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Play by Play
UMass looks to get back on winning track
By Dan Duggan, The Daily Collegian Staff, 2/3/2006
he good news for the Massachusetts men's basketball team in the wake of the embarrassing 76-47 drubbing it received at Temple on Wednesday night is that there won't be much time spent dwelling on the loss.
The schedule doesn't allow that, as UMass (9-9, 4-4 Atlantic 10) will be back in action tomorrow night at home at 7 p.m. against Rhode Island.
Returning to the Mullins Center (where UMass is a perfect 7-0 this season) could be just what the doctor ordered, as the Minutemen are coming off their worst stretch of the season, an 0-3 road trip.
During the stretch, UMass lost to three conference foes, beginning at Rhode Island on Jan. 25. The Rams (11-8, 5-3 A-10) downed the Maroon and White 58-55 on Dawan Robinson's 3-pointer with three seconds remaining in the game.
That shot came at the end of a spirited comeback by the Minutemen, as they erased an eight-point deficit in the final 1:13 to tie the game. Since that point though, UMass has played largely uninspired basketball.
In the second game of the trip, UMass traveled Philadelphia to face a La Salle squad that had lost its five previous games. The Explorers were in control throughout the game, pulling out a 68-61 win.
UMass comes limping home after the beating it took in Philadelphia two nights ago, needing a win to get back over the .500 mark. Tomorrow night's game will be the second matchup between UMass and the Rams in a 10 day span, and the Minutemen will have a chance to exact some revenge on the team that started their current nosedive.
One of the keys to snapping this current skid will be getting off to quicker starts, as the Minutemen have trailed at halftime in each of the three losses. No start was slower than Wednesday night's, when UMass managed just nine first half points.
Following the Temple game, UMass coach Travis Ford said he was looking for some leadership, especially from the captains. Jeff Viggiano, Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme were named the team's captains on Jan. 16.
Freeman and Lasme missed just one shot against Temple, but attempted only nine, registering eight points apiece. Viggiano was limited to only 15 minutes of action, as he was battling the flu.
The Minutemen will need more aggressiveness from Freeman and Lasme, and a healthy Viggiano if they expect to topple the Rams. URI is currently a game ahead of the Minutemen in the A-10 standings, and despite their recent struggles, a win would put UMass right back in the thick of things in the conference standings.
The Rams have lost their two games since beating UMass, falling 81-62 at No. 10 George Washington and 58-53 to Saint Louis.
Robinson leads the Rams in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game.
Will Daniels and Jamaal Wise also average double figures for URI, scoring 11.2 and 10.3 points, respectively.
UMass hungry for win
By Matt Vautour, Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 2/4/2006
MHERST -- When the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team takes the court at 7 p.m. Saturday against Rhode Island, coach Travis Ford hopes his team doesn't need him for motivation.
Coming off a winless three-game road trip culminating in Wednesday's 76-47 loss at Temple, Ford counts on having a hungry basketball team.
'I'm anxious to see how motivated they are coming off three tough losses,' he said. 'There's a lot of motivation here. They shouldn't need a lot of talking from me. There's a lot to overcome.
'Players this time of year probably get tired of hearing me talk a little bit,' Ford added. 'We used (Temple guard) Mardy Collins as an example. He's their leader. He talks to them before the game. Who's going to be that guy on our team?'
One of the Minutemen's leaders will likely be at less than 100 percent for the game. Senior Jeff Viggiano is still recovering from a bout with the flu that limited him to 15 minutes and one point at Temple. He will play, but for how long and at what strength is in question. Ford said his presence is vital.
'He'd been playing so well. We're a little bit lost without him sometimes,' Ford said. 'We'll have to see how he is Saturday.'
Viggiano was thinking more about the team than his own health.
'We're going to need to come with a solid effort. They've lost two in a row and we've lost three in a row. It's a big game for both teams,' said Viggiano, who said the Minutemen were anxious to get Wednesday's loss out of their system. 'Nobody likes to lose. We're angry with ourselves. We're angry and anxious to get back on the floor.
'You really see your weaknesses when teams are picking you apart like that. We worked on some things and we're going to make some adjustments,' Viggiano said. 'After we played BC, we responded against Duquesne. Obviously Duquesne isn't the strongest, but we came out strong. We just want to respond (Saturday) night. We just want to play well and get the win.'
One consistent ingredient in each UMass loss this year has been slow starts.
'Sometimes we don't come out aggressive. We can't wait 'til we get down to play hard. We have to play hard for 40 minutes,' Viggiano said. 'We need to execute on offense and get out on the break more. We're hungry right now. We're glad to come back home for two games. Our fans give us great support. We're going to feed off their energy and our energy and I think we'll come out and get a W.'
The Minutemen couldn't be happier to be back at the Mullins Center. When they last played in their home gym, the Minutemen were 9-6 coming off an encouraging 60-34 win over Temple Jan. 21 and were near the top of the Atlantic 10 standings.
But the three straight road losses have left them in danger of dropping below .500 for the first time since December. The Rams dealt UMass the first of those losses Jan. 25. They withstood a furious late comeback by the Minutemen and won on Dawan Robinson's 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left.
URI has struggled since that game too, dropping its last two to George Washington and Saint Louis.
Home has been good to UMass. The Minutemen are 7-0 in their gym this year and have won 11 straight at the Mullins Center dating back to last year. They have outscored their opponents 72 to 55.1 at home this season.
The UMass home winning streak ties Duke for the 16th longest home streak in the nation. Gonzaga and Illinois are tied at No. 1 with 33. It also is the second longest win streak in the history of the Mullins Center.
Saturday's game marks the 13th anniversary of the Mullins Center's opening. UMass beat West Virginia 64-59 in overtime Feb. 4, 1993. That game started the building's longest winning streak as UMass won its first 33 games at Mullins.
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected]. For more UMass coverage including a frequently updated UMass sports blog, go to www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/umsports.
Freeman, Life Lift UMass To 63-61 Win Over Rhode Island
Duo combine for 40 points in UMass' 12th consecutive home win
From UMass Athletics, 2/4/2006
MHERST, Mass. - Junior Rashaun Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y.) scored 21 points and grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds to power UMass to its 12th consecutive victory in the Mullins Center as the Minutemen defeated Rhode Island 63-61 on Saturday night. Junior James Life (Fort Myers, Fla.) added 19 points, including a clutch jumper with under a minute left in the game, giving UMass the win in front of 6,902 energetic fans.
After trailing by six points with 5:24 left in the game, the Minutemen stormed back with a 14-to-6 run to claim the victory. UMass was 8-for-11 in that streak from the free throw line to close the gap on the Rams and take the lead.
Life's from the right corner, just inside the arc, put UMass up 63-59 with 54 seconds left in the game. URI answered with two free throws from Dawan Robinson to cut the lead to 63-61 and gain the final possession of the game with just under five seconds left after forcing a UMass shot clock violation.
Robinson went the length of the court and put up a three-point attempt under duress as time expired, but it hit off the back of the rim giving the Minutemen the victory.
The win comes on the 13th anniversary of UMass' first game in the Mullins Center - a 64-59 overtime win against West Virginia in 1993.
Brandon Thomas drives through traffic. |
UMass improves to 10-9 overall, 5-4 in the Atlantic 10, while Rhode Island falls to 11-9, 5-4 in the A-10.
The game was also the first time this season that the Minutemen were able to secure a victory by fewer than four points.
Four Rams scored in double-figures on the night led by Dawan Robinson's 15 points. Jamaal Wise scored 13 points, Jimmy Baron tallied 11, and Will Daniels rounded out the URI scoring with 10. Bench points were key for Rhode Island as they outscored UMass 12-to-5 in the game.
The opening minutes of the second half were much like the first as the two teams traded baskets. A running floater by Jimmy Baron gave URI a 40-38 lead with 15:29 to play breaking the seventh tie of the game.
A three-pointer by Dawan Robinson gave the Rams a seven-point lead - the largest of the game - before Life answered on the next UMass possession with a trey of his own cutting the score to 47-43 with 12:12 to go.
UMass continued to close the gap by going inside to Freeman who pulled the Minutemen within two, 51-49, with a strong post move from the left block with 7:14 remaining. Freeman recorded his ninth double-double of the season, the fourth in the last six games.
Lasme took over after URI extended their lead back to six when he back-to-back lay-ups and grabbed a defensive rebound with just under four to play pulling UMass back to within two, 55-53. On the ensuing possession, Life hit two free throws to tie the game for the eighth time.
The Minutemen made a defensive stop on the next URI possession when Lasme recorded his fourth blocked shot of the game setting up Freeman on the offensive end where he hit two free throws to put UMass up 57-55.
Will Daniels hit two free throws for the Rams to tie the game for the ninth time, before Chris Lowe canned two of his own for UMass to regain the lead, 59-57. Lowe finished the game with seven assists.
A steal by senior Jeff Viggiano with 2:05 to go in the game gave UMass the ball back and a Freeman drained another pair of free throws to push the Minutemen up 61-57.
The two teams battled evenly in the first half with four tie scores in the period before a lay-up by Lasme tied the game at 15 each which sparked a 12-6 run for the Minutemen.
UMass suffered a scare with 6:31 left in the half when Lasme was intentionally fouled going up for a break-away dunk and landed hard on his right knee. Viggiano hit one of the two foul shots to give UMass a 27-21 lead. He returned later in the period to a standing ovation.
The Rams closed tied the game for the fifth time in the half on a Jimmy Baron lay-up, but Lasme put UMass back up with a pair of free throws to make the score 29-27 with 3:17 to go.
Each team struggled offensively but traded baskets in the final minute of the half giving the Minutemen a 31-30 lead at intermission. UMass entered the game with a perfect 6-0 record when leading at the break.
Former UMass standout Dana Dingle was in attendance for the game after giving the Minutemen a post-practice speech prior to the game. Dingle was a member of the 1996 NCAA Final Four team and finished his career with 1,043 points.
The Minutemen return to action next Wednesday, Feb. 8 when they host La Salle in the Mullins Center.
Post-game notes
From UMass Athletics, 2/4/2006
Mass won its 12th game in a row at home, dating to last season and remained perfect at 8-0 this season with the win over Rhode Island.
* UMass' 12-game win streak is the second-longest in Mullins Center history. The record of 27 was started from the opening game at the arena. That first game was played 14 years ago to the day of Saturday's game, Feb. 4, 1993, a 64-59 overtime win over West Virginia.
* Coming into the game, only 15 schools in the nation had longer home win streaks than UMass, led by Gonzaga and Illinois at 33 games. In Saturday's earlier action, Davidson (19) lost to see their streak end. Tennessee (13) and Duke (12) extended their streaks on Saturday. Gonzaga (33), Illinois (33), Florida (18), Texas A&M Corpus Christi (16) all play later games on Saturday.
* Rashaun Freeman scored in double-figures for the 14th time in 19 games this season and 60th in 75 career games with 21 points. Freeman scored more than 20 for the sixth time this year and 18th in his career.
* Freeman moved to 24th in career scoring at UMass with his 21 points, giving him 1,159 in his three seasons. Freeman passed Will Herndon (1989-92) and Lari Ketner (1996-99), who were tied at 1,148. He also passed Rodger Twitchell (1961-64), who had 1,151 points. Next on the list is Rafer Giles (1987-91), who has 1,163.
* Freeman also grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds for his ninth double-double this season and 28th in his career. He now has double-doubles in four of his last six games.
* Freeman took a career-high 17 free throw attempts. He had taken 15 vs. Rider on Dec. 23, 2004.
* James Life scored in double-figures for the fourth game in a row with 19. He had 10 in the first half. Life is averaging 16.3 over the last four games.
* Life grabbed a career-high tying six rebounds. His high of six was set vs. Fordham on Jan. 18, 2006.
* Stephane Lasme scored in double-figures for the ninth time this season with 12 points. He had just five double-figures games in his career coming into this game.
* Lasme moved to third all-time in career blocked shots at UMass with five in the game, giving him 207 in his career. He passed Lari Ketner (204) from 1996-99.
* Lasme had five blocks to give him 84 this season, which ranks as the fourth-best season in single-season history.
* Lasme drew his second charge of the season, one in each in of the last two games. Rhode Island drew four charges.
* UMass, which came into the game averaging 7.9 per game, had eight in the game.
* Chris Lowe had seven assists in the game's first half. He finished with eight assists.
* UMass is now 7-0 when leading at the half this season.
* Nana Ampim made his third appearance this season, playing the final 22.2 seconds of the first half.
Head Coach Travis Ford opening statement : We finally got one to bounce our way. It was a tough win over a good Rhode Island team. I told out guys coming into the game that they were one of the better teams in our conference. They play physical and make you work hard. I was anxious tonight to get back on the floor tonight to see where we were after the string of losses. It was a big win for us mentally and we got the monkey off our back.
Coach Ford on the Minutemen's offensive rebounding performance : One thing I said to the guys in the timeout was that we need to rebound on the offensive end because there are a lot of rebounds to be had. We've got great offensive rebounders and if we don't play to one of our strengths, we're going to be in trouble. We haven't been shooting well, so we rely on the offensive rebounding to keep us in games.
Ford on the offensive analysis of his team over the last several games : I looked at a lot of film of our own team, which is a bit different for me, to see why we were struggling offensively. What I noticed was that we don't have guys that can create their own shot off the dribble. We need to work on that more because we usually move the ball around the perimeter and then look inside. Jeff Viggiano and James Life did a better job of that tonight.
James Life on the last minute shot : "It went in. That's about it, it's all I need to say."
Lasme on his team's resiliency : "The best thing I like about our team is we know how to respond. We keep our head up. After three straight losses, we needed to move on."
Lasme on his health : "I fell right on it. It is a very bad bruise. I knew I would be back quickly, but am glad I didn't break anything."
Rashuam Freeman on the game : "After three straight losses, it was important to bounce back. We needed one. Coach Ford knew it was a big game. I didn't think it was my best game of the year, but I am glad I really helped my team out."
Home is perfect for UMass
By George Miller, The Boston Herald, 2/5/2006
MHERST - Just as he had 10 days earlier vs. UMass, Dawan Robinson had the ball in his hands for the last shot of regulation.
On Jan. 25 in Kingston, R.I., Robinson�s 3-pointer with three seconds left won the game for Rhode Island. Last night, with UMass leading the rematch by two, Robinson missed a 12-foot runner in the lane, and the Rams tip try failed, leaving the Minutemen with a 63-61 Atlantic 10 victory before 6,902 at the Mullins Center.
UMass (10-9, 5-4) snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 8-0 this season at home, moving its overall home win streak to 12 straight.
�We finally got one to bounce our way,� said UMass coach Travis Ford. �This was a must-win game for us on so many levels. I had a lot of question marks about our team. After coming off a tough stretch, I was anxious to get on the court to see where we�re at.�
Rashaun Freeman scored a game-high 21 points with 15 rebounds to lead the Minutemen and James Life had 19 points for the second straight game.
Life�s jumper with 54 seconds to play put UMass in front 63-59 before Robinson made two foul shots that cut the margin down to two points with 41 seconds to go.
The Minutemen failed to generate a shot and lost the ball on a shot-clock violation on the next trip, giving the Rams a final opportunity with 5.4 seconds to play.
Robinson�s 15 points led four URI players in double digits. Jamaal Wise scored 13, Jimmy Baron contributed 11 and Will Daniels had 10 for the Rams (11-9, 5-4), who dropped their third straight, all since the home win over UMass.
Both teams shot poorly from the field and dreadfully from the free throw line. The Minutemen hit 35 percent from the floor and only 20-of-35 at the stripe, compared to URI�s 42 percent field-goal shooting and 15-of-28 at the line.
Although he made just 9-of-17 at the foul line, Freeman sank his last four.
�It was important for us to bounce back. When you go on a losing streak, you�ve got to get one (win),� said Freeman, who recorded his 14th double-double of the season. �I don�t think it was my best game of the year, but this was one that I really helped my team out.�
URI took its largest lead of the night, 47-40, on Robinson�s trey with 12:24 left.
UMass worked back into a tie at 55-55, then went up 57-55 on a pair of free throws by Freeman at 3:04.
Daniels tied the game again with two free throws at the 2:47 mark, but Chris Lowe and Freeman each made free throws to put the Minutemen up 61-57.
UMass� Stephane Lasme had 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots before fouling out.
�We made some errant plays,� said Rams coach Jim Baron. �They made their foul shots, and we didn�t want it to come down to foul shots at the end.
�They covered (the last play) pretty good. Dawan tried to be aggressive attacking the bucket, but they weren�t going to call anything down the stretch.�
Lasme went down hard with 6:31 to play in the first half after an intentional foul by URI�s Darrell Harris. The 6-8 junior left the game favoring his right knee, but later returned.
Minutemen home in on another victory
By Marty Dobrow, The Boston Globe Correspondent, 2/5/2006
MHERST -- Much like Odysseus, much like Dorothy Gale, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen couldn't wait to get home.
UMass clicked its hightop heels together three times last night, and concluded that, indeed, there is no place like the Mullins Center. With a hard-fought 63-61 victory over the University of Rhode Island, the Minutemen eased the sting of a disastrous road trip and ran their home record to 8-0.
But unlike Amherst's most famous citizen, Emily Dickinson, the Minutemen cannot find overall success simply by staying in their house. Away from Mullins they have been pathetic instead of poetic, with a 2-9 mark.
The Minutemen left town two weeks ago yesterday, riding high after what seemed like a breakthrough victory, clocking Temple, 60-34, in a game televised on ESPN. The road, however, is where the heartbreak is for UMass, and the Minutemen stumbled back to town after an 0-3 trip, culminating in Wednesday night's payback special at Temple, 76-47.
Last night, though, they licked their wounds with a scrappy effort against a physical and determined Rhode Island squad. Rashaun Freeman led the way with a relentless inside performance, scoring a game-high 21 points and hauling down a season-high 15 rebounds. James Life added 19 points in his most meaningful performance of the season. Stephane Lasme shook off a first-half knee injury to post 12 points, 9 boards, and 5 blocks for the 10-9 (5-4 Atlantic 10) Minutemen.
The victory avenged an equally hard-fought defeat 10 days earlier when the Rams prevailed, 58-55, on a 3-pointer by Dawan Robinson with 2.8 seconds remaining. Last night, Robinson again tried to come up with last-second heroics. The Rams got the ball back with 5.4 seconds remaining after forcing UMass into a shot-clock violation. Robinson spun around Life at the foul line and launched a jumper as time expired, but it bounded off the back iron.
''He tried to be aggressive, attacking the bucket, but they weren't going to call anything down the stretch," said URI coach Jim Baron, after his team dropped to 11-9 (5-4).
A relieved UMass coach Travis Ford took a page out of John Calipari's book by grabbing the microphone and addressing the crowd of 6,902. ''Thank you," Ford said. ''We were stuck, and we needed you tonight. Thank you."
The first-year UMass coach knew his team was at a crossroads. The Minutemen still had a chance to fight for the top end of a bottled-up A-10, but all season they have played with a narrow margin for error with just eight scholarship players available. A loss last night could have sent the season spiraling downward.
''This was a must-win basketball game for us on so many levels," said Ford. ''We needed a win psychologically. I had a lot of question marks about our team, to be honest with you."
One of those questions centered around Freeman, who, Ford knows, needs to be willing to demand the ball and fight for every rebound. Right from the get-go last night, Ford knew Freeman was up to the challenge.
''I saw it from the first time he touched it," Ford said. ''He had a different look in his eye."
''It was very important for us," said Freeman. ''When you go on a losing streak you have to get one to bounce back, and this was the one."
Rams fall short in return battle with Minutemen
This time, UMass wins when Dawan Robinson's shot at the buzzer fails to drop
By Paul Kenyon, The Providence Journal Sports Writer, 2/5/2006
MHERST, Mass. -- This time, Dawan Robinson's last-second shot did not go in. So, Massachusetts edged Rhode Island in an Atlantic 10 thriller, rather than the other way around.
The script for the return battle between the two old rivals was eerily the same last night as it was 11 days ago when the teams met at the Ryan Center. In that one, a 3-point basket by Robinson with three seconds remaining gave Rhode Island a 58-55 triumph.
Again last night, Robinson had the ball in his hands with the game on the line as the final seconds ticked off. This time, he raced upcourt and put up a 14-footer. The buzzer sounded as the ball hit the back of the rim and bounced off, allowing the Minutemen to post a 63-61 victory at the Mullins Center.
URI had gotten the ball back with five seconds left, after a 35-second violation on the Minutemen. The Rams inbounded from 70 feet to Robinson and the Rhody leader worked his way through the defense. Unlike his game-winner in the first meeting when he had open space, there were bodies around him as he reached the foul line. Still, he got off a good shot.
"There was a little more traffic," he said. "I thought it was good. I thought it was going to drop for me. But this time it went the opposite way."
Just like the first meeting, the game was far from pretty, a blood-and-guts battle between two hard-nosed teams that rely on defense and rebounding. Just as the finish seemed appropriate in the URI victory since the Rams had the better numbers in most categories, it also seemed appropriate this time because Massachusetts had the better numbers, especially inside.
Rashaun Freeman, the rugged UMass center who was held pretty much under control in the first meeting, controlled this one. He finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
"That's what we expect from him," said UMass coach Travis Ford. "I saw it the first time he touched it. I turned to Steve Middleton, my assistant and said, 'He's ready to play.' He had a different look in his eye. . . . He pounded the ball. He made aggressive moves. He didn't sit and wait."
Stephane Lasme added 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocked shots to help inside, and James Life gave UMass the outside help it needed with 19 points, including three 3-pointers and a huge 12-footer in the final minute that proved to be the deciding points.
Robinson finished with 15 points, Jamaal Wise 13, Jimmy Baron 11 and Will Daniels 10 for URI. The loss was the third straight for the Rams, dropping them to 11-9, 5-4 in A-10 play. UMass, which broke its three-game skid, while winning for the 12th straight time at home, going back to last season, is 10-9 and 5-4.
The records should be similar because the two teams play so much the same way. The finish was not the only similarity. They are two of the most physical teams in the Atlantic 10, two teams that pride themselves on their inside strength and rebounding, two teams pound the ball inside. For 80 minutes this season, they have whacked and bodied up, pushed and pulled and gone at it like two heavyweights.
Each time, the home team has won both the game and the battle of the boards. While URI had the advantage in both rebounds and second-chance points the first time around, this time it was the Minutemen who won those departments.
Massachusetts won the overall rebound battle, 45-37, reversing a URI three-rebound advantage in the first meeting.
"Rebounding in general against Rhode Island is always, always the difference," Lasme said.
In this one, the largest lead either team had all night was URI's 47-40 lead with 12:24 left. The game was tied nine times and there were nine lead changes.
Officials called 49 fouls, 25 on UMass. There were 63 free throws taken (URI was 15-for-28, UMass 20-for-35) and only seven 3-point baskets made (five by the Minutemen). With the teams so evenly matched, little things make huge differences.
URI coach Jim Baron felt his team made mistakes defensively that were major factors.
"Down the stretch, we made some errant plays, a couple of fouls that sent them to the free-throw line," he said. "And they made their foul shots."
UMass, after having all kinds of problems at the foul line, made eight in a row in a two-minute stretch late in the game to turn a 55-53 deficit into a 61-57 lead. Jimmy Baron hit two foul shots to pull Rhody within two. Life hit his 12-footer for UMass to make it 63-59 with 53 seconds left. Robinson was fouled with 40 seconds remaining and made both to cut it to 63-61.
URI opted not to foul and play defense. It played it well enough that UMass did not get off a shot in time, giving the Rams the ball with five seconds left. The clock initially ran down 3.7 seconds, but was changed to 5.4 when officials reviewed the running play. The change meant a lot since Robinson did not have to rush. He got himself a good shot, just as he did 11 days ago.
This time, it did not go in.
Men's Basketball Notebook: Bitee's foot injury alters the lineup
By Paul Kenyon, The Providence Journal Sports Writer, 2/5/2006
MHERST, Mass. -- The bad news for the URI basketball team is that it had to play Massachusetts last night without starting guard Parfait Bitee. The good news is that Bitee might not be out as long as feared.
Bitee suffered a sprained ankle in the final minute of Wednesday's game against Saint Louis. There was concern the injury might be serious when he could not put any pressure on the foot and had to be helped off the court. Bitee did not dress for last night's game, and was limping noticeably as he moved during timeouts. There is a possibility he will be able to play Wednesday when the Rams will host Duquesne.
With Bitee unavailable, freshman Jimmy Baron got his first collegiate start. The move helped Baron. He seemed to get in the flow on offense more easily than he has coming off the bench. He had seven first-half points and 11 in all, in addition to a team-high seven rebounds as he played a career-high 33 minutes.
Bitee's loss did have significant impact, though, on both defense and depth. URI had pressed more against the Minutemen than in any game this season in their earlier 58-55 victory at the Ryan Center. They had 21 points off 15 UMass turnovers.
Rhode Island again went with a lot of fullcourt pressure last night, but was not nearly as effective in turning the ball over. The Minutemen had 12 turnovers that led to only nine Rhody points.
"It hurt us, no question," coach Jim Baron said of Bitee's absence. "We needed defense down the stretch."
The already thin URI backcourt was thinner than ever. Little-used senior Ty Sullivan came in 7:46 into the game to give Dawan Robinson, and then Baron, some rest. Sullivan played 12 minutes, but hurt his ankle midway through the second half. He went to the locker room to receive treatment from trainer Tom Belmaggio and was able to play in short stretches in the final minutes.
Physical encounter
The intensity of the first meeting between the teams -- that game was as physical as any URI has played all season -- carried over.
The rematch included an intentional foul on URI's Darrell Harris, who knocked UMass forward Stephane Lasme hard to be floor as Lasme was going in for a potential dunk after stealing the ball from Harris. Lasme injured his right leg and banged his elbow on the play. He had to leave the game, although he was out for only 2:24.
UMass guard James Life, who had gotten into a couple of verbal spats with URI players in the first meeting, came over and got into Harris' face. URI's J.R. Moore came over and started jawing at Life. Officials came between the two and cut off the talk.
Officials called the game tight throughout, whistling 49 fouls, 25 on Massachusetts.
A number of players came away with bumps and bruises, including Robinson, who had a cut on his lip.
"From going inside with the big boys," Robinson said.
No ruling as of yet
There is still no word from the NCAA on Robinson's status for next year.
"What do they say, no news is good news," athletic director Tom McElory said. "We haven't heard anything yet."
Robinson has applied for a sixth year of eligibility. He missed two years, one for academic reasons and one because of a broken foot. His appeal is thought to be precedent-setting. As far as can be determined, no one who was ineligible his first season because of Prop. 48 rules has ever asked for a sixth year.
NCAA officials had indicated they would make a ruling by the end of January.
Fans assist UMass
By Matt Vautour, Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 2/6/2006
MHERST -- Moments after the University of Massachusetts men's basketball held on to beat Rhode Island 63-61 Saturday night at the Mullins Center, Minuteman coach Travis Ford didn't want to let an opportunity pass.
Ford believed his team fed off the energy created by the newly returned to campus student fans who helped push his team over the top. Instead of the fans rushing the court, the players rushed the stands and thanked and high-fived the students while Ford grabbed the microphone.
'Thank you fans. We needed you tonight,' said Ford, who later added, 'I don't think we would have won the game without the crowd tonight.'
'It was great to finally get that kind of support from the fans,' junior big man Rashaun Freeman said. 'We definitely wanted to show them some love.'
There were 6,902 fans at the Mullins Center.
The Minutemen survived the Rams in the same manner they had lost to them 10 days before. Dawan Robinson, whose late 3-pointer beat the Minutemen 58-55 Jan. 25, got the ball with the clock winding down and drove toward the basket. He pulled up from 14 feet out, fired and missed, sparking the celebration as UMass' three-game losing streak came to an end.
'This was a must-win game for us on so many levels,' Ford said. 'We needed a win psychologically. I had a lot of questions about our team coming into this game. I hadn't been overly happy with our practices the last couple days.'
Freeman broke out of a mini-slump with 21 points and 15 rebounds and got Ford's attention early.
'From the first time he touched the basketball, I turned to my assistant Steve Middleton and said 'He's ready to play,' Ford said. 'He had a different look in his eye. I was excited to see the energy and focus that he played with.'
The 19 points scored by James Life were all crucial, as was his defense on Robinson, who led Rhode Island with 15 points but shot just 5-for-15.
'I think (Life) played the hardest on the whole team,' said Stephane Lasme who added 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. 'We all know he can play like that. He just needs to show up every night.'
The Minutemen improved to 10-9 (5-4 Atlantic 10) and extended their Mullins Center winning streak to 12 games. They will host La Salle at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
With just under a minute left and UMass leading 61-59, Life hit a baseline jumper and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but his basket extended the advantage to two possessions at 63-59.
Robinson made both free throws on Lasme's fifth foul to make it 63-61 with 40.4 seconds left. URI coach Jim Baron told his players to foul Brandon Thomas if he got the ball, but otherwise to play strong defense and try to get the ball back for one more possession. UMass ran the shot clock all the way down and Jeff Viggiano's shot left his hand a split second too late. The Minutemen were whistled for a shot-clock violation, setting up Robinson's final try.
'I thought it was a hard-fought game,' Baron said. 'It went back and forth. They stepped up and made their free throws down the stretch.'
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected]. For more UMass coverage including a frequently updated UMass sports blog, go to www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/umsports.
Second-chance points key for UMass
By Matt Vautour, Daily Hampshire Gazette Staff Writer, 2/6/2006
MHERST -- The University of Massachusetts prevailed Saturday night despite poor shooting from both the floor and the line, mostly because the Minutemen outrebounded one of the best rebounding teams in the Atlantic 10.
After coach Travis Ford stressed the importance of rebounding leading up to the game, UMass converted 16 offensive rebounds into a season-high 20 second-chance points.
''I kept saying in time-outs that we have to offensive rebound because believe me, there's plenty to be gotten,'' Ford said. ''We have good offensive rebounders. That's what we're made up of. If we're not going to play to our strengths, we're in trouble.''
Before the game, Ford talked about needing more rebounding production from his guards. He got six boards from James Life and five from Chris Lowe.
But the dominant force was Rashaun Freeman, who had a season-high 15 rebounds, including eight on offense.
HOME STREAK - The Minutemen entered the day tied for the 16th-longest home winning streak in the nation, but their win and some losses around the country moved UMass up that list. Illinois, who shared the nation's longest streak with Gonzaga, had its home streak snapped by Penn State, while Davidson's 19-game streak, which included a win over the Minutemen, came to an end at the hands of Western Carolina.
UMass is now tied for 10th with Pittsburgh, Denver, Connecticut, Duke, Birmingham Southern and Utah State with 12 straight home wins.
FREE-THROW WOES - The two teams combined to shoot 35-for-63 from the line (55.6 percent). Freeman, who entered the game as a 65.6 percent free-throw shooter, missed eight of his first 11 from the line. But he made his last six to help seal the win.
Jon Clark, a 6-foot-10 center, has started all 20 games this season for Rhode Island and averaged 12.5 minutes per game. But he hadn't gone to the free-throw line all year until late in the second half Saturday when he missed both shots.
KETNER FALLS - Former Minuteman center Lari Ketner was demoted on two career statistic charts as Freeman and Stephane Lasme both continued climbing.
Freeman's 21 points gave him 1,159 in his career, moving him to No. 24 on the school's career scoring list. He passed Ketner and Will Herndon, who both had 1,148 and Rodger Twitchell, who scored 1,151. Rafer Giles is next up with 1,163.
Freeman's point total was his sixth game over 20 this season and the 18th of his career. His 15 rebounds were a season high.
Lasme dropped Ketner to fourth on the career blocked-shot list. Lasme's five blocks gave him 207 in his career. He needs 15 to catch No. 2 Harper Williams (222).
EARLY ENTRY - Sophomore guard Nana Ampim was the first walk-on to see first-half action in quite some time. With Jeff Viggiano and Chris Lowe both in foul trouble, Ford sent Ampim in for the final 24 seconds, all on defense.
A FAMILIAR FACE - For the second straight UMass-URI game, a member of the Minutemen's 1996 Final Four team was in the building. Dana Dingle, who works for a Long Island hedge fund and coaches AAU basketball, was a few rows back of the UMass bench. Always one to shy away from attention, it took some coaxing to get Dingle to stand and wave to the crowd, who gave him a warm ovation.
Former Rhode Island coach and UMass player Tyrone Weeks was at the teams' first meeting Jan. 25.
NEXT UP - After avenging an earlier loss to the Rams, the Minutemen will try to do the same against La Salle at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Mullins Center. La Salle beat UMass 68-61 Jan. 29.
Led by Steven Smith, the Explorers upset Temple 62-56 Saturday for their third straight win.
MISCELLANEOUS - Lasme gave the Minutemen some anxious moments. With six minutes, 31 seconds remaining in the first half, Darrell Harris of Rhode Island pushed Lasme hard from behind to deny him an easy layup. Lasme fell hard and held his right knee. He was helped off the floor, but returned to action 2:24 later.
The win was on the 13th anniversary of the first game in the Mullins Center when UMass beat West Virginia 64-59 in overtime in 1993.
Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected]. For more UMass coverage including a frequently updated UMass sports blog, go to www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/umsports.
Ford thanks fans for support
By Rob Greenfield, The Daily Collegian Staff, 2/7/2006
t was a different weekend at the Mullins Center.
The Massachusetts hockey team stunned the No. 3 Boston College Eagles on Friday night with a 3-2 score and gave the Massachusetts men's basketball team the leftover fan enthusiasm on Saturday. Students filled the student sections and everything was primed for a college basketball atmosphere.
The Minutemen defeated Rhode Island by two points in a nail-biter, and the rematch between the conference rivals yielded some quirky moments on the side.
SPECIAL THANKS
As the clock wound down on Saturday's game and Minuteman victory seemed certain, UMass coach Travis Ford walked along the sideline to shake URI coach Jim Baron's hand. But after the greeting he made a bee-line for press row and took the arena microphone.
"We couldn't have done it without you," Ford said to the exiting crowd. "We needed this one."
In the same sequence, junior captains Rashaun Freeman and Stephane Lasme showed their appreciation to the student fans, burrowing their way into the mob of students behind one of the baskets, high-fiving enthused UMass fans ... Walk-on freshman Nana Ampim, after receiving minimal playing time so far this season, made an appearance in the Minuteman lineup just before halftime of Saturday game. The London native was assigned to guard URI's leading scorer, Dawan Robinson and fared well against one of the more lethal offensive players in the league.
"It's been talked about for a while," Ford said about Ampim receiving more playing time. "He is the best defender on our team. I've definitely thought about [putting him in] before."
DINGLE ALL THE WAY
Former UMass forward Dana Dingle was on hand to see the Minutemen on Saturday. He sat behind the UMass bench and when his attendance was announced over the public address system, he received a standing ovation from the 6,902 fans in the building. Dingle started 107 of 113 games for UMass from his sophomore year in 1993 to his graduation in 1996. He scored 1,043 points in his four-year career, and ranks first all-time in games played for the Minutemen with 137.
MULLINS MAGIC
UMass just doesn't lose at home. It is as simple as that. The Minutemen are a different team when they're in Amherst. Although their road record is a brutal 2-9, the Minutemen have broken even thus far because of their continued success at home. UMass is going for its 13th straight victory at the Mullins Center tomorrow night against La Salle and is 8-0 this season when playing in front of friendly fans. The team's current home winning streak is the longest active streak in the Atlantic 10 and the 10th longest active streak in the nation.
FAN-TASTIC
UMass, despite a mediocre 10-9 overall record, is averaging 4,888 fans per home game. The Mullins Center holds almost 10,000 people and has not filled this many seats since the 2001-02 season when the average attendance was 5,292.
SIGNS OF LIFE
Junior James Life is averaging 16.3 points over the last four games and was bombs-away from 3-point land against URI on Sunday, scoring 19 points that were punctuated by a clutch leaner with just over a minute left in the game.
| Rhode Island Rams | 61 |
| Massachusetts Minutemen | 63 |
| at the Mullins Center |
Official Basketball Box Score
Rhode Island vs Massachusetts
2/4/06 7:00 p.m. at Amherst, Mass. - Mullins Center
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Rhode Island (11-9, 5-4 A-10)
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
25 DANIELS, Will....... f 2-7 0-3 6-11 0 6 6 4 10 1 1 1 0 30
32 WISE, Jamaal........ f 6-9 0-0 1-3 1 2 3 2 13 0 3 1 0 29
44 CLARK, Jon.......... c 0-2 0-0 0-2 1 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 15
05 ROBINSON, Dawan..... g 5-15 1-2 4-4 2 4 6 4 15 1 1 0 0 36
20 BARON, Jimmy........ g 4-8 1-4 2-2 3 4 7 1 11 1 0 0 0 33
01 MACK, Terrence...... 1-4 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 3 2 0 1 1 0 11
04 SULLIVAN, Tyrese.... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 2 0 3 1 0 2 12
30 MOORE, J.R.......... 1-2 0-0 0-2 0 2 2 2 2 1 1 0 0 11
33 SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem... 3-5 0-0 2-4 1 1 2 2 8 0 1 2 0 19
34 HARRIS, Darrell..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 2 0 0 2 0 0 4
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 22-53 2-10 15-28 9 28 37 24 61 7 11 5 2 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-25 44.0% 2nd Half: 11-28 39.3% Game: 41.5% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-6 16.7% 2nd Half: 1-4 25.0% Game: 20.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 7-15 46.7% 2nd Half: 8-13 61.5% Game: 53.6% 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts (10-9, 5-4 A-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
13 Lasme, Stephane..... f 5-7 0-0 2-5 3 6 9 5 12 0 0 5 1 34
22 Viggiano, Jeff...... f 1-8 1-6 1-2 0 1 1 3 4 3 1 0 1 31
01 Freeman, Rashaun.... c 6-13 0-0 9-17 8 7 15 4 21 0 1 2 0 34
14 Lowe, Chris......... g 0-1 0-0 2-2 0 5 5 3 2 8 3 0 0 33
34 Life, James......... g 6-16 3-11 4-5 1 5 6 2 19 0 2 0 0 32
02 Thomas, Brandon..... 0-4 0-1 2-2 1 0 1 2 2 1 2 1 0 21
20 Milligan, Dante..... 0-1 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 4 0 0 1 0 0 3
23 Carrier, Lawrence... 1-4 1-2 0-2 1 1 2 2 3 0 1 0 0 11
40 Ampim, Nana......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
TEAM................ 1 3 4 1
Totals.............. 19-54 5-20 20-35 16 29 45 25 63 12 12 8 2 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 11-29 37.9% 2nd Half: 8-25 32.0% Game: 35.2% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 4-11 36.4% 2nd Half: 1-9 11.1% Game: 25.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 5-12 41.7% 2nd Half: 15-23 65.2% Game: 57.1% 6
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Jeff Clark, Pat Driscoll, Tony Hawkins
Technical fouls: Rhode Island-None. Massachusetts-None.
Attendance: 6902
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Rhode Island.................. 30 31 - 61
Massachusetts................. 31 32 - 63
ID-386524
Points in the paint-URI 34,UMASS 22. Points off turnovers-URI 9,UMASS 10.
2nd chance points-URI 12,UMASS 20. Fast break points-URI 4,UMASS 6.
Bench points-URI 12,UMASS 5. Score tied-9 times. Lead changed-9 times.
Last FG-URI 2nd-05:24, UMASS 2nd-00:54.
Largest lead-URI by 7 2nd-12:24, UMASS by 6 1st-14:49.
Play by Play
Play-by-Play
Rhode Island vs Massachusetts
2/4/06 7:00 p.m. at Amherst, Mass. - Mullins Center
1st PERIOD Play-by-Play (Page 1)
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts TIME SCORE MAR VISITORS: Rhode Island
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 19:55 REBOUND (DEF) by CLARK, Jon
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 19:25 MISSED LAYUP by CLARK, Jon
19:23 REBOUND (OFF) by BARON, Jimmy
19:18 0-2 V 2 GOOD! LAYUP by WISE, Jamaal [PNT]
GOOD! JUMPER by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 19:01 2-2 T 1
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 19:01
18:51 TURNOVR by WISE, Jamaal
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano, Jeff 18:34
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 18:34
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 18:31 4-2 H 2
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 18:31 FOUL by WISE, Jamaal
18:31 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 18:08 MISSED JUMPER by WISE, Jamaal
18:06 REBOUND (OFF) by WISE, Jamaal
18:04 4-4 T 2 GOOD! LAYUP by WISE, Jamaal [PNT]
FOUL by Lowe, Chris 17:48
TURNOVR by Lowe, Chris 17:48
FOUL by Viggiano, Jeff 17:36
REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM) 17:31 MISSED 3 PTR by DANIELS, Will
17:09 FOUL by CLARK, Jon
GOOD! JUMPER by Life, James 17:06 6-4 H 2
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 17:06
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 16:46 MISSED 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
GOOD! 3 PTR by Life, James 16:39 9-4 H 5
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 16:39
FOUL by Lowe, Chris 16:31
16:31 SUB IN : Thomas, Brandon
16:31 SUB OUT: Lowe, Chris
FOUL by Life, James 16:15
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 15:59 MISSED 3 PTR by DANIELS, Will
TURNOVR by Thomas, Brandon 15:43
15:43 TIMEOUT MEDIA
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 15:24 MISSED FT SHOT by WISE, Jamaal
15:24 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
15:24 9-5 H 4 GOOD! FT SHOT by WISE, Jamaal
MISSED LAYUP by Viggiano, Jeff 15:14 BLOCK by DANIELS, Will
15:11 REBOUND (DEF) by BARON, Jimmy
15:07 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
15:07 TURNOVR by DANIELS, Will
15:07 SUB IN : Milligan, Dante
15:07 SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane
MISSED LAYUP by Thomas, Brandon 14:54
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 14:54
GOOD! TIP-IN by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 14:49 11-5 H 6
14:46 FOUL by WISE, Jamaal
14:46 TURNOVR by WISE, Jamaal
SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 14:46
SUB OUT: WISE, Jamaal 14:46
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 14:27 REBOUND (DEF) by BARON, Jimmy
14:15 11-8 H 3 GOOD! 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
14:15 ASSIST by DANIELS, Will
MISSED LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun 13:56
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 13:56
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 13:52 13-8 H 5
13:37 13-10 H 3 GOOD! LAYUP by DANIELS, Will [PNT]
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 13:36 MISSED FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 13:36
SUB IN : MACK, Terrence 13:36 SUB IN : Carrier, Lawrence
SUB OUT: CLARK, Jon 13:36 SUB OUT: Viggiano, Jeff
MISSED JUMPER by Milligan, Dante 13:16
REBOUND (OFF) by Carrier, Lawrence 13:16
MISSED FT SHOT by Carrier, Lawrence 13:16 FOUL by MACK, Terrence
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 13:16
MISSED FT SHOT by Carrier, Lawrence 13:16 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 13:13 13-11 H 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
13:13 MISSED FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
13:13 REBOUND (OFF) by BARON, Jimmy
13:13 SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane
13:13 SUB IN : Viggiano, Jeff
13:13 SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun
13:13 SUB OUT: Milligan, Dante
13:10 13-13 T 3 GOOD! JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy [PNT]
MISSED JUMPER by Lasme, Stephane 12:47 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 12:22 MISSED JUMPER by DANIELS, Will
TURNOVR by Life, James 12:14
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 12:14 SUB IN : Lowe, Chris
SUB IN : WISE, Jamaal 12:14 SUB OUT: Life, James
SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will 12:14
SUB OUT: ROBINSON, Dawan 12:14
11:57 13-15 V 2 GOOD! LAYUP by MACK, Terrence [PNT]
11:57 ASSIST by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
MISSED LAYUP by Carrier, Lawrence 11:37 REBOUND (DEF) by WISE, Jamaal
11:28 TURNOVR by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
TIMEOUT MEDIA 11:28
SUB IN : ROBINSON, Dawan 11:28 SUB IN : Milligan, Dante
SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy 11:28 SUB OUT: Carrier, Lawrence
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano, Jeff 11:13
REBOUND (OFF) by Milligan, Dante 11:13
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 11:10
TURNOVR by Milligan, Dante 11:10
11:10 SUB IN : Freeman, Rashaun
11:10 SUB OUT: Milligan, Dante
10:53 TURNOVR by MACK, Terrence
TURNOVR by Viggiano, Jeff 10:37
10:35 STEAL by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 10:28 MISSED LAYUP by MACK, Terrence
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman, Rashaun 10:14 BLOCK by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 10:12
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 10:02 15-15 T 4
BLOCK by Thomas, Brandon 09:42 MISSED LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 09:39
GOOD! 3 PTR by Viggiano, Jeff 09:35 18-15 H 3
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 09:35
09:29 TIMEOUT 30sec
SUB IN : DANIELS, Will 09:29 SUB IN : Life, James
SUB OUT: MACK, Terrence 09:29 SUB OUT: Thomas, Brandon
REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM) 09:19 MISSED 3 PTR by ROBINSON, Dawan
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano, Jeff 08:57 REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM)
FOUL by Viggiano, Jeff 08:43 18-16 H 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
08:43 18-17 H 1 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy 08:43 SUB IN : Carrier, Lawrence
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 08:43 SUB OUT: Viggiano, Jeff
GOOD! 3 PTR by Carrier, Lawrence 08:28 21-17 H 4
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 08:28
07:57 21-19 H 2 GOOD! LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem [PNT]
GOOD! 3 PTR by Life, James 07:44 24-19 H 5
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 07:44
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 07:21 MISSED LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 07:15 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 07:05
07:05 TIMEOUT MEDIA
07:05 24-20 H 4 GOOD! FT SHOT by ROBINSON, Dawan
07:05 24-21 H 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by ROBINSON, Dawan
SUB IN : HARRIS, Darrell 07:05
SUB IN : MOORE, J.R. 07:05
SUB OUT: WISE, Jamaal 07:05
SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 07:05
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 06:45 25-21 H 4 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 06:45 26-21 H 5
06:45 SUB IN : Thomas, Brandon
06:45 SUB OUT: Lowe, Chris
06:33 TURNOVR by HARRIS, Darrell
STEAL by Lasme, Stephane 06:31 TURNOVR by HARRIS, Darrell
MISSED FT SHOT by Viggiano, Jeff 06:31 FOUL by HARRIS, Darrell
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 06:31
GOOD! FT SHOT by Viggiano, Jeff 06:31 27-21 H 6
06:31 SUB IN : Viggiano, Jeff
06:31 SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 06:14 FOUL by MOORE, J.R.
06:14 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
05:57 27-23 H 4 GOOD! DUNK by DANIELS, Will [PNT]
05:57 ASSIST by MOORE, J.R.
MISSED JUMPER by Thomas, Brandon 05:39 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 05:31 MISSED JUMPER by ROBINSON, Dawan
TURNOVR by Carrier, Lawrence 05:15
05:14 SUB IN : Lowe, Chris
05:14 SUB OUT: Carrier, Lawrence
04:55 27-25 H 2 GOOD! JUMPER by MOORE, J.R.
MISSED LAYUP by Life, James 04:39 REBOUND (DEF) by ROBINSON, Dawan
04:29 27-27 T 5 GOOD! LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy [PNT]
MISSED LAYUP by Lowe, Chris 04:16 REBOUND (DEF) by HARRIS, Darrell
04:10 TURNOVR by MOORE, J.R.
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 04:10 SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane
SUB IN : MACK, Terrence 04:10 SUB OUT: Viggiano, Jeff
SUB OUT: ROBINSON, Dawan 04:10
SUB OUT: MOORE, J.R. 04:10
03:48 FOUL by HARRIS, Darrell
TIMEOUT MEDIA 03:48
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:48
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 03:48
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:48 REBOUND (DEF) by HARRIS, Darrell
03:32 TURNOVR by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:17 28-27 H 1 FOUL by MACK, Terrence
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:17 29-27 H 2
SUB IN : MOORE, J.R. 03:17
SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 03:17
SUB OUT: HARRIS, Darrell 03:17
SUB OUT: MACK, Terrence 03:17
SUB IN : ROBINSON, Dawan 02:58 SUB IN : Viggiano, Jeff
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 02:58 SUB OUT: Lowe, Chris
02:46 MISSED LAYUP by MOORE, J.R.
02:46 REBOUND (OFF) by ROBINSON, Dawan
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 02:40 MISSED 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 02:20 REBOUND (DEF) by MOORE, J.R.
FOUL by Viggiano, Jeff 02:11 MISSED FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
02:11 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 02:11 MISSED FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
02:11 SUB IN : Carrier, Lawrence
02:11 SUB OUT: Viggiano, Jeff
TURNOVR by Life, James 01:55
SUB IN : WISE, Jamaal 01:55
SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will 01:55
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 01:43 MISSED FT SHOT by MOORE, J.R.
01:43 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 01:43 MISSED FT SHOT by MOORE, J.R.
01:43 SUB IN : Lowe, Chris
01:43 SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun
MISSED LAYUP by Carrier, Lawrence 01:18 BLOCK by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
01:16 REBOUND (DEF) by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
FOUL by Carrier, Lawrence 00:57 29-28 H 1 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
REBOUND (DEF) by Carrier, Lawrence 00:57 MISSED FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 00:57
SUB OUT: WISE, Jamaal 00:57
GOOD! JUMPER by Life, James 00:26 31-28 H 3
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 00:26
TIMEOUT 30sec 00:22
SUB IN : DANIELS, Will 00:22 SUB IN : Ampim, Nana
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 00:22 SUB OUT: Lowe, Chris
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 00:02 MISSED LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
00:00 REBOUND (OFF) by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
00:00 31-30 H 1 GOOD! LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem [PNT]
Massachusetts 31, Rhode Island 30
1st period-only InPaint Pts-T/O 2nd-Chc FastBrk BnchPts Ties Leads
Rhode Island 18 5 8 0 9 3 1
Massachusetts 10 7 8 6 3 2 2
2nd PERIOD Play-by-Play (Page 1)
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts TIME SCORE MAR VISITORS: Rhode Island
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 19:43 MISSED JUMPER by DANIELS, Will
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 19:37 REBOUND (DEF) by BARON, Jimmy
19:26 31-32 V 1 GOOD! LAYUP by WISE, Jamaal [FB/PNT]
19:26 ASSIST by BARON, Jimmy
19:14 FOUL by ROBINSON, Dawan
MISSED LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane 18:59
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 18:59
MISSED TIP-IN by Freeman, Rashaun 18:53
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 18:53
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 18:49 33-32 H 1
18:35 33-34 V 1 GOOD! LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan [PNT]
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano, Jeff 18:18 REBOUND (DEF) by ROBINSON, Dawan
18:09 MISSED LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan
18:09 REBOUND (OFF) by ROBINSON, Dawan
18:04 33-36 V 3 GOOD! LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan [PNT]
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 17:32 35-36 V 1
ASSIST by Viggiano, Jeff 17:32
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 17:18 MISSED JUMPER by ROBINSON, Dawan
GOOD! FT SHOT by Life, James 17:10 36-36 T 6 FOUL by ROBINSON, Dawan
GOOD! FT SHOT by Life, James 17:10 37-36 H 1
17:10 SUB IN : Milligan, Dante
17:10 SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane
REBOUND (DEF) by Milligan, Dante 16:51 MISSED 3 PTR by DANIELS, Will
MISSED LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun 16:39 REBOUND (DEF) by CLARK, Jon
16:33 TURNOVR by ROBINSON, Dawan
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 16:33
SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will 16:33
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 16:13 38-36 H 2 FOUL by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 16:13 REBOUND (DEF) by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
16:04 38-38 T 7 GOOD! LAYUP by WISE, Jamaal [FB/PNT]
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 16:04 MISSED FT SHOT by WISE, Jamaal
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 16:04
16:04 SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane
16:04 SUB OUT: Milligan, Dante
TURNOVR by Lowe, Chris 15:47
15:47 TIMEOUT media
15:29 38-40 V 2 GOOD! LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy [PNT]
SUB IN : DANIELS, Will 15:23
SUB OUT: ROBINSON, Dawan 15:23
15:13 FOUL by CLARK, Jon
15:13 SUB IN : Thomas, Brandon
15:13 SUB OUT: Life, James
TURNOVR by Thomas, Brandon 15:08
15:06 STEAL by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
14:40 38-42 V 4 GOOD! JUMPER by WISE, Jamaal
14:40 ASSIST by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 14:14
TURNOVR by Freeman, Rashaun 14:14
SUB IN : ROBINSON, Dawan 14:14 SUB IN : Carrier, Lawrence
SUB IN : MOORE, J.R. 14:14 SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun
SUB OUT: CLARK, Jon 14:14
SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy 14:14
REBOUND (DEF) by Viggiano, Jeff 14:05 MISSED 3 PTR by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
MISSED 3 PTR by Thomas, Brandon 13:36 BLOCK by WISE, Jamaal
REBOUND (OFF) by Thomas, Brandon 13:34
GOOD! FT SHOT by Thomas, Brandon 13:28 39-42 V 3 FOUL by MOORE, J.R.
GOOD! FT SHOT by Thomas, Brandon 13:28 40-42 V 2
SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 13:28 SUB IN : Life, James
SUB OUT: WISE, Jamaal 13:28 SUB OUT: Viggiano, Jeff
13:13 40-44 V 4 GOOD! JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
13:13 ASSIST by ROBINSON, Dawan
MISSED 3 PTR by Carrier, Lawrence 12:56 REBOUND (DEF) by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
12:49 SUB IN : Freeman, Rashaun
12:49 SUB OUT: Carrier, Lawrence
FOUL by Thomas, Brandon 12:35
12:24 40-47 V 7 GOOD! 3 PTR by ROBINSON, Dawan
12:24 ASSIST by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
GOOD! 3 PTR by Life, James 12:12 43-47 V 4
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 11:52
11:52 TIMEOUT media
11:52 MISSED FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
11:52 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
11:52 43-48 V 5 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy 11:52
SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will 11:52
MISSED LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun 11:31
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 11:31
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 11:31 FOUL by ROBINSON, Dawan
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 11:31
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 11:31
REBOUND (OFF) by Life, James 11:31
SUB IN : WISE, Jamaal 11:31
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 11:31
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 11:05 45-48 V 3
ASSIST by Thomas, Brandon 11:05
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 10:42 MISSED JUMPER by WISE, Jamaal
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 10:34
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 10:34
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman, Rashaun 10:29 REBOUND (DEF) by MOORE, J.R.
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 10:22 MISSED JUMPER by ROBINSON, Dawan
MISSED LAYUP by Life, James 10:16 REBOUND (DEF) by BARON, Jimmy
FOUL by Life, James 10:13
SUB IN : MACK, Terrence 10:13
SUB OUT: MOORE, J.R. 10:13
FOUL by Thomas, Brandon 10:03
10:03 SUB IN : Viggiano, Jeff
10:03 SUB OUT: Life, James
BLOCK by Freeman, Rashaun 10:01 MISSED JUMPER by MACK, Terrence
09:59 REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM)
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 09:35 MISSED 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
MISSED JUMPER by Viggiano, Jeff 09:25 REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM)
BLOCK by Freeman, Rashaun 09:04 MISSED JUMPER by MACK, Terrence
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 09:01
MISSED JUMPER by Thomas, Brandon 08:58 REBOUND (DEF) by ROBINSON, Dawan
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 08:50 MISSED LAYUP by WISE, Jamaal
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 08:48
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 08:45 FOUL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 08:45
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 08:45 REBOUND (DEF) by MACK, Terrence
SUB IN : DANIELS, Will 08:45 SUB IN : Carrier, Lawrence
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 08:45 SUB OUT: Thomas, Brandon
SUB OUT: ROBINSON, Dawan 08:45
SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 08:45
FOUL by Carrier, Lawrence 08:21 45-49 V 4 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM) 08:21 MISSED FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 08:14 46-49 V 3 FOUL by MACK, Terrence
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 08:14 47-49 V 2
SUB IN : ROBINSON, Dawan 08:14
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 08:14
07:42 47-51 V 4 GOOD! LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan [PNT]
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 07:14 49-51 V 2
ASSIST by Viggiano, Jeff 07:14
06:49 49-53 V 4 GOOD! JUMPER by ROBINSON, Dawan [PNT]
FOUL by Lowe, Chris 06:30
TURNOVR by Lowe, Chris 06:30
06:30 TIMEOUT media
SUB IN : CLARK, Jon 06:30 SUB IN : Life, James
SUB OUT: MACK, Terrence 06:30 SUB OUT: Carrier, Lawrence
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 06:15 MISSED JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 06:05
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 06:05
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 05:55 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 05:55
MISSED FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 05:55 REBOUND (DEF) by WISE, Jamaal
05:24 49-55 V 6 GOOD! LAYUP by WISE, Jamaal [PNT]
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 05:00 51-55 V 4
ASSIST by Viggiano, Jeff 05:00
04:22 MISSED JUMPER by ROBINSON, Dawan
04:22 REBOUND (OFF) by CLARK, Jon
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 04:21 MISSED FT SHOT by CLARK, Jon
04:21 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 04:21 MISSED FT SHOT by CLARK, Jon
SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 04:21
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 04:21
SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will 04:21
SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy 04:21
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 03:59 53-55 V 2
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 03:44 MISSED LAYUP by CLARK, Jon
03:38 FOUL by ROBINSON, Dawan
TIMEOUT media 03:38
GOOD! FT SHOT by Life, James 03:38 54-55 V 1
GOOD! FT SHOT by Life, James 03:38 55-55 T 8
SUB IN : MOORE, J.R. 03:38
SUB IN : DANIELS, Will 03:38
SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy 03:38
SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 03:38
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 03:38
SUB OUT: CLARK, Jon 03:38
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 03:15 MISSED LAYUP by ROBINSON, Dawan
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 03:13
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 03:07
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 03:07
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 03:04 56-55 H 1 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 03:04 57-55 H 2
SUB IN : MACK, Terrence 03:04
SUB OUT: MOORE, J.R. 03:04
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 02:47 57-56 H 1 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
02:47 57-57 T 9 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
SUB IN : SULLIVAN, Tyrese 02:47
SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 02:47
SUB OUT: ROBINSON, Dawan 02:47
SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will 02:47
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lowe, Chris 02:34 58-57 H 1 FOUL by SULLIVAN, Tyrese
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lowe, Chris 02:34 59-57 H 2
SUB IN : ROBINSON, Dawan 02:34
SUB OUT: SULLIVAN, Tyrese 02:34
02:07 TURNOVR by WISE, Jamaal
STEAL by Viggiano, Jeff 02:05
TIMEOUT 30sec 02:01
SUB IN : DANIELS, Will 02:01
SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy 02:01
MISSED 3 PTR by Viggiano, Jeff 01:44 BLOCK by MACK, Terrence
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 01:43
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 01:42 60-57 H 3 FOUL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
GOOD! FT SHOT by Freeman, Rashaun 01:42 61-57 H 4
SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy 01:42
SUB OUT: MACK, Terrence 01:42
01:18 MISSED JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
01:18 REBOUND (OFF) by BARON, Jimmy
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 01:18 61-58 H 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by BARON, Jimmy
01:18 61-59 H 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by BARON, Jimmy
SUB IN : MACK, Terrence 01:18
SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 01:18
MISSED LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun 00:58
REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM) 00:58
00:58 TIMEOUT TEAM
GOOD! JUMPER by Life, James 00:54 63-59 H 4
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 00:54
MISSED FT SHOT by Life, James 00:54 FOUL by BARON, Jimmy
00:54 REBOUND (DEF) by ROBINSON, Dawan
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 00:41 63-60 H 3 GOOD! FT SHOT by ROBINSON, Dawan
00:41 63-61 H 2 GOOD! FT SHOT by ROBINSON, Dawan
00:41 TIMEOUT 30sec
SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem 00:41 SUB IN : Thomas, Brandon
SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy 00:41 SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane
TIMEOUT 30sec 00:31
TURNOVR by (TEAM) 00:05
00:05 TIMEOUT 30sec
TIMEOUT TEAM 00:05
00:00 MISSED JUMPER by ROBINSON, Dawan
00:00 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
Massachusetts 63, Rhode Island 61
2nd period-only InPaint Pts-T/O 2nd-Chc FastBrk BnchPts Ties Leads
Rhode Island 16 4 4 4 3 2 3
Massachusetts 12 3 12 0 2 2 3
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 5 4 - 9
Massachusetts........... 7 3 - 10
POINTS IN PAINT 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 18 16 - 34
Massachusetts........... 10 12 - 22
2ND CHANCE POINTS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 8 4 - 12
Massachusetts........... 8 12 - 20
FAST BREAK POINTS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 0 4 - 4
Massachusetts........... 6 0 - 6
BENCH POINTS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 9 3 - 12
Massachusetts........... 3 2 - 5
SCORE TIED BY 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 3 2 - 5
Massachusetts........... 2 2 - 4
LEAD GAINED BY 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 1 3 - 4
Massachusetts........... 2 3 - 5
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