had complete confidence in Tyler making my free throws. Thanks."
The Dukes can thank Higgins for giving them a spark. Until his appearance, they had been playing without a sense of urgency or purpose.
"He's done this before, that's his forte," Nee said of Higgins, a 6-foot-5 sophomore who transferred from Cleveland and graduated from Schenley High School. "Right now, he comes off the bench ... he's got a lot of heart ... he's fearless. He takes shots and makes them."
Higgins hit 3-pointers from the corner, the wing and the top of the key. He was 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.
"I come into the game to take shots, to stay calm and just shoot the ball unconsciously," he said, smiling. "Coach gives me the green light. I'm very fearless to put the ball up to the rim."
With Higgins leading the way, Duquesne turned a 56-47 deficit into a 64-61 lead with 7:22 remaining.
But Massachusetts stormed back to recapture the momentum until the final flurry by Duquesne.
"The key is we didn't buckle under when we were down four ... five ... six points," Nee said.
"They hit some big shots. We hit some big shots," said senior Jimmy Tricco, whose 14 points included 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.
"We're feeling good. Our confidence is really high now."
NOTES -- Duquesne hasn't won two games in the tournament since 1985. ... The Dukes are 8-1 when Higgins scores in double figures. He had 24 points in Duquesne's 88-62 victory against Massachusetts at Palumbo Center in mid-January. ... Tricco has made 21 of 37 3-pointers in the past six games. ... Freshman Kieron Achara matched his career high with 13 points.
| Duquesne Dukes (W5) | 79 |
| Massachusetts Minutemen (E4) | 76 |
| Atlantic 10 Tournament, First Round at the UD Arena, Dayton OH | |
Official Basketball Box Score
Duquesne vs Massachusetts
03/10/04 7:00 pm at UD Arena
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Duquesne 12-16
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
04 Palmer, Elijah...... f 6-15 0-0 2-2 2 3 5 2 14 0 0 0 0 27
44 Tricco, Jimmy....... f 5-6 4-5 0-0 0 1 1 3 14 2 0 2 1 35
42 Achara, Kieron...... c 4-8 0-0 5-5 2 2 4 3 13 1 2 1 0 24
05 Osimani, Martin..... g 0-1 0-1 4-4 0 2 2 1 4 6 6 0 2 31
22 McAllister, Bryant.. g 3-10 0-3 6-8 0 7 7 0 12 6 0 0 2 32
20 Tricco, Ryan........ 1-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 0 10
23 Higgins, Jack....... 5-8 4-5 0-0 0 4 4 0 14 1 1 0 0 20
32 Bluemling, Tyler.... 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1
33 Pawlak, Jon......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
41 Dokes, Ron.......... 1-3 0-0 2-4 0 4 4 4 4 1 3 0 0 16
TEAM................ 1 3 4
Totals.............. 25-53 8-15 21-25 5 26 31 15 79 17 13 3 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-27 51.9% 2nd Half: 11-26 42.3% Game: 47.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-8 37.5% 2nd Half: 5-7 71.4% Game: 53.3% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 7-9 77.8% 2nd Half: 14-16 87.5% Game: 84.0% 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts 10-19
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
11 Maxwell,Maurice..... f 7-15 2-7 0-2 1 7 8 1 16 5 2 2 2 34
22 Viggiano,Jeff....... f 3-6 0-3 4-6 3 4 7 5 10 3 0 1 1 39
01 Freeman,Rashaun..... c 8-14 0-0 2-2 3 9 12 2 18 2 6 0 0 32
12 Anderson,Anthony.... g 3-9 1-6 0-0 2 5 7 2 7 3 1 0 1 36
34 Bowers,Art.......... g 5-14 3-7 5-5 1 1 2 1 18 2 4 0 1 38
00 Martin,Brennan...... 1-2 1-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 6
05 Lasme,Stephane...... 2-3 0-0 0-3 2 0 2 4 4 1 1 0 0 9
13 Chadwick,Chris...... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
TEAM................
Totals.............. 29-63 7-24 11-18 12 26 38 16 76 17 14 3 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 14-30 46.7% 2nd Half: 15-33 45.5% Game: 46.0% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-11 36.4% 2nd Half: 3-13 23.1% Game: 29.2% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 2-5 40.0% 2nd Half: 9-13 69.2% Game: 61.1% 3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: David Walker, Mike Roberts, D.J. Carstensen
Technical fouls: Duquesne-None. Massachusetts-None.
Attendance:
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Duquesne...................... 38 41 - 79
Massachusetts................. 34 42 - 76
Points in the paint-DU 26,UM 36. Points off turnovers-DU 8,UM 15.
2nd chance points-DU 8,UM 15. Fast break points-DU 17,UM 7.
Bench points-DU 22,UM 7. Score tied-12 times. Lead changed-19 times.
Last FG-DU 2nd-01:09, UM 2nd-00:03.
Play-By-Play
Duquesne vs Massachusetts
03/10/04 7:00 pm at UD Arena
1st PERIOD Play-by-Play (Page 1)
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts TIME SCORE MAR VISITORS: Duquesne
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOOD! JUMPER by Viggiano,Jeff 19:44 2-0 H 2
ASSIST by Maxwell,Maurice 19:44
19:35 MISSED LAYUP by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 19:35
MISSED JUMPER by Bowers,Art 19:14
19:14 BLOCK by Tricco, Jimmy
19:09 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
19:01 2-3 V 1 GOOD! 3 PTR by Tricco, Jimmy
19:01 ASSIST by Osimani, Martin
GOOD! 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 18:43 5-3 H 2
18:37 5-5 T 1 GOOD! LAYUP by Palmer, Elijah [FB/PNT]
18:37 ASSIST by Achara, Kieron
TURNOVR by Bowers,Art 18:13
18:12 STEAL by Osimani, Martin
FOUL by Anderson,Anthony 18:08
18:08 5-6 V 1 GOOD! FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
18:08 MISSED FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 18:08
FOUL by Anderson,Anthony 17:49
TURNOVR by Anderson,Anthony 17:49
17:27 TURNOVR by Achara, Kieron
17:25 FOUL by Osimani, Martin
MISSED FT SHOT by Viggiano,Jeff 17:25
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 17:25
MISSED FT SHOT by Viggiano,Jeff 17:25
17:25 REBOUND (DEF) by Palmer, Elijah
17:17 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 17:17
TURNOVR by Freeman,Rashaun 16:55
16:38 TURNOVR by Osimani, Martin
STEAL by Viggiano,Jeff 16:37
GOOD! LAYUP by Bowers,Art [FB/PNT] 16:34 7-6 H 1
ASSIST by Viggiano,Jeff 16:34
16:16 MISSED JUMPER by Achara, Kieron
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 16:16
TURNOVR by Freeman,Rashaun 15:56
15:51 MISSED LAYUP by Palmer, Elijah
15:51 REBOUND (OFF) by Achara, Kieron
FOUL by Bowers,Art 15:49
15:49 7-7 T 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by Achara, Kieron
15:49 7-8 V 1 GOOD! FT SHOT by Achara, Kieron
15:49 TIMEOUT MEDIA
MISSED 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 15:39
15:39 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
15:15 MISSED 3 PTR by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 15:15
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun 14:55
REBOUND (OFF) by Viggiano,Jeff 14:55
GOOD! TIP-IN by Viggiano,Jeff [PNT] 14:52 9-8 H 1
14:37 9-11 V 2 GOOD! 3 PTR by Tricco, Jimmy
TURNOVR by Bowers,Art 14:17
14:15 STEAL by McAllister, Bryant
14:14 9-13 V 4 GOOD! LAYUP by Tricco, Jimmy [FB/PNT]
14:14 ASSIST by Higgins, Jack
TURNOVR by Freeman,Rashaun 13:51
13:49 STEAL by Osimani, Martin
13:45 TURNOVR by Osimani, Martin
MISSED JUMPER by Maxwell,Maurice 13:33
13:33 REBOUND (DEF) by Higgins, Jack
13:11 MISSED 3 PTR by Higgins, Jack
REBOUND (DEF) by Anderson,Anthony 13:11
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme,Stephane [PNT] 12:50 11-13 V 2
ASSIST by Maxwell,Maurice 12:50
12:50 FOUL by Dokes, Ron
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme,Stephane 12:50
12:50 REBOUND (DEF) by Palmer, Elijah
12:43 11-15 V 4 GOOD! LAYUP by Dokes, Ron [PNT]
GOOD! DUNK by Maxwell,Maurice [PNT] 12:25 13-15 V 2
ASSIST by Lasme,Stephane 12:25
FOUL by Lasme,Stephane 12:08
12:08 13-16 V 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by Dokes, Ron
12:08 MISSED FT SHOT by Dokes, Ron
REBOUND (DEF) by Bowers,Art 12:08
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano,Jeff 11:48
11:48 REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM)
11:47 TIMEOUT media
11:33 FOUL by Dokes, Ron
11:33 TURNOVR by Dokes, Ron
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 11:24 15-16 V 1
ASSIST by Maxwell,Maurice 11:24
11:04 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 11:04
MISSED 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 10:47
10:47 REBOUND (DEF) by Dokes, Ron
10:40 TURNOVR by Higgins, Jack
GOOD! LAYUP by Anderson,Anthony [PNT] 10:25 17-16 H 1
ASSIST by Bowers,Art 10:25
10:18 MISSED LAYUP by Higgins, Jack
10:18 REBOUND (OFF) by Palmer, Elijah
10:14 17-18 V 1 GOOD! TIP-IN by Palmer, Elijah [PNT]
MISSED 3 PTR by Anderson,Anthony 09:50
REBOUND (OFF) by Viggiano,Jeff 09:50
MISSED JUMPER by Bowers,Art 09:46
09:46 REBOUND (DEF) by Osimani, Martin
09:34 17-21 V 4 GOOD! 3 PTR by Tricco, Jimmy
09:34 ASSIST by Dokes, Ron
GOOD! LAYUP by Maxwell,Maurice [PNT] 09:17 19-21 V 2
ASSIST by Freeman,Rashaun 09:17
08:50 TURNOVR by Osimani, Martin
STEAL by Maxwell,Maurice 08:47
TURNOVR by Maxwell,Maurice 08:45
08:25 MISSED JUMPER by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 08:25
08:07 FOUL by Palmer, Elijah
GOOD! FT SHOT by Viggiano,Jeff 08:07 20-21 V 1
GOOD! FT SHOT by Viggiano,Jeff 08:07 21-21 T 3
07:55 MISSED LAYUP by Achara, Kieron
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 07:55
TURNOVR by Freeman,Rashaun 07:29
07:29 TIMEOUT media
06:59 MISSED 3 PTR by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 06:59
GOOD! 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 06:38 24-21 H 3
ASSIST by Anderson,Anthony 06:38
06:16 24-23 H 1 GOOD! JUMPER by McAllister, Bryant [PNT]
GOOD! 3 PTR by Anderson,Anthony 05:54 27-23 H 4
ASSIST by Viggiano,Jeff 05:54
05:31 27-25 H 2 GOOD! JUMPER by Achara, Kieron
MISSED JUMPER by Martin,Brennan 05:12
05:12 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
FOUL by Freeman,Rashaun 05:02
04:58 MISSED 3 PTR by Tricco, Jimmy
04:58 REBOUND (OFF) by Achara, Kieron
04:52 27-27 T 4 GOOD! TIP-IN by Achara, Kieron [PNT]
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano,Jeff 04:38
04:38 REBOUND (DEF) by Tricco, Jimmy
04:27 27-29 V 2 GOOD! LAYUP by Achara, Kieron [FB/PNT]
04:27 ASSIST by McAllister, Bryant
FOUL by Lasme,Stephane 04:27
04:27 27-30 V 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by Achara, Kieron
MISSED LAYUP by Lasme,Stephane 04:01
04:01 REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM)
03:35 27-32 V 5 GOOD! JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
03:35 ASSIST by Osimani, Martin
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 03:27 29-32 V 3
03:16 TURNOVR by Osimani, Martin
MISSED LAYUP by Bowers,Art 03:15
REBOUND (OFF) by Anderson,Anthony 03:15
GOOD! 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 03:11 32-32 T 5
ASSIST by Anderson,Anthony 03:11
03:05 TIMEOUT 30sec
02:46 TURNOVR by Dokes, Ron
TIMEOUT MEDIA 02:46
MISSED 3 PTR by Anderson,Anthony 02:36
02:36 REBOUND (DEF) by Osimani, Martin
02:16 MISSED 3 PTR by Osimani, Martin
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 02:16
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun 02:02
REBOUND (OFF) by Maxwell,Maurice 02:02
01:53 FOUL by Palmer, Elijah
GOOD! JUMPER by Maxwell,Maurice [PNT] 01:38 34-32 H 2
FOUL by Viggiano,Jeff 01:15
01:15 34-33 H 1 GOOD! FT SHOT by Palmer, Elijah
01:15 34-34 T 6 GOOD! FT SHOT by Palmer, Elijah
MISSED 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 00:57
00:57 REBOUND (DEF) by Dokes, Ron
00:47 34-36 V 2 GOOD! LAYUP by Palmer, Elijah [FB/PNT]
00:47 ASSIST by Tricco, Jimmy
TIMEOUT 30sec 00:24
MISSED JUMPER by Anderson,Anthony 00:09
00:09 REBOUND (DEF) by Dokes, Ron
00:01 34-38 V 4 GOOD! LAYUP by Tricco, Ryan [FB/PNT]
00:01 ASSIST by Osimani, Martin
Duquesne 38, Massachusetts 34
2nd PERIOD Play-by-Play (Page 1)
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts TIME SCORE MAR VISITORS: Duquesne
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19:43 TURNOVR by Achara, Kieron
GOOD! JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun 19:26 36-38 V 2
ASSIST by Maxwell,Maurice 19:26
19:06 MISSED JUMPER by Achara, Kieron
REBOUND (DEF) by Anderson,Anthony 19:06
18:54 FOUL by Achara, Kieron
GOOD! 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 18:40 39-38 H 1
18:32 MISSED LAYUP by McAllister, Bryant
BLOCK by Maxwell,Maurice 18:32
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 18:29
GOOD! 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 18:17 42-38 H 4
ASSIST by Viggiano,Jeff 18:17
18:02 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 18:02
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun 17:43
17:43 REBOUND (DEF) by Achara, Kieron
FOUL by Freeman,Rashaun 17:23
17:23 42-39 H 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by Achara, Kieron
17:23 42-40 H 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by Achara, Kieron
GOOD! JUMPER by Maxwell,Maurice 17:06 44-40 H 4
16:48 44-42 H 2 GOOD! JUMPER by McAllister, Bryant
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun 16:29
16:29 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
16:24 44-44 T 7 GOOD! LAYUP by Palmer, Elijah [FB/PNT]
16:24 ASSIST by McAllister, Bryant
GOOD! JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 15:57 46-44 H 2
ASSIST by Maxwell,Maurice 15:57
15:48 46-46 T 8 GOOD! LAYUP by Palmer, Elijah [PNT]
15:48 ASSIST by Osimani, Martin
GOOD! LAYUP by Maxwell,Maurice [PNT] 15:30 48-46 H 2
ASSIST by Freeman,Rashaun 15:30
15:15 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
BLOCK by Viggiano,Jeff 15:15
15:12 REBOUND (OFF) by Palmer, Elijah
15:09 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Anderson,Anthony 15:09
GOOD! JUMPER by Bowers,Art [FB] 15:03 50-46 H 4
ASSIST by Anderson,Anthony 15:03
15:03 FOUL by Achara, Kieron
GOOD! FT SHOT by Bowers,Art 15:03 51-46 H 5
14:51 TURNOVR by Tricco, Ryan
STEAL by Bowers,Art 14:49
14:45 FOUL by Tricco, Ryan
GOOD! FT SHOT by Bowers,Art 14:45 52-46 H 6
GOOD! FT SHOT by Bowers,Art 14:45 53-46 H 7
FOUL by Viggiano,Jeff 14:33
14:33 MISSED FT SHOT by Dokes, Ron
14:33 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
14:33 53-47 H 6 GOOD! FT SHOT by Dokes, Ron
GOOD! LAYUP by Anderson,Anthony [PNT] 14:20 55-47 H 8
ASSIST by Martin,Brennan 14:20
13:55 MISSED JUMPER by Dokes, Ron
REBOUND (DEF) by Viggiano,Jeff 13:55
13:36 FOUL by Tricco, Jimmy
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme,Stephane 13:36
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 13:36
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme,Stephane 13:36
13:36 REBOUND (DEF) by Palmer, Elijah
13:20 MISSED 3 PTR by Tricco, Ryan
REBOUND (DEF) by Anderson,Anthony 13:20
MISSED LAYUP by Bowers,Art 13:14
13:14 BLOCK by Tricco, Jimmy
REBOUND (OFF) by Bowers,Art 13:11
MISSED 3 PTR by Anderson,Anthony 13:08
REBOUND (OFF) by Viggiano,Jeff 13:08
13:05 FOUL by Tricco, Jimmy
FOUL by Lasme,Stephane 12:46
TURNOVR by Lasme,Stephane 12:46
FOUL by Lasme,Stephane 12:31
12:31 55-48 H 7 GOOD! FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
12:31 MISSED FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Viggiano,Jeff 12:31
TURNOVR by Maxwell,Maurice 12:14
12:08 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Viggiano,Jeff 12:08
TIMEOUT MEDIA 11:59
MISSED 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 11:51
11:51 REBOUND (DEF) by Dokes, Ron
11:31 MISSED JUMPER by Dokes, Ron
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 11:31
11:28 FOUL by Dokes, Ron
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano,Jeff 11:12
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman,Rashaun 11:12
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 11:09 57-48 H 9
11:03 TURNOVR by Osimani, Martin
STEAL by Maxwell,Maurice 11:01
MISSED 3 PTR by Maxwell,Maurice 10:41
10:41 REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM)
10:22 57-51 H 6 GOOD! 3 PTR by Higgins, Jack
10:22 ASSIST by McAllister, Bryant
GOOD! JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 10:01 59-51 H 8
FOUL by Viggiano,Jeff 09:52
09:52 59-52 H 7 GOOD! FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
09:52 59-53 H 6 GOOD! FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
MISSED 3 PTR by Anderson,Anthony 09:44
09:44 REBOUND (DEF) by Achara, Kieron
09:31 59-56 H 3 GOOD! 3 PTR by Higgins, Jack
09:31 ASSIST by McAllister, Bryant
TIMEOUT 30sec 09:26
MISSED 3 PTR by Anderson,Anthony 09:04
09:04 REBOUND (DEF) by Higgins, Jack
08:54 59-59 T 9 GOOD! 3 PTR by Tricco, Jimmy
08:54 ASSIST by Osimani, Martin
MISSED JUMPER by Maxwell,Maurice 08:36
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme,Stephane 08:36
MISSED 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 08:28
08:28 REBOUND (DEF) by Higgins, Jack
08:08 59-61 V 2 GOOD! JUMPER by Achara, Kieron [PNT]
08:08 ASSIST by McAllister, Bryant
MISSED LAYUP by Bowers,Art 07:39
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme,Stephane 07:39
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme,Stephane [PNT] 07:34 61-61 T 10
07:22 61-64 V 3 GOOD! 3 PTR by Higgins, Jack
07:22 ASSIST by Osimani, Martin
TURNOVR by Bowers,Art 07:08
07:08 TIMEOUT MEDIA
06:49 TURNOVR by Dokes, Ron
06:30 FOUL by Dokes, Ron
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman,Rashaun 06:30 62-64 V 2
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman,Rashaun 06:30 63-64 V 1
06:00 TURNOVR by Osimani, Martin
STEAL by Anderson,Anthony 05:59
05:55 FOUL by Tricco, Ryan
MISSED FT SHOT by Maxwell,Maurice 05:55
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 05:55
MISSED FT SHOT by Maxwell,Maurice 05:55
05:55 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
05:39 MISSED JUMPER by Higgins, Jack
REBOUND (DEF) by Anderson,Anthony 05:39
GOOD! LAYUP by Viggiano,Jeff [PNT] 05:33 65-64 H 1
05:15 TIMEOUT 30sec
05:05 65-67 V 2 GOOD! 3 PTR by Higgins, Jack
05:05 ASSIST by Tricco, Jimmy
MISSED LAYUP by Freeman,Rashaun 04:49
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman,Rashaun 04:49
GOOD! JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 04:46 67-67 T 11
04:40 MISSED JUMPER by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 04:40
04:32 FOUL by Tricco, Jimmy
GOOD! FT SHOT by Bowers,Art 04:32 68-67 H 1
GOOD! FT SHOT by Bowers,Art 04:32 69-67 H 2
04:06 MISSED LAYUP by Achara, Kieron
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman,Rashaun 04:06
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman,Rashaun 03:52
03:52 BLOCK by Achara, Kieron
REBOUND (OFF) by Anderson,Anthony 03:50
TURNOVR by Bowers,Art 03:40
03:39 STEAL by McAllister, Bryant
03:30 MISSED 3 PTR by McAllister, Bryant
REBOUND (DEF) by Viggiano,Jeff 03:30
03:28 FOUL by Achara, Kieron
GOOD! FT SHOT by Viggiano,Jeff 03:28 70-67 H 3
GOOD! FT SHOT by Viggiano,Jeff 03:28 71-67 H 4
TIMEOUT MEDIA 03:28
03:03 MISSED JUMPER by Palmer, Elijah
REBOUND (DEF) by Maxwell,Maurice 03:03
TURNOVR by Freeman,Rashaun 02:42
FOUL by Maxwell,Maurice 02:32
02:32 71-68 H 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
02:32 71-69 H 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by McAllister, Bryant
MISSED LAYUP by Maxwell,Maurice 02:09
02:09 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
02:03 71-71 T 12 GOOD! JUMPER by Higgins, Jack [FB/PNT]
02:03 ASSIST by McAllister, Bryant
MISSED 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 01:34
01:34 REBOUND (DEF) by Higgins, Jack
01:18 MISSED LAYUP by McAllister, Bryant
BLOCK by Maxwell,Maurice 01:18
01:18 REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM)
TIMEOUT 30sec 01:17
01:09 71-73 V 2 GOOD! JUMPER by McAllister, Bryant
MISSED 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 00:51
00:51 REBOUND (DEF) by McAllister, Bryant
FOUL by Viggiano,Jeff 00:32
00:32 71-74 V 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by Bluemling, Tyler
00:32 71-75 V 4 GOOD! FT SHOT by Bluemling, Tyler
00:32 TIMEOUT TEAM
MISSED 3 PTR by Bowers,Art 00:12
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman,Rashaun 00:12
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman,Rashaun [PNT] 00:10 73-75 V 2
TIMEOUT TEAM 00:10
FOUL by Viggiano,Jeff 00:09
TIMEOUT 30sec 00:09
00:09 73-76 V 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by Osimani, Martin
00:09 73-77 V 4 GOOD! FT SHOT by Osimani, Martin
00:09 TIMEOUT 30sec
GOOD! 3 PTR by Martin,Brennan 00:03 76-77 V 1
ASSIST by Bowers,Art 00:03
FOUL by Martin,Brennan 00:02
00:02 76-78 V 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by Osimani, Martin
00:02 76-79 V 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by Osimani, Martin
TURNOVR by Freeman,Rashaun 00:00
00:00 STEAL by Tricco, Jimmy
Duquesne 79, Massachusetts 76