The long run saved the UMass males’s basketball crew’s current.
Three freshmen mixed for 40 factors, because the Minutemen defeated Rhode Island 69-45 on Saturday within the Ryan Heart to snap a five-game dropping streak. It was UMass’ first Atlantic 10 highway win of the season.
Keon Thompson put in 15 factors with six rebounds and 5 assists, RJ Luis scored 14 factors with seven rebounds and Tafara Gapare added 11 factors and 7 rebounds.
“Guys answered the bell. Guys have been asking for steerage as to how they will help us and play. That they had their numbers referred to as , and each certainly one of them helped us win with their consideration to element and competitiveness,” UMass coach Frank Martin stated.
Gapare splashed a 3 with 6 minutes, 44 seconds to halftime that gave UMass (14-13, 5-10 Atlantic 10) the lead for good, 21-19. It sparked a 10-2 run.
Rhode Island (8-18, 4-10) led 13-7 early, as guard Ishmael Leggett scored 13 of the Rams’ first 15 factors. He completed with 18, as Rhode Island shot simply 25 p.c kind the sphere. The Rams went 4-of-25 from 3-point vary.
UMass switched to a zone early and rode supersized lineups that includes a mix of Isaac Kante (9 factors, eight rebounds) Gianni Thompson (six rebounds), Wildens Leveque and Gapare prowling the paint. The Minutemen gained the rebounding battle 46-37 and outscored Rhode Island 40-22 within the paint. They blocked seven photographs led by Leveque’s three.
“As the sport wore on, that physicality on the rim wore them down,” Martin stated.
Luis didn’t play a lot of the primary half after choosing up two fouls within the first three minutes. He scored 12 factors after halftime and shot 60 p.c from the sphere whereas carrying a transparent plastic masks to guard a therapeutic damaged nostril.
Rahsool Diggins additionally added 9 factors and hit a 3, making four-of-five photographs.
UMass shot 50 p.c from the sphere and held the Rams to a season-low level whole.
“(Friday) was essentially the most disciplined, bodily defensive observe that we’ve had shortly,” Martin stated. “I informed the crew after the final sport ‘I’m accomplished making an attempt to be the rah rah man.’ As quickly as we made a mistake, we obtained to the road and we ran. I gotta battle for the tradition proper now. That’s what I did, that’s what my workers did, and provides the gamers credit score, they responded.”
The Minutemen did it with simply eight gamers since they had been lacking level guard Noah Fernandes (ankle), Matt Cross (MCL) and Dyondre Dominguez (non-COVID sickness). Dominguez needs to be again at observe Monday, Martin stated.
UMass will want all the assistance it could actually get in opposition to convention No. 2 Dayton on Wednesday on the Mullins Heart (7 p.m. CBS Sports activities).
Kyle Grabowski may be reached at kgrabowski@gazettenet.com. Observe him on Twitter @kylegrbwsk.