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game20240314_vcu

March 14, 2024 - VCU vs. UMass

  • Season: 2023-24
  • Date: Thursday, March 14, 2024
  • Opponent: VCU
  • Start Time: 2:00 PM ET
  • Site: Barclays Center, Brooklyn NY
  • Special Event: Atlantic 10 Tournament, Quarterfinal. Seeds: UMass 4, VCU 5
  • Television: USA
  • Radio: WEEI (105.5 FM), WCRN (830 AM), WMUA (91.1 FM)
  • Spread: UMass +1.51)
  • UM injury report: All players dressed
  • Result: VCU 73, UMass 59
  • Attendance: 6817 (afternoon double-header)
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Fordham (3/6) 2024-25 season

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See the UMassHoops.com Message Board thread for pre-game and post-game discussion.

Recaps

Massachusetts Comeback Falls Short In Atlantic 10 Quarterfinals
From UMass Athletics, 3/14/2024

BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Massachusetts (20-11, 11-7 Atlantic 10) dropped a 73-59 decision to VCU (21-12, 11-7 A-10) at the Barclays Center on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The loss caps what otherwise was a season of tremendous growth for the program, as the Minutemen secured their first 20-win season since 2013-14 and first top-four seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship since 2007-08.

The fourth-seeded Minutemen put together a furious second-half comeback to cut what was once a 17-point lead to a two-possession game on a Rahsool Diggins three at the 4:24 mark but could not get any closer as the fifth-seeded Rams pulled away at the finish.

Diggins had a game-high 21 points on 7-for-16 shooting (4-for-10 on threes), while Josh Cohen added 14 points. Matt Cross finished with seven points to go along with a team-high eight rebounds for UMass.

The Rams were led by Zeb Jackson, who scored 17 points. VCU shot 50% from the field and was 23-for-30 from the free throw line.

Breaking Down The Action

  • On the game's first possession, Jayden Ndjigue pulled down an offensive board and went back up for the first points of the day.
  • In his first post touch, Cohen converted a three-point play to put UMass up 5-0 at 18:02.
  • After VCU went on a 7-0 run, Matt Cross hit a corner three at 14:23 to regain the UMass lead.
  • Cohen scored a tough step-through layup at the 8:17 mark to bring UMass within four.
  • Cross gave the Minutemen some momentum with an emphatic putback dunk with 7:45 left in the first half.
  • Ndjigue scored his second basket of the afternoon off an assist from Cross at 6:48.
  • After checking in for the first time, Marqui Worthy attacked the rim for his first points at 2:40.
  • In a foul-heavy first half, UMass was 10-for-14 from the line and went into halftime trailing 42-25.
  • In the Minutemen's first possession of the second half, Ndjigue grabbed two offensive rebounds which led to a Rahsool Diggins three.
  • Diggins scored the next five points to bring UMass within 12 at 16:06.
  • Ndjigue continued to make plays when needed most, as the freshman hit a corner three at 14:46.
  • A Diggins fast-break layup at 14:10 cut the VCU lead to 11 and forced a Rams timeout.
  • A Cohen layup at 12:52 got UMass within single digits to cap a 7-0 run.
  • Diggins cut the lead to 52-44 with a reverse layup in transition at 10:46.
  • Diggins continued with the hot hand, sinking his third three in the second half to make it 54-47.
  • After VCU went on a 7-2 run, Keon Thompson hit a corner three to get UMass back within ten.
  • Diggins added another three to make it a two-possession game at 4:24.

New Kids On The Block

  • Cohen led the newcomers with 14 points, going 3-of-5 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. Cohen also added six rebounds and a team-high two steals.
  • Ndjigue finished out his freshman season with another all-around performance, grabbing seven rebounds to go along with eight points and a pair of blocks in 29 minutes.
  • Guards Jaylen Curry and Marqui Worthy both came off the bench and scored crucial baskets for UMass.

Numbers To Know

  • 4: Rahsool Diggins knocked down four three-pointers for the third consecutive game.
  • 5: Matt Cross dished out a team-high five assists.
  • 8: Cross also finished with a game-high eight rebounds.
  • 21: Diggins had a game-high 21 points, 20 of which came in the second half.
  • 24: Josh Cohen finished the contest with 14 points for his 24th game in double figures.

Year Two Under Coach Martin

  • Massachusetts Head Coach, Frank Martin now holds a 35-27 record leading the Minutemen.
  • Martin now sits with a 323-228 collegiate career record.

Series History: The Minutemen now hold an 4-10 record against the Rams dropping the 14th matchup between the two programs.

Bamisile, Jackson propel Rams past UMass, into A-10 Semis
From VCU Athletics, 3/14/2024

The short story: Senior guard Joe Bamisile scored a team-high 18 points and VCU held UMass scoreless the final 4:24 to fend off a Minuteman rally and advance to the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Semifinals Thursday at Barclays Center.

OPENING TIP

  • Bamisile connected on 4-of-6 from 3-point range and finished 6-of-9 from the field overall
  • VCU senior guard Zeb Jackson registered 17 points, four rebounds and five assists. Fellow senior guard Max Shulga dished out a team-high seven assists
  • Freshman forward Michael Belle and sophomore forward Tobi Lawal each added seven points and six rebounds on 3-of-4 shooting for the Black and Gold
  • UMass was led by Rashool Diggins who had 21 points

THE DIFFERENCE

  • VCU shot 50 percent (22-of-44) from the field and 23-of-30 from the free throw line. The Rams held the Minutemen to just 35 percent (19-of-54) shooting from the floor and 29 percent (7-of-24) from deep
  • VCU led 20-16 with 7:45 left in the first half before going on a 18-5 run capped off by a Lawal dunk. The Rams took a 42-25 lead into the break. The Rams held the Minutemen to 7-of-28 shooting in the first half, including 1-of-9 from three
  • UMass was 14-of-19 from the free throw line
  • VCU had a 15-7 advantage in points off turnovers, efficiently capitalizing on just nine Minutemen turnovers
  • The Rams had their lead cut to 65-59 with 4:24 left in the game before clamping down on defense. VCU ended the game on an 8-0 scoring run sparked by a Bamisile layup to end the game
  • UMass outscored VCU 19-8 to begin the second half behind Diggins' scoring outburst to cut the Ram's lead to 54-47 with 9:46 remaining
  • UMass would only get as close as six points for the remainder of the game

NOTABLE

  • VCU advanced to the Atlantic 10 Semifinals for the second consecutive season
  • The Rams will be playing in the A-10 Semifinals for the eighth time in 11 chances since they joined the league prior to the 2012-13 season
  • VCU improved to 20-8 all-time in A-10 Tournament play with Thursday's win

NEXT UP: Fifth-seeded VCU will face ninth-seed Saint Joseph's at 1 p.m. on Saturday on CBS Sports Network. The Rams and Hawks have met once this season, a 73-69 VCU victory Feb. 25 at the Siegel Center.

Other recaps:

Notes about UM's stats:

  • 59 points was the lowest on the season (previous average 78.1 per game)
  • .352 FG%, 2nd lowest (prev avg .454)
  • 18 pts in the paint, lowest (prev avg 37.9)
  • Cohen 5 FGAs, fewest in last 6 weeks (half his avg)
  • 26 total rebounds, lowest
  • 15 defensive rebs, lowest

Other content

Box score

game20240314_vcu.txt · Last modified: 2024/07/06 20:10 by mikeuma