Massachusetts
Massachusetts Downs La Salle, 81-65 – University of Massachusetts Athletics
AMHERST, MASS. – Massachusetts (11-4, 2-1) secured its second conference win of the season with an 81-65 victory over La Salle (10-6, 1-2) at the Mullins Center on Wednesday evening. Josh Cohen led the Minutemen with his second double-double of the season, finishing with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
Cohen went 9-of-19 from the field while knocking down a three and making five free throws. The double-double is his second in a UMass uniform.
Checking in on @Josh_Cohen35
??14 PTS
??6 REB#Flagship?? https://t.co/46kIFGVCGG pic.twitter.com/kl9sPpKP71— UMass Men’s Basketball (@UMassMBB) January 11, 2024
Jaylen Curry and Daniel Hankins-Sanford each provided a spark off the bench as the duo finished with 12 and 10 points respectively. Curry went 6-7 from the field with four assists while Hankins-Sanford grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds for his first career double-double.
That Charlotte Connection??
Jaylen??DHS for the hammer#Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/dYKHsi2JDz
— UMass Men’s Basketball (@UMassMBB) January 11, 2024
The Minutemen were 31-63 (.492) from the field with 42 points in the paint and 21 points off turnovers. UMass held their opponent to under 70 points for the fifth game in a row. The Minutemen also had a double-digit rebounding differential for the fifth time this season, outrebounding the Explorers 44-31.
The Explorers were led by Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi who led the team with 14 points while going 4-9 from range.
Breaking Down The Action
- Josh Cohen opened the game’s scoring by knocking down a pair of free throws at 18:49.
- Rahsool Diggins made the first field goal for the Minutemen by hitting a jumper late in the shot clock to put UMass up 4-3 at 17:07.
- After starting the game 0-3 from the field, UMass made their next four, capped by a Jayden Ndjigue turnaround jumper at 14:17.
- Diggins scored his second basket of the game to stop a 6-0 La Salle Run at 11:45.
- Coming out of a media timeout, Jaylen Curry recorded a steal and went the full length of the court for a layup to put UMass up 15-13.
- Curry continued to be a spark for the Minutemen, finding Daniel Hankins-Sanford for a bucket and hitting a shot of his own from the top of the key.
- Josh Cohen hit the first three pointer for UMass to take a five-point lead into the under eight-minute media timeout.
- UMass went into the locker room up 32-31, led by Hankins-Sanford’s eight points and five rebounds off the bench.
- Coming out of the break, Cohen converted a three-point play as UMass led La Salle 35-33.
- After La Salle tied the game at 37-37, Cohen finished through contact to give UMass back the lead at 17:56.
- Curry continued to bring the energy off the bench by scoring back-to-back buckets to put UMass up 45-39 at the first media timeout of the second half.
- UMass held La Salle to zero field goals for 3:13 while going on a 12-2 run to take a 47-39 lead.
- After a Diggins three and a Cohen jumper, UMass forced a La Salle timeout at 8:43.
- Hankins-Sanford knocked down a pair of free throws at 8:10 to give UMass its first double digit lead of the game and earning his first career double-double.
- Keon Thompson hit his first three of the game at the 6:10 mark to give the Minutemen a 64-52 advantage.
- Curry scored on back-to-back driving layups to put UMass ahead 78-62 with 1:48 remaining in the game.
- Diggins added another three with under a minute to play to secure an 81-65 victory.
New Kids On The Block
- Josh Cohen led UMass with a game-high 24 points on 9-19 shooting.
- Daniel Hankins-Sanford recorded his first career double-double with ten points and a career best 13 rebounds.
- Jaylen Curry went an efficient 6-7 with 12 points and four assists in 22 minutes.
Numbers To Know
- 2: Minutemen recorded double-doubles as Josh Cohen finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Daniel Hankins-Sanford added ten points and 13 rebounds. It’s the first time two Minutemen have had double-doubles in the same game since Preston Santos and Samba Diallo versus Duquesne on Jan. 25, 2020.6:
- Jaylen Curry’s six field goals were the most he’s made in a game this season while having his best shooting percentage in a game (.857).
- 13: UMass finished with a +13 advantage on the glass (44-31), their second highest rebounding differential this season.
- 42: The Minutemen finished with 42 points in the paint in comparison to La Salle’s 26.
Year Two Under Coach Martin
- Massachusetts Head Coach, Frank Martin now holds a 26-20 record leading the Minutemen.
- Martin now sits with a 314-221 collegiate career record.
Series History
- UMass now has a 30-21 record all-time versus the Explorers, winning the 51st matchup between the two programs.
Up Next
- Massachusetts travels for a regional matchup with A-10 foe Rhode Island on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 2 p.m. in Kingston, RI. The broadcast can be found live on ESPN+ with links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
Two Plymouth, Massachusetts teens were saved from the summit of Mount Washington after a leg injury stranded them.
Khang Nguyen,17, said he and his friend, 18-year-old Vaughn Webb, thought they were well prepared for their hike on Saturday. They brought trekking poles, layers, microspikes for their boots and more.
But halfway up the trail, Nguyen feared the worst when his leg began to hurt.
“It was just incredibly painful to lift up my right leg,” he explained. “I told [Vaughn] to leave me behind so I could go on my own pace and for him to reach the summit to get help at first.”
The pair managed to reach the top of the mountain but had to seek shelter next to a building as wind gusts increased, and the air temperature reached 38 degrees. Nguyen said they also ran out of food and water. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department received the 911 call around 7:30 p.m. and quickly alerted a State Park employee who began to search for the two teens.
“Conservation Officers then began responding in four-wheel-drive pickup trucks to try and get to the summit and back ahead of incoming snow,” the game department said in a statement.
After around 30 minutes of reaching both Webb and Nguyen were found. They were taken inside a building and Nguyen was being treated for his injury.
“The worker that was up there, [said] that they came in record time, and we appreciate their help a lot. It saved our lives potentially,” Nguyen explained.
The pair was successfully taken off the mountain by 10 p.m. The two teens are now safely back in Massachusetts and are incredibly grateful to their rescuers.
As libraries across western Massachusetts celebrate National Library Week from April 19 to April 25, they are honoring “the last real third space where everyone is welcome,” in the words of Greenfield Public Library Assistant Director Lisa Prolman.
According to the American Library Association, National Library Week is “an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries and library professionals play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.” This year, several libraries in the region will be hosting events to highlight the roles they play in their communities.
The Athol Public Library is among the venues engaging in National Library Week festivities, with a whole host of events starting on Tuesday, April 21, with Silly Goose Story Time at 10:30 a.m. The library will hold multiple events each day, including “Free Book Friday” on April 24, which Assistant Director Robin Shtulman said is “really fantastic.”
Shtulman said the week celebrates and emphasizes the “freedom to read, community outreach and celebrating the staff, without whom nothing would happen.”
The Athol Public Library said in an event announcement that “whatever brings you joy, the library has something for everyone,” and that aspect is being emphasized this National Library Week. To name a few of the events on tap, on Tuesday, April 21, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., there’s a volunteer opportunity where teens will make greeting cards for senior citizens; “A Minecraft Movie” will be shown at the same date and time; and on Thursday, April 23, the library will host Scavenger Hunt Bingo for all ages. For a full list of events at the Athol Public Library, visit atholpubliclibrary.com.
In Shelburne Falls, the Arms Library will feature a gallery from the Carlos Heiligmann Collection, a series of photos of public libraries across western Massachusetts. Also in collaboration with the Arms Library, Pothole Pictures and the Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club will partner for a screening of “Free For All: The Public Library” on Saturday, April 25, at 2 p.m. at the Shelburne Falls Theater at Memorial Hall.
The documentary focuses on the evolution of the public library from its origins in the 19th century and the challenges it faces today, with modern-day issues such as book bans, funding cuts and debates over censorship.
It also explores the role that women’s clubs, like the one in Shelburne Falls, played in creating the modern library system. To serve their communities, women’s clubs took the lead in fundraising, collecting books and advocating for library legislation.
“Our women’s club in this town started with a group of 60 women who were gathering for lessons. … Because of the support of women in the U.S., we established over 80% of the public libraries [in the country],” said Christin Couture, program chair for the Shelburne Falls Area Women’s Club. “This film … I hear it’s so fascinating.”
Following the film’s screening, there will be a panel of local librarians who will engage in “lively conversation” about the history and future of public libraries. Tickets are $6, though school-age children will be admitted for free.
In Charlemont, Tyler Memorial Library will host an open house on Saturday, April 25, from noon to 2 p.m. featuring refreshments, a tour of the library and sun catcher crafting.
The Greenfield Public Library, meanwhile, is taking National Library Week in a bit of a different direction, as it is offering a book repair demonstration with Tom Hutcheson on Thursday, April 23, at 3:30 p.m. The day marks William Shakespeare’s birthday.
Although the book repair session required registration and is currently full, those who are interested may be placed on a waiting list at greenfieldpl.libcal.com/event/16460179.
Greenfield Public Library Director Anna Bognolo recognized the hard work that everyone has put into making the library a success, offering a “huge thank you” to the volunteers and staff who make its varied offerings possible.
“Stop by and support your library,” Bognolo said.
“Libraries, especially in this economy, are more important than ever,” Prolman said. Referencing the library’s role as a place where community members can go that is not work or home, she added, “They are the last real third space where everyone is welcome, and we don’t charge you for being here.”
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