AMHERST – Rahsool Diggins’ confidence debuted in a UMass uniform. It seems to be good on him.
The sophomore UConn switch poured in all seven of his career-high level whole throughout a 12-point second half run that separated the UMass males’s basketball group from Rhode Island in a 75-65 Atlantic 10 Convention win Saturday on the Mullins Middle.
The Minutemen trailed the Rams by one after an Ishmael Leggett layup 13 seconds into the second half. T.J. Weeks Jr. restored the UMass lead with a 3, then Diggins took the ball from Rhody guard Malik Martin and raced up the court docket for a layup. He drove via the protection for an additional layup and hit a step again 3 to offer the Minutemen their largest lead 39-28 with 17:13 remaining.
“Rahsool’s been looking for confidence. He was a fairly good participant in highschool. He misplaced his religion final 12 months at UConn, the vast majority of his personal doing,” UMass coach Frank Martin mentioned. “He’d been in our rotation serving to us win video games, and then the entire ‘we’re getting near the child being born’ began, and his thoughts simply left us.”
Diggins stuffed in at the start line guard spot throughout Noah Fernandes’ ankle harm absence in December. He and his girlfriend welcomed their first youngster Dec. 31 whereas the Minutemen have been at Saint Bonaventure.
“He’s coping with a brand new accountability, that is totally different. He performed with a special aggression in observe (Friday), and it carried over to (Saturday),” Martin mentioned. “Now he is making some defensive performs to get layups. Then he makes that three, and also you see his persona popping out.”
Diggins began instead of Fernandes, who didn’t play together with freshman RJ Luis after not taking part in shootaround on account of accidents. Freshman Keon Thompson rotated with Diggins on the level guard spot and completed with a career-high 31 minutes. He scored 9 factors with 5 assists and 7 rebounds.
“It’s the identical accountability, simply extra alternatives,” Thompson mentioned. “I all the time have to indicate up on daily basis, put within the work, present the coaches that I am prepared for that accountability, and (Saturday) I really feel like I’ve proven it. I helped my group win.”
The Minutemen (11-6, 2-3 Atlantic 10) wanted assist after the opening couple of minutes. The Rams (6-11, 2-3) leapt out to a 10-3 lead within the first 4:12. UMass began 1-of-8 with a turnover.
Martin went to his bench, bringing in Wildens Leveque and Dyondre Dominguez. Dominguez drilled a 3 virtually instantly. He performed a season-high half-hour and contributed 12 factors, seven rebounds and two steals amidst hustle performs diving for free balls or elevating to contest photographs.
“That is a kind of guys that you really want in your group and a kind of guys that you simply hate taking part in in opposition to,” Thompson mentioned of Dominguez. “He brings a lot vitality on the defensive finish, and his vitality on the defensive finish simply provides on to his offensive recreation.”
Leveque blocked three photographs, grabbed six rebounds and threw down a two-handed putback dunk throughout UMass’ 12-0 run to open the second half. The Minutemen outscored the Rams 48-39 after halftime after they scored simply 27 factors within the first half.
Their lead by no means shrank to a single possession in entrance of a season-high 5,013 followers. That’s the Minutemen’s highest attendance determine since Feb. 2020 when Obi Toppin and his top-10 Dayton group visited.
“That was superior man. I’m so grateful. If we’re gonna ask individuals for his or her time, their cash and their vitality, we higher play the best way we performed (Saturday),” Martin mentioned. “Now once we join all these and we maintain placing increasingly more and extra individuals in there, it’s gonna be a complete lot of enjoyable prefer it was round right here.”
UMass snapped a two-game shedding streak and received for simply the second time in its final 5 outings.
“Earlier than the break, you understand, we received some video games received the Myrtle Seashore, so we’re excited. If you win some video games, particularly lots of us that have not actually been a part of successful, you are likely to get too excited,” UMass ahead Matt Cross mentioned. “You form of get away from what received you there, what was successful for you. Frank simply form of received on prime of us and made observe not simple as an example. Now we all know, listening to him once more after a great dub like that, each time we do what he says good issues occur.”
Cross led UMass with a career-high 22 factors. The Louisville switch who began his profession at Miami hit 12-of-14 free throws and pulled down seven rebounds. He stunned a few of his teammates with a one-handed comply with dunk that tied the sport at 27 with 1:12 to halftime.
“All people on my group tries to get me to dunk extra as a result of I’ll in layup strains. They’re like ‘why do not you do it within the recreation?’” Cross mentioned. “It simply would not work like that for me.”
The Minutemen acquired balanced scoring throughout the board. Eight gamers had a minimum of 5 factors. Brandon Martin and Weeks scored eight every.
“I am actually, actually pleased for these gamers that they discovered a strategy to compete to how we attempt to play and that they have been rewarded,” Frank Martin mentioned.
Kyle Grabowski might be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Comply with him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.