====== December 20, 2025 - Kent State at UMass  ======
  * Season: [[season_2025-26|2025-26]]
  * Date: Saturday, December 20, 2025
  * Opponent: [[opponent_kent_state|Kent State]]
  * Start Time: 2:00 PM ET
  * Site: [[Mullins Center]]
  * Event: [[MAC]] game, UM's first as a MAC member
  * Television: none
  * Stream: [[https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/a16e087d-b6ce-4138-8011-864ec521d096|ESPN+]]
  * Radio: [[https://www.audacy.com/stations/weei-1055fmspringfield|WEEI 105.5 FM]], [[https://wcrnradio.com/|WCRN 830 AM]], [[https://thevarsitynetwork.com/audioapplink/source/university-of-massachusetts:oas-1218/content/umass:allaccess-Live-5066|Varsity]] (stream)
  * Spread: UMass -1((per Covers.com https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/ncaab/linemovement/kent-at-mass/364486))
  * UM personnel report: [[Josh Engel]] was not dressed, no official report as to why.

[{{ ::mac_logo_on_mullins_floor_2025.jpg?direct&200|UM's first league-play game with the MAC went down with a loss.}}]
  * **Result: Kent State 69, UMass 59**
  * Attendance: 3104

^  Previous Game  ^  Next Game  ^
|  [[game20251213_florida_state|vs Florida State (12/13)]]  |  [[game20251222_umass_boston|UMass Boston (12/22)]]  |

===== Previews =====
  * Game notes: [[https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/12/17/mens-basketball-massachusetts-opens-conference-play-against-kent-state|UM]], [[https://kentstatesports.com/news/2025/12/19/mens-basketball-kent-state-to-open-up-mid-american-conference-play-at-umass-on-saturday-afternoon|KSU]]
  * Daily Hampshire Gazette: [[https://gazettenet.com/2025/12/17/umass-mens-basketball-minutemen-set-to-face-top-mac-team-kent-state-in-conference-opener/|Minutemen set to face top MAC team Kent State in conference opener]]
  * Minuteman Command: [[https://open.substack.com/pub/minutemancommand/p/umass-to-open-mac-play?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web|UMass To Open MAC Play]]
  * sMACk Talk: [[https://open.substack.com/pub/smacktalk/p/chasing-the-crown-mac-mens-basketball?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web|Chasing the Crown: MAC Men’s Basketball Enters League Play]]
  * sMACk Talk: [[https://open.substack.com/pub/smacktalk/p/learning-the-league-umass-mens-basketball?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web|Learning the League: UMass Men’s Basketball Prepares for its Mid-American Challenge]]

===== Game Thread =====
See [[https://www.umasshoops.com/newboard/viewtopic.php?t=17433|the UMassHoops.com Message Board thread]] for pre-game and post-game discussion.

===== Recaps =====
  * UM: [[https://umassathletics.com/news/2025/12/20/mens-basketball-massachusetts-basketball-falls-to-kent-state-in-mac-opener|Massachusetts Basketball Falls To Kent State In MAC Opener]]
  * KSU: [[https://kentstatesports.com/news/2025/12/20/mens-basketball-golden-flashes-start-1-0-in-the-mac-with-69-59-victory-at-umass|Golden Flashes Start 1-0 in the MAC With 69-59 Victory at UMass]]
  * Daily Hampshire Gazette: [[https://gazettenet.com/2025/12/20/umass-basketball-minutemen-fall-to-kent-state-69-59-in-first-mid-american-conference-game/|Minutemen fall to Kent State 69-59 in first Mid-American Conference game]]
  * MassLive: [[https://www.masslive.com/umassbasketball/2025/12/umass-mens-basketball-falters-against-kent-state-gallery.html|UMass men’s basketball falters against Kent State]]
  * Mass. Daily Collegian: [[https://dailycollegian.com/2025/12/umass-falls-flat-in-mac-opener-to-kent-state/|UMass falls flat in MAC opener to Kent State]]
  * MDC: [[https://dailycollegian.com/2025/12/umass-cant-create-shots-in-conference-loss/|UMass can’t create shots in conference loss]]
  * sMACk Talk: [[https://smacktalk.substack.com/p/gillespie-records-double-double-in|Gillespie Records Double-Double in First Win in MAC Play]]
  * Minutemen Command: [[https://www.minutemancommand.com/p/umass-drops-mac-opener|UMass Drops MAC Opener]]

===== Other content =====
  * [[https://www.masslive.com/umassbasketball/2025/12/umass-mens-basketball-falters-against-kent-state-gallery.html|Photo gallery]]
  * Post-game pressers: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlwHt8Sp7FQ|Ndjigue and Parker]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cX_FnYGEx0&pp=0gcJCTwKAYcqIYzv|Frank]]
  * Video clips: [[https://x.com/UMassMBB/status/2002459038961811609|Ndjigue finds Clerc wide open]], [[https://x.com/UMassMBB/status/2002477827690578162|Ball movement finds Parker for 3]], [[https://x.com/UMassMBB/status/2002478800945508820|another angle of Parker's 3]], [[https://x.com/UMassMBB/status/2002478995065999698|Wimbley connects from deep]], [[https://x.com/UMassMBB/status/2002479924129481063|Banks connects after being swarmed on D]], [[https://x.com/UMassMBB/status/2002484104600957373|Parker to DHS for the flush]]
  * Video: [[https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/video/_/gameId/401813771|Highlight pack from ESPN]]

===== Box score =====
[[https://umassathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2025-26/kent-state/boxscore/16357|Standard]], [[http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=612882|StatBroadcast]], [[https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sidearm.nextgen.sites/umassathletics.com/stats/mbball/2025/pdf/20251220032823-2751761.pdf|PDF]]

{{tag>"2025-26 season" "Kent State"}}