• Season: 1969-70
• Date: Wednesday, January 28, 1970
• Opponent: Boston University
• Start Time: 8:00 PM ET
• Site: Curry Hicks Cage
• Special Event: none

Hoopsters Face Terriers Under Cage Bright Lights
By Steve Shamban, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Sports Editor, 1/28/1970

UMass’ award winning basketball schedule takes the Redmen into Curry Hicks Cage for their first home game in over a month tonight, when UMass meets Boston University at 8 p.m. The frosh preliminary between the two schools starts at 6 p.m.

Redmen hoop fans will welcome their favorites back for the first time since Dec. 16. And they will be viewing the game under newly installed lights that destroy the old time Cage murkiness. Such are the casualties of progress.

The Terrier-Redmen clash has all the features of a great contest. There is the revenge factor. (UMass got beaten up and raped at their loss in Boston a year ago.) It has the appearance of a family feud. (UMass coach Jack Leaman played his college ball at B.U.) There will be an individual battle between two of New England’s biggest stars. (Julius Erving, 25 pts, 19 rebounds vs. Jimmy Hayes 27 pts and a national leader in field goal percentage.)

And in addition to all that, it will be a battle between two teams that have been in and out all season, but have the potential to be New England’s best. In other words a battle of extreme importance to both teams.

B.U. comes into the game with a 6-6 record, coming off a tough 90-81 loss in overtime to UConn. Hayes was injured during most of those losses, but the sparkling senior is back in form, as witness his 29 against UConn.

Hayes has a solid supporting cast with him. There is Marty Schopefer a bruising 6’5 forward, who leads the Terriers in rebounds, and has been an extremely accurate shooter when called upon by coach Charlie Luce. Schoefer is remembered well by UMass players who a year ago were belted all over the lot by the physical B.U. star.

Joining Hayes and Schoepfer up front is 6’6 Tom Taylor, who is a tough sophomore with loads of potential. Taylor played on the state champion Boston English high school teams of a few years ago.

Manning backcourt will be veteran Steve Gladstone, a dangerous scorer and sophomore and former Boston school boy star Lou Graham, who has scored in a couple of games in double figures.

UMass will be missing starting center Ken Mathias. The 6’7 junior is still feeling the effects of a flu attach and will have to sit out tonight. He will be replaced by senior Dick Samuelson.

Erving will continue his quest for national rebound honors at one forward. Senior Jack Gallagher will start at the other corner post.

Captain Ray Ellerbrook and sophomore John Betancourt will start in the backcourt. Ellerbrook showed signs of coming out of his shooting slump with a big second half last Saturday night against Iona.

B.U. opened its season with a win over one of the New England biggies, Boston College. The Terriers have hopes of joining the area hoop elite and a win tonight could help them on their way.

UMass will have to shed its inconsistency to stop the tough Terriers.

Cagers Bomb BU, 103-68, With Big First Half Burst
Redmen Ahead at Midpoint, 61-28
By Peter Pascarelli, The Massachusetts Daily Collegian Sports Editor, 1/29/1970

The long awaited UMass basketball explosion finally arrived last night at a jampacked Curry Hicks Cage, as the Redmen swept to a 61-28 point first half lead, and went on to crush Boston University 103-68. The win was UMass’ second in a row and upped their record to 7-5, while the Terriers dropped to 6-7.

In an awesome 20 minutes, the Redmen shot 62%. Julius Erving set a school record, scoring 29 points and pulling down what must be a record 18 rebounds, Ray Ellerbrook poured in 20 points, and Jack Gallagher harassed Terrier star Jim Hayes into an atrocious shooting half and four fouls. It was immense.

It was calm for four minutes. Then the barrage began. UMass got six in a row beginning at the 12:20 mark. Then after three minutes, the Redmen outscored the Terriers 11-2, with Gallagher putting in three hoops, and Erving adding five points.

Then came the deluge. Ellerbrook and Erving, with an assist from Chris Coffin, ran in, over the last 3:41 of the half, rattled in 14 straight points, and made what was a healthy lead, into a rout.

Gallagher meanwhile shut off Hayes; vaunted outside shooting game, and only some generous calls in Hayes’ favor by referees prevented Gallagher from dominating even more. Gallagher was forced out of the contest at 6:57 of the half with four fouls.

Hayes followed him out at 2:27 also with four personals.

Erving broke his own record set in the season opener against Providence with his 29 markers. The super soph was 10 for 14 from the field, 9 for 9 from the foul line in the first 20 minutes. Ellerbrook was just as hot, canning 8 of 14 from the floor and 4 of 4 from the foul stripe.

The decision therefore was decided at halftime. But there was still a lot of indecision for the second half. Erving was within 12 points of a school scoring record, within 11 of a school rebound record. And there was the question of when the Redmen would break the 100 mark.

Unfortunately Erving did not approach the point mark. The first ten minutes of the second half were slow and sloppy and Erving missed a couple of foul shots, a couple of outside shots and misplayed the ball all alone under the basket.

So (and this gives you an indication of what he is capable of) Erving had to settle for only (?) 34 points and 27 rebounds.

Hayes, meanwhile, who was touted by Boston writers and Sporting News as the best in New England, fouled out at 17:36 with 14 points.

The ballgame meanwhile, continued dully the rest of the half, as compared with the breathtaking, fastbreaking first half.

Steve Gladstone was the only bright spot for the Terriers, firing some long range jumpers. Dick Samuelson, meanwhile, who started in place of a flu-ridden Ken Mathias, popped in ten points over the second 20 minutes.

Dennis Chapman had eight in the half, as did Rick Vogeley.

Bob Dempsey, meanwhile, took over playmaking reins and set up numerous hoops on the end of fast breaks.

The lead fell below 30 on a couple of occasions, but UMass was easily in control throughout and just coasted in to the win.

The last excitement was the reaching of the 100 point mark. And UMass teased their boisterous fans before going over the century figure. With 2:11 left and with 98 points on the board, the Redmen took over the ball, seemingly with plenty of time.

However, it took almost a minute before finally Bill Greeley was fouled and at the line with a one and one situation. The junior guard canned the first foul shot but missed the second. Vogeley got the rebound however, and, after 11 seconds, Mike Pagliara canned a 20 foot jumper and, at 1:18, UMass had gone over 100 points for the 13th time in school history.

Ellerbook had 25 points to go along with Erving’s 34. Samuelson chipped in with 14 and added nine rebounds. Gladstone had 15 points for B.U., Hayes 14.

Yes, the explosion was a long time coming. But maybe, this obviously talented team has turned the corner.

REDMEN RANTINGS – There should be little question now who is the best player in New England … Referees called one in UMass favor, midway in the second half, when Erving went through the hoop to block a B.U. shot, in what looked like a certain goaltending … UMass had their best shooting percentage of the season, hitting at a cool 53% from the floor … Dennis Chapman thrilled the crowd with his forays onto the floor that had his uniform dirtier than Maury Willis’ … The new Cage lights make it actually bright at the “Court of the Last Resort” … Coach Jack Leaman said after the win, “We have a lot of talent and were bound to break out, sooner or later.” … Said Leaman about Erving’s shot at the 41 point scoring record held by Bill Tindall, “Remember he is still young. I don’t think he was thinking about it in the second half. He’ll break that record before he leaves this place.” … And making an appearance in the packed stands was a former MDC Sports Editor, released from the service, and reportedly ready to assume the reins of a world famous intramural basketball team.

UMassHoops.com note: In Erving's two years on UMass varsity, he never did reach Tindall's mark of 41 points in a game.

Erving Performance Awes B.U. Coach
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian, 1/30/1970

It's difficult to write a piece about Julius Erving without having to rehash a group of tired cliches that have been used since the year one. So instead, I’ll let B.U. Coach Charlie Luce do the raving.

“He's the finest player I've seen,“ Luce opened, “and he could play for any team in the country. Hell, he could help the Celtics right now.” B.U. by the way, was the last school in the running when Erving finally decided to go to UMass.

In the first half Erving scored a record 29 points, and snared 18 rebounds. He so outplayed Terrier star Jim Hayes that if anyone contends that Hayes is the better player, as have some prominent publications, that one must assume that the perpetrator is either a fool or a member of the Hayes family.

After the game Erving revealed that he, “couldn't get the feel of the ball,” in the second half. In the final 20 minutes, the soph forward netted only five pints. He finished the game with 27 caroms.

In case the reader wonders if Erving is being given national attention let him be calmed with the knowledge that in the Capitol of College Basketball, Philadelphia, Erving dazzled the critics. The Boston Globe reporter that went to Philly to cover the NBA All-Star game and the BC-Villanova tilt the following night came back to the Hub with flowing reports from all who saw the UMass-Penn game. It is likely that he will make the all opponent team in the Palestra, quite an achievement considering the caliber of ball that plays in the UPenn field house.

Luce also came out with the surprising statement, “Right now Julie is better than James Brown ever dreamed of being.” For the few who haven't heard of Brown, he is either a first team high school All-American that was recruited from Washington by Ted Kennedy, or a youngster that plays for the Dartmouth frosh that scores in excess of 30 a game. Choose one, Luce didn't specify.

Erving's performance somewhat overshadowed a great team effort. Captain Ray Ellerbrook, Dick Samuelson, Jack Gallagher, and Dennis Chapman were all important contributors. Ellerbrook notched 20 of his 24 points in the first half when the Redmen matched their entire game total of the Fordham loss on the previous Wednesday.

Samuelson scored 14 points in an effort that pleased UMass coach Jack Leaman. Leaman promised, “Sam will be my starting center for the present.” Gallagher and Chapman combined for 15 points and some first rate defense.

The turnaway crowd basked in the added candlepower of the Cage. The Holy Cross game is slated to be televised on Ch. 27 in Worcester, and now the affluent ones with color sets can enjoy the game to the fullest. Previously only black and white transmissions were possible from the Cage.

Leaman was somewhat dismayed with the second half, bit was quite pleased with the game for the night. “This is a young team,” he said “and it really doesn't have that killer instinct yet, but it'll come.”

UMass outrebounded the Terriers 60-34. The dominance was so pronounced that no BU player could pull down more than four caroms. Luce attempted to keep the away from the middle in a futile effort to minimize Erving's effectiveness. Needless to say it didn't work.