Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Massachusetts and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 42-38 lead against Saint Joseph’s.

Massachusetts came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.

Who’s Playing

Saint Joseph’s Hawks @ Massachusetts Minutemen

Current Records: Saint Joseph’s 12-6, Massachusetts 12-6

How To Watch

What to Know

Saint Joseph’s has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. The Saint Joseph’s Hawks and the Massachusetts Minutemen will face off in an Atlantic 10 battle at 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday at Mullins Center. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Saturday, the Hawks skirted by the Dukes 71-69 on a last-minute layup from Cameron Brown with but a second left in the second quarter.

Saint Joseph’s can attribute much of their success to Christ Essandoko, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and 12 rebounds. Those 12 rebounds set a new season-high mark for him.

Even though Massachusetts has not done well against George Wash. recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), they didn’t let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Minutemen walked away with an 81-67 victory over the Colonials. The score was all tied up 31-31 at the break, but Massachusetts was the better team in the second half.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Massachusetts to victory, but perhaps none more so than Rahsool Diggins, who scored 25 points along with five assists. Those 25 points set a new season-high mark for him. The team also got some help courtesy of Josh Cohen, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Hawks’ win bumped their record up to 12-6. As for the Minutemen, their win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-6.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Saint Joseph’s have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.3 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Massachusetts struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 38.8 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Saint Joseph’s is hoping to beat the odds on Tuesday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. Saint Joseph’s and Massachusetts have both performed well against the spread, with Saint Joseph’s at 11-7 and Massachusetts at 2-2 ATS.

Odds

Massachusetts is a slight 2.5-point favorite against Saint Joseph’s, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Minutemen as a 2-point favorite.

The over/under is set at 154 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Massachusetts has won 7 out of their last 10 games against Saint Joseph’s.

• Jan 21, 2023 – Saint Joseph’s 74 vs. Massachusetts 68
• Feb 12, 2022 – Massachusetts 69 vs. Saint Joseph’s 67
• Mar 04, 2021 – Massachusetts 100 vs. Saint Joseph’s 66
• Jan 29, 2020 – Massachusetts 91 vs. Saint Joseph’s 76
• Feb 23, 2019 – Massachusetts 80 vs. Saint Joseph’s 79
• Feb 02, 2019 – Saint Joseph’s 64 vs. Massachusetts 62
• Feb 10, 2018 – Saint Joseph’s 85 vs. Massachusetts 73
• Jan 14, 2018 – Massachusetts 72 vs. Saint Joseph’s 69
• Mar 08, 2017 – Massachusetts 70 vs. Saint Joseph’s 63
• Feb 11, 2017 – Massachusetts 87 vs. Saint Joseph’s 76