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Play by Play
here is plenty at stake for the Massachusetts men's basketball team this evening at the Mullins Center, as the Minutemen host Rhode Island (14-9, 7-2 Atlantic 10) at 8 p.m. in a rematch from two weeks ago. UMass (16-6, 5-2 A-10) didn't live up to its successful away-from-home record (9-4), dropping a heartbreaker to the Rams, 75-72, in a game that was decided by free throws.
URI fans covered the Ryan Center in pink shirts that night in an effort to support the fight against breast cancer. The Mullins Center will be supporting a fight of its own tonight, as the game will mark the first Black Out Night in support of the Minutemen.
Only, when asked if UMass would be wearing its road-black jerseys, coach Travis Ford said, "Probably not." Whether it's an optical illusion or marketing scheme that the team is going for, the Maroon and White must perform better against the Rams this time around.
"We didn't play with a lot of heart, we didn't play as hard as we're capable of playing," junior Gary Forbes said about the Jan. 24 loss to Rhode Island. "But I'm sure it will be different come Thursday."
The Minutemen can move into first place with a win this evening. They are currently in second, behind URI, and a win would catapult them into the top spot in the A-10. They just have to want it more than they did two weeks ago.
"There's a lot at stake with eight games left," sophomore point guard Chris Lowe said after Saturday's win over Richmond. "We're in the midst of everything, and the cream rises to the top. If we want it more than everybody, I think we can come out on the top.
"I think we're starting to gel together," Lowe said. "We all know what coach Ford wants from everybody now. So everybody knows their role, and if we just keep playing together and listen to what he has to say, I think we'll win this league."
UMass survived Rhode Island's heavy 3-point threat - the Rams are the A-10's top 3-point shooting team - last time they met, but it was the Rams' 16 free throws in the final 4:12 that made the difference. URI finished the game hitting 33-of-43 free throws, while UMass was 7-of-10.
Since the loss, the Minutemen grinded out a win at Charlotte, 66-61, and ran away with a 72-56 victory over Richmond on Saturday. Rhode Island lost to George Washington, 82-78, and defeated Fordham, 45-44.
"I told them there's eight games left, and now is the time to see what you're made of," Ford said after Saturday's win. "We can't expect to go out and win games like this every night. Chris Lowe can score 19, but that's not exactly what we want and what we need."
Lowe was the unexpected hero last weekend against the Spiders, posting a career-high 19 points, but UMass is going to need a better showing from senior Stephane Lasme tonight. Lasme had only eight points and five rebounds, and got had only two free-throw attempts.
Rhode Island's Will Daniels led the Rams with 20 points, and Keith Cothran scored 14 off the bench.
UMass has eight games left on the schedule heading into tonight's battle with the Rams. While it looked like the Minutemen may had overlooked the Spiders in the first half of Saturday's win - Richmond led 31-30 at the half - tonight's rematch is one they must show up for.
"It's a big stretch coming up," Forbes said. "There's eight games left in the conference, but we're just looking towards the next game. We're just looking towards the Rhode Island game.
"We have to take care of that at home, and then after we take care of that, it's onto the next game. It's just one game at a time."
MHERST - After waiting his whole career to play in meaningful February games, University of Massachusetts senior Rashaun Freeman is trying not to focus on how much tonight's game with Rhode Island actually means.
"I don't want to get caught up in all the hype. That can be a team's downfall and I don't want it to be ours," Freeman said. "I know as far as preparation, working hard and being focused. Our team is doing that. I'm looking forward to letting everything take care of itself.
"Me and Stephane (Lasme) have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to be in games like this, but there's no need for it to be like the Super Bowl," Freeman added. "We just need to go out and do what we need to do."
It might not be the Super Bowl, but in the Atlantic 10, the game at 8 p.m. in the Mullins Center means a lot. It will be televised on CSTV.
Both teams arrive with just two league losses. Rhode Island is 7-2 and 14-9 overall, while UMass is 6-2 (16-6). The winner will be alone in first place in the conference, with six or seven games remaining in the season.
"It's a great game to play, playing for first place at home. I can't wait," junior wing Gary Forbes said. "The fact that students are back will definitely help. They beat us before so it's kind of a payback game."
The Minutemen will try to even the season series with the Rams who beat them 75-72 Jan. 24. If UMass wins tonight, it would eliminate head-to-head results as a tiebreaker should the teams end up with the same conference record.
The Minutemen led for most of the first meeting before Rhode Island came to life in the second half. Will Daniels led the Rams with 20 points.
Travis Ford criticized his team's effort after the first game. Wednesday he analyzed other things that went wrong that night.
"We have to have better shot selection. I was not happy with out shot selection down there," Ford said. "They outrebounded, which not a lot of teams have done. We made a lot of defensive mistakes. We have to be a little bit tougher, a little more physical. We have a lot to improve."
Ford said he hopes for a better effort tonight, but he doesn't guarantee it.
"I still haven't figured out this basketball team," Ford said. "With these guys, who knows? I think they know we're playing for first place. But I don't know what to expect from this basketball team. When we started preparing for this game Monday I told them we know what's at stake. This doesn't have to be a rah-rah week.If you can't get ready for this game we have problems much beyond Rhode Island."
Freeman said he believes the Minutemen would be ready to go.
"That's going to be the difference in the game: who toughs it out and wants it more," Freeman said.
NOTES - Rhode Island big man Darrell Harris, who suffered an ankle sprain against UMass Jan. 24, is doubtful to play tonight.
Freeman, who has 1,631 career points, needs 12 points to move into the Minutemen's top five career scorers.
UMass is promoting the game as "Black Out Night" and encourages fans to wear black to the game. The first 1,500 fans will get black UMass basketball T-shirts. Ford plans on wearing a black suit, but said he didn't think his team would wear its black road jerseys at home.
MHERST, Mass. - UMass jumped out to a 23-5 run and held Rhode Island to 0-for-11 shooting in the first 11 minutes of Thursday night's game cruising to a convincing 77-55 win in front of a rowdy 8,358 at the Mullins Center on the first annual Black Out Night. The Minutemen now take over first place in the Atlantic 10 and at 17-6 overall (7-2 A-10) have their most wins in a season since the 1999-00 campaign. Senior Stephane Lasme (Libreville, Gabon) had his third triple-double of the season which makes him the eighth player in NCAA history to accomplish three-or-more in one season.
Lasme finished the game with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocked shots. Earlier this season, he broke Marcus Camby's school record for blocked shots and with his effort tonight needs just nine more to set the single-season mark. Lasme now has 351 for his career and 120 for the season which ties him for the national lead.
Rhode Island (14-10, 7-3 A-10) started slowly missing their first 11 shots of the game as UMass took a 41-27 lead into intermission. The Rams did not hit a field goal until the 11 minutes and nine seconds into the game when Jimmy Baron cut backdoor off a screen for an uncontested lay-up to cut UMass' lead to 23-7.
The second half saw more of the same cold shooting for the Rams who finished the game hitting just 17-of-64 field goal attempts. Normally one of the better three-point shooting teams in the league, UMass played tight perimeter defense holding Rhode Island to just 1-of-13 from beyond the arc.
UMass, meanwhile, hit 30 of its 63 attempts and outrebounded the Rams 50-to-39 for the game.
Gary Forbes (Brooklyn, N.Y.) scored 22 points which was a season-high and one shy of tying his career-best of 23 points which he scored at North Carolina when he played at Virgina.
Behind Forbes and Lasme, UMass outscored Rhode Island 48-to-20 in the paint.
Chris Lowe (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) had a well rounded game at the point for UMass scoring six points, handing out six assists, and pulling in eight rebounds.
Rhode Island was led by Baron's 17 point effort and 10 points from Joe Mbang. Baron was the only Ram to shoot 50 percent from the floor on the night as he hit 7-of-14 shots. Mbang led the team in rebounding with 10 boards.
UMass returns to action this Sunday when the Minutemen head to Philadelphia to face Temple. Gametime is set for 2 p.m.
onight's crowd of 8,358 is the largest for a home A-10 game at the Mullins Center since a sell-out crowd against Temple on Feb. 17, 2001 (crowd of 9,493). Earlier this year UMass had a sellout of 9,493 against Boston College on Dec. 2, 2006.
* Tonight's crowd includes more than 3,500 students on Black Out Night.
* At 17-6 overall, UMass has its most wins in a season since the 1999-2000 campaign when the Minutemen finished 17-16.
* At 7-2 in league play, UMass moved into first place in the Atlantic 10 at the latest point in a season since Feb. 24, 1998, when the Minutemen were alone in first place at 12-2.
Stephane Lasme (18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks) became the eighth player in NCAA history with three triple-doubles in the same season.... He had them against St. Francis and George Washington this season.
The players with 3 or more are
Michael Anderson, Drexel 1986 - 4
Jason Kidd, Cal in 1994 - 4
David Robinson Navy in 1986 - 3
Shaq O'Neal at LSU in 1992 - 3
Gerald Lewis at SMU in 1993 - 3
David Edwards at Texas A&M in 1994 - 3
Andre Iguodala at Arizona in 2004 - 3
Stephane Lasme AT UMASS in 2007 - 3
* Lasme now has 120 blocked shots this season. He is eight tying Marcus Camby for the best single-season blocked shots total in UMass history. Lasme has 351 blocks in his career, just 12 from being in the Top 25 in career blocks all-time in the NCAA history. Jerome James (Florida A&M) is 25th with 363.
* UMass picked up its seventh wire-to-wire win this season. Last season UMass had just two.
* Gary Forbes had a UMass and season-best 22 points. He scored 11 points in the first half as he reached double-digits for the 18th time this season and 42nd in his career. His former career-high was 23 against eventual National Champion North Carolina (2/16/05).
* Stephane Lasme scored in double-figures for the 15th time in 23 games this season. He had 10 of his 18 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. It's his 35th career game with 10 or more points.
* Rashaun Freeman scored 10 or more points for the 21st time in 23 games this season and 85th in 108 career games.
* UMass held Rhode Island (the best 3-point shooting team in the A-10) without a 3-pointer in the first half as they went 0-for-8. They were just 27.6 percent from the floor overall in the first half.
* Rhode Island missed its first 12 shots of the game, going without a field goal for the first 11:09 of the game before a Jimmy Baron lay-up with 8:51 left in the first half.
On the team's effort:
"It was a result of hard work and focus and putting hard with focus. I thought we finally put results with hard work. We executed our game plan. It was one of the best all around efforts since I've been here."
On the crowd at Blackout Night
"It was a step in the right direction to win this one. I knew the atmosphere would be great and then when I stepped out onto the court it was incredible. Before the game in the locker room, the team talked about winning this one for the fans. It was not only a lot of people out there, but they were loud and very much into the game. We were very appreciative of the fans tonight. It was an overall great night. Our staff worked very hard to make tonight such a great night."
On Stephane Lasme
"Stephane was in an incredible rhythm tonight. What more can you say about him? I've challenged him recently to score more the way I know he's capable of doing and, boy, did he come out and do it. It's ridiculous. 18 points, 11 rebounds, 12 blocks. It's incredible."
Chris Lowe on the team effort:
We're still gelling, tonight was a confidence booster.
URI Coach Jim Baron on UMass:
I thought they came out focused, very physical, and aggressive. Lasme, Freeman, and Life all stepped it up.
URI Coach Jim Baron on Stephane Lasme:
He's very good, it seems like he's been here for six years. We got him in to foul trouble but he came out strong.
MHERST - It was their moment, and they would not be denied.
Playing a meaningful late-season basketball game for the first time since many of their players hit puberty, the University of Massachusetts Minutemen rose to the occasion in a huge way, overwhelming Rhode Island, 77-55, before a supercharged crowd of 8,358 at the Mullins Center last night.
It was the kind of effort and atmosphere second-year coach Travis Ford has long been seeking.
"When I took over the UMass job, this is what I envisioned," said Ford.
UMass vaulted past the Rams into sole possession of first place in the Atlantic 10 with a 7-2 record, improving to 17-6 overall.
Stephane Lasme continued his scintillating play with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 blocks. The triple-double was his third of the season, making him only the eighth player in NCAA history to accomplish that feat. Others include the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, and Jason Kidd.
Lasme said the team performance was the finest he has seen in four years, besting even the upset over Connecticut his sophomore year.
"This game was even a greater effort," he said. "As a team, every single person was ready to play and gave 100 percent at every second."
Gary Forbes certainly qualified with a 22-point, nine-rebound performance that put his versatile game on full display. Forbes slashed to the basket effectively, hit two 3-pointers, and attacked the glass relentlessly.
Also of note was the continued emergence of sophomore Chris Lowe, who ran the offense with aggressive control. He scored 8 points and delivered six assists with just a single turnover.
Impressively, UMass got the win largely without leading scorer Rashaun Freeman (17 ppg), who had to sit for half the game with foul trouble, though he did manage 10 points.
The Minutemen exploded out of the gates with a 12-0 run, attacking the offensive glass with a savage intensity.
"We just went and got them," said Ford. "We had no business getting some of those. It was just a matter of will."
The Minutemen maintained the double-digit lead throughout. Rhode Island came out arctic-cold, not hitting a single field goal for more than 11 minutes, before Jimmy Baron went backdoor to cut the lead to 23-7. The Minutemen led by 14 at the break, 41-27.
Baron (a team-high 17 points) hit the Rams' only three of the night to open the second half, but UMass quickly regained the momentum.
Lasme was incredibly active throughout. Late in the second half, he clinched the triple-double by spiking Keith Cothran's shot to the floor. That led to an uncontested Freeman layup at the other end.
The 6-foot-8-inch senior from Gabon said he expects players to challenge him despite his status as the second-leading shot blocker in America.
"I'm not surprised," he said. "They're Division 1 players. They're going to try very hard to score. They do what they want. I'm doing what I'm doing."
What he's doing, though, continues to exasperate opponents.
"He's terrific," said Baron. "He is a game changer.
"Whenever you step in the paint, you have to find out where he is."
The Rams had been the surprise leader of the conference going into the game. Picked for 11th in the league before the season, they had posted a 7-2 mark (14-9) before arriving at Mullins, including a 75-72 victory over the Minutemen in Kingston Jan. 24.
Last night, though, they ran into nine years of pent-up yearning with a UMass team and fan base looking to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.
That path still won't be easy. UMass hits the road for three games. The Minutemen will have to get ready for a red-hot Temple team (three straight wins by more than 20 points apiece) Sunday. They then travel to Fordham (13-9). The road trip will conclude at Dayton, which is 14-0 at home.
"There's going to be a lot of big basketball games left in this season," said Ford. "A lot."
For now, though, UMass can bask in delivering its biggest performance in its most important game thus far.
MHERST - Stephane Lasme spent Wednesday cramming for the most important game of the UMass men�s basketball season.
The senior power forward put his knowledge into practice by scoring 18 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking 11 shots to lift the Minutemen to a 77-55 Atlantic 10 men�s basketball triumph over Rhode Island before a boisterous crowd of 8,358 last night at the Mullins Center.
UMass (17-6, 7-2 A-10) assumed sole possession of first place in the league for the first time since Feb. 24, 1998. UMass also avenged its 75-72 loss at URI on Jan. 24.
The Rams fell to 14-10 (7-3 league) and into second place in the Atlantic 10.
�You don�t know how many times I watched that tape last (Wednesday) night, I must have watched it five times,� said Lasme, who became the eighth player in NCAA history to have three triple-doubles in a season.
�I just kept rewinding the tape and I was talking to Rashaun (Freeman) and we didn�t think they could guard us in the post.�
Lasme recorded triple-doubles against St. Francis and George Washington earlier this season. He joins an elite group that includes Shaquille O�Neal, Jason Kidd and David Robinson. Lasme has 120 blocks this year, which is tied for tops in the nation, and he holds the school record for blocked shots in a career with 351. Lasme is eight away from the single-season record set by Marcus Camby.
Despite his reputation for being the nation�s best rejectionist, the Rams repeatedly attacked the blocks in Lasme�s side of the key. Lasme held up and his blocked shots, when combined with an attacking UMass defense and attention to the backboard (UMass held a 50-39 edge in rebounds), limited the Rams to a season-low 26.6 percent from the floor and an abysmal 3-of-14 from behind the arc.
�He was in a rhythm, he was in an incredible rhythm,� said UMass coach Travis Ford about Lasme. �Not only was he blocking their shots, he was frustrating the other team a little bit.�
Freeman got in early foul trouble and was limited to 10 points in 21 minutes. Junior wingman Gary Forbes filled the void with a season-high 22 points and nine rebounds.
�I think we made a statement by coming out here and jumping on them from the start,� said Forbes. �This was the first time we�ve had a big crowd like this and it was for first place.�
MHERST - In the not-so-distant past, when you could still smell the newness of the Mullins Center, when Marcus Camby had the NBA execs buying lottery tickets, when a couple of kids named Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso favored UMass with the nation�s best backcourt, it was impossible to have an intelligent discussion about New England college basketball without including the Minutemen.
But UMass had its run, and then it ended. Coaches came, coaches went. And while there are those of us who can go eight or nine deep in recalling the names of the players who made it to the Meadowlands for the Final Four in the spring of �96 - press your buzzer if you remember Giddel Padilla coming off the bench in the Kentucky game - it�s tougher to name a starter or two from, say, three years ago.
The bad news is that this is not 1995-96 for UMass basketball. But here�s the good news: It also isn�t 2003-04, when the Minutemen limped to a 10-19 record.
While it might be premature to put it out there that UMass basketball is �back,� the Minutemen certainly are getting there. Coach Travis Ford�s kids rolled to a 77-55 win against Rhode Island before a near-sellout at the Mullins Center last night in a game that was such a blowout that the Rams didn�t even register a field goal until there was 8:54 remaining in the first half.
Just a couple of weeks ago, these old-time rivals from the late, great Yankee Conference met in Rhode Island, with the Rams claiming a 75-72 victory. It was a battle for first place in the Atlantic 10 then, just as it was last night. And now it�s the Minutemen (17-6, 7-2) who rule the conference.
What a night it was for the Minutemen. And what a night it was for the very talented Stephane Lasme: With 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocked shots, he registered his third triple-double of the season, making him just the eighth player in NCAA history to do so. (The list includes Jason Kidd, David Robinson and Shaquille O�Neal, in case you were wondering.)
�I don�t know if this is the best we�ve played,� said Ford, �but it was the hardest we�ve played in a long time.�
Now then, what does all this mean? Is this another �nice little season� for the Minutemen, or is this team for real? What we do know is that UMass plays its next three games on the road, at Temple, Fordham and Dayton - a stretch of showdowns that could well determine the team�s fate.
And Ford minced no words: He said he is �concerned� about these road games, adding that, with Sunday�s game at Temple, �We�ll be switching from the friendly confines of the Mullins Center to a place that wasn�t very friendly to us at our last game there.�
But forget about hostile crowds on the road. What�s important is that the Minutemen had something going for them last night that absolutely brought back memories of the old days: A loud, lively, boisterous home crowd that was in the game to the very end, saving its best stuff for the off-the-bench arrival of Matt Pennie, the popular, one-time student manager who last year made the team as a walkon.
When it was over, UMass players continued their tradition of working the student crowd in the end zone, pressing as much flesh as possible before retreating to the locker room.
�When I took the UMass job,� Ford said, �this is what I envisioned.�
Good line, coach, but sophomore Chris Lowe put it even better.
�Sometimes,� Lowe said, �I stand out on the court during practice, and I look around and say to myself, �Man, they used to fill this place for every game. For every game. For like three years in a row.� Our goal is to play the kind of basketball that will keep filling the Mullins Center.�
Last night definitely was a step in that direction.
ou wouldn't think that the Massachusetts men's basketball team had lost to this team before.
From the beginning to the end it seemed like the Rhode Island Rams were just the sideshow for UMass' first-ever Black Out Night at the Mullins Center and the largest crowd for an Atlantic 10 home game since 2001.
"When I took the UMass job, this was the way I envisioned it," UMass coach Travis Ford said about the Mullins Center crowd. "The place was packed. The players were even saying before the game, 'We want to win it for the fans.' Not only were there a lot of people here but they were loud. They were very, very loud and very much into the game."
The Minutemen started with a 12-0 run and never took the foot off of the gas, as the Maroon and White cruised to a 77-55 win to take over first place in the Atlantic 10 standings.
UMass (17-6, 7-2 A-10) travels to Temple on Sunday for a matchup with the Owls at 2 p.m. in Philadelphia.
"That was the best effort we've had," Ford said. "We played very, very well. That was the hardest we've played and the most focused we've played in a very, very long time. We extended a lot of energy mentally and physically in that basketball game. That was as ready as I've seen that basketball team all year."
The 75-72 loss to URI on the road was a distant memory last night, and the Minutemen made sure that they didn't suffer the same fate on their home court.
Senior captain Stephane Lasme was spectacular in the biggest game of the season, scoring 18 points, blocking 11 shots and grabbing 12 rebounds to become just the eighth player in NCAA history to record three triple-doubles in one season.
"It got to a point where I was like, 'Let your man go,'" Ford said about Lasme's defensive presence. "He was in rhythm, and he was in an incredible rhythm there for a few minutes. It was frustrating the other team a little bit. I challenged him the last couple of days. I told him yesterday that he needs to quit scoring nine, 10 points like he did the last three games."
"This is the first time I've been in first place," Lasme said. "It feels great. We just have to keep working hard and staying hungry."
Lasme finished with 11 blocks, four of them coming in one sequence during the second half, and he consistently energized the crowd with his stifling blocks.
"I think even compared to the UConn game that we played, this game was a great effort," he added. "Every single person on the team left it on the floor. This is the best effort out of a UMass team since I've been here."
Junior Gary Forbes led the Minutemen in scoring with 22 points in 34 minutes.
"I think you're seeing glimpses of what [Forbes] is capable of doing," Ford said. "I liked his effort tonight. That's the most focused I've seen him in a long time."
With this decisive victory, the Minutemen are now on top of the A-10 with a 7-2 in-conference record, ahead of both Rhode Island and Xavier, which both have three losses.
This was a statement game. The Minutemen led last night's contest by 24 points at one stage in the game, and Lasme made URI scorers look like high school players.
The Minutemen lost to Xavier on the road, 83-77, and lost to URI on the road, 75-72, but a lot of questions about the Minutemen's ability to hang with the best in the conference were answered in dramatic fashion last night.
The Rams typical physicality and interior presence was muted by the intensity of the energized Minutemen.
The Minutemen flashed out of the gate with a 12-0 run. Lasme had six points in the first five minutes of the game and finished off the 12-0 run with a baby hook shot in the lane off of a pass from sophomore Chris Lowe.
The Minutemen pushed the lead to 18-4 at the 11:09 with another Lasme bucket. Forbes hit a layup with the foul off of a simply inbounds play, and it was clear that the Rams did not come into their biggest game of the year mentally ready.
Forbes hit the free throw and Lasme put in another two points to make it 23-5, and the Minutemen had their largest lead of the half.
UMass entered the break with a 41-27 advantage, and the Rams didn't get closer than 12 points after the run to start the game.
Lasme led the Minutemen with 13 points at the half followed by Forbes with 11.
he fans showed up for what felt like only the second time all season. This time, the Massachusetts men's basketball team did too.
There were plenty of black shirts at the Mullins Center last night, courtesy of UMass Athletics handing out black t-shirts to the first 1,500 fans. It was the most crowded the Mullins had been in quite a while, since Dec. 2 against Boston College to be exact.
"This time we were prepared for it," junior Gary Forbes said about the big crowd. "[Against BC] we were worrying too much about the crowd, and this time we were worrying about taking care of business. This game was for first place, so it was a big game."
It was undoubtedly the second-biggest home game of the year for the Minutemen. They got off to a much different start than the first, thanks to Forbes and senior Stephane Lasme. The duo combined for 17 of UMass' first 23 points in an early 23-5 run to open the game, leading to a 41-point first half finish, and an eventual 77-55 win.
Rhode Island struggled mightily to make baskets early on, and at times looked physically shaken by the revved up Minuteman faithful behind each net.
And how could you not be, knowing that one of the top shot blockers in the nation is out for revenge. Lasme got his vengeance, and the 11 blocks he was credited with when it was all said and done seemed like a mistake on the final stat sheet. Certainly you would have thought by watching the game that he had swatted more balls than that in one of his most dominating performances of the season. But 11 will suffice.
"You can't do anything with the scouting report," Forbes said about Lasme's play on Thursday night. "They know he's going to block shots, and he still does it, but it doesn't surprise me."
"He's a game changer," Rhode Island guard Jimmy Baron said. "Every time you go in the lane you have to see where he is. Our game plan was to just take the ball right at him, and we tried to do that a little bit, but he's a game changer."
UMass knows what Lasme is capable of, but Rhode Island was just another team this season that found out the hard way.
Lasme became only the eighth player in NCAA history to record three triple-doubles in the same season. His prior two came against St. Francis and George Washington. He now has blocked 120 shots this season, which is tied for second in the country.
Shot blocking has become an art form for Lasme. But the funny thing is, it's something he doesn't even practice.
"He doesn't block a lot of shots in practice," Forbes said. "So I guess he saves them for the games."
Lasme finished the night with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks. As much of a presence as he's been in the paint in his career, he isn't surprised teams continue to come at him.
"They're going to try their hardest to score," Lasme said. "They do what they want, and I'll keep doing what I'm doing."
He did what he did best last night, and his play combined with that of Gary Forbes was enough to push UMass into first place in the A-10 for the first time since 1998.
Forbes finished the game just one rebound shy of his second double-double in a UMass uniform - his first came last Saturday in a win against Richmond. He recorded a season-high 22 points, along with nine rebounds, and was 2-for-3 from behind the 3-point line. It marked the 18th time this season that Forbes finished in double-digits.
Lasme and Forbes controlled the tempo of the game on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, and set the tone going into halftime, combining for 24 out of UMass' 41 points in the first 20 minutes.
A strong start was exactly what the Minutemen needed in what was the biggest game of the season for both teams. It was a game that would determine the direction of each squad in the final stretch. But most importantly, it was a game that would determine the cream of the crop in the A-10.
Thanks to Stephane Lasme and Gary Forbes, UMass is back on top. And it couldn't have come at a better time.
MHERST - Its leading scorer spent large portions of the game in foul trouble and it's best outside shooter had an off night. But it didn't matter Thursday because with first place on the line, the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team pounded Rhode Island 77-55 at the Mullins Center.
"Tonight we put results with the hard work," UMass coach Travis Ford said, whose team improved to 17-6 overall and 7-2 in the Atlantic 10. "This was definitely a big game. They're all big from this time out. This was a step in the right direction to win this one. I knew the atmosphere was going to be incredible."
The Rams, who fell to 14-10 (7-3 A-10), looked stunned as they walked off the floor.
UMass "came out very focused very physical and very aggressive," Rhode Island coach Jim Baron said. "We were always coming from behind."
With the win, the Minutemen moved past the Rams into first place in the conference.
Earlier in the season, the Minutemen seemed distracted by a sellout crowd in an 84-73 loss to Boston College. But they appeared to feed off the energy from the 8,358 fans Thursday.
"This time we were prepared for it. Last time I think we were worried too much about the crowd," junior Gary Forbes said. "This time we were worrying about taking care of business. It was a big game and this program hasn't played many big games in February."
 Stephane Lasme prepares to go up to the hoop against Kahiem Seawright. |
"It got to a point where I was begging (Rhode Island) to drive it," Ford said. "He was in an incredible rhythm there. I challenged him in the past couple days. I told him he needs to stop scoring eight or nine points."
Lasme said he watched UMass' 75-72 loss to the Rams Jan. 24 for motivation.
"I watched that tape probably five times (Wednesday) night," said Lasme who wasn't surprised that the Rams kept challenging him. "They're Division I players, they're going to try their best. They can do what they want and I'm doing what I'm doing."
Rhode Island guard Jimmy Baron tipped his hat to Lasme's effort.
"He's terrific. He's a game changer," said Baron, who led URI with 17 points. "Our game plan was to take it right at him."
Forbes followed his double-double against Richmond with 22 points and nine rebounds and held Will Daniels, Rhode Island's leading scorer, to seven points.
"I think you're getting a glimpses of what (Forbe's) capable of doing," Ford said. "I liked his effort tonight. That was the most focused I've seen him in a long time."
Defensively the Minutemen held Rhode Island, the Atlantic 10's best 3-point shooting team, to 1-for-13 from that range and 17-of-64 overall.
UMass heads on the road for its next three games beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday at Temple.
The Minutemen roared out of the gate on a 12-0 surge as Rhode Island missed its first 12 shots. The Rams didn't score a field goal for the first 11 minutes, nine seconds of the game until Baron's backdoor layup made the score 23-7. The play started an 8-0 Rhode Island run that cut its deficit to 23-13.
But the Minutemen didn't let the advantage dip below double digits and led 41-27 at halftime.
Baron came out and hit a 3-pointer to open the second half, igniting the Ram bench, but UMass responded with six straight points.
Freeman (10 points) picked up his fourth foul on a double trash-talking technical 3:10 into the second half, but the Minutemen didn't miss him as they extended their lead to 26 late in the game before URI scored the final four points.
James Life, who averages 12.5 points for UMass, was held to five points, and shot just 1-for-5 from 3-point range.
"Coach said this week that we've been a second-half team," Forbes said. "We wanted to come in here and jump on them from the start."
When it was over Ford took the microphone and thanked the crowd, while his players circled the arena high-fiving fans.
"When I took over the UMass job this is what I envisioned - the student section at both ends packed," Ford said. "Not only were there a lot of people here, but they were loud."
MHERST - With just seven games remaining, the University of Massachusetts men's basketball team finds itself in unfamiliar territory this late in the season - first place in the Atlantic 10.
 Rashaun Freeman dunks for 2 of his 10 points. |
Been a long time
UMass, which held a long-term lease on the top of the conference in the mid-1990s, has not been on top in February since Feb. 3, 2001, when an 85-59 win over another Rams team, that one from Fordham, left the Minutemen at 8-1.
The Minutemen went 3-4 down the stretch that season and finished fourth in what turned out to be Bruiser Flint's last days in Amherst.
The current UMass squad is 7-2 (17-6 overall) and figures to be in a dogfight for the conference lead down the stretch. The Minutemen are a game ahead of Rhode Island and Xavier, both 7-3, in the loss column and a full game ahead of George Washington (6-3).
UMass will try to protect its new perch on a difficult three-game road stretch beginning Sunday at Temple (2 p.m.) and continuing at Fordham (9 p.m., Thursday) and Dayton (2 p.m., Feb. 18).
Rhode Island has just six games remaining beginning at Duquesne Sunday.
The Rams have home games left with Saint Louis (Feb. 14), Charlotte (Feb. 17) and Fordham (Feb. 24), and road games at Xavier (Feb. 21) and Richmond (March 3).
UMass needs to stay ahead of Xavier, which would have the head-to-head tiebreaker if the teams finished tied.
The Musketeers have tough games down the stretch as well. They got a monkey off their back Wednesday by beating Saint Louis for the first time since the Billikens joined the A-10. Xavier is at George Washington Saturday and the showdown with Rhode Island (Feb. 21) and a contest at Dayton (Feb. 24) loom in addition to home games with Richmond (Feb. 17) and Saint Joseph's (Feb. 28) and a trip to La Salle (March 3).
TRIPLE DOUBLE HISTORY - Senior UMass forward Stephane Lasme became the eighth player in NCAA history to register three triple-doubles in the same season, joining a list that includes David Robinson, Jason Kidd and Shaquille O'Neal.
ATTENDANCE - Thursday's crowd of 8,358 was the most UMass has had for an Atlantic 10 home game since selling out against Temple Feb. 17, 2001. It was the second largest crowd of the season behind the 9,493 sellout against Boston College Dec. 2.
SERIES WITH URI - The win by the Minutemen gives them a split of the regular-season series with Rhode Island which won 75-72 Jan. 24. The Rams and UMass have played 128 times with the Minutemen now holding a 73-55 advantage.
URI coach Jim Baron fell to 12-21 against the Minutemen (which includes a 6-15 record while at St. Bonaventure). Travis Ford is now 2-2 against Rhode Island.
NEXT UP - The Minutemen will try to sweep the season series with Temple at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Liacouras Center. The Owls are 9-12 overall (3-5 A-10), but have won back-to-back games over Richmond and La Salle to at least temporarily pull them out of the danger of not making the Atlantic 10 Tournament.
MISCELLANEOUS - Ford was dressed fully in black for the game which was promoted by UMass as "Black Out Night."
Former Minuteman basketball players Lari Ketner, Chris Kirkland, Mike Williams, Ronell Blizzard, Darryl Denson and Tyrone Weeks were at the game, as was former UMass football and baseball standout Doug Clark who will be at spring training with the Atlanta Braves.
Several fans in the south end zone wore crowns and carried a King James sign in reference to the tattoo on James Life's left arm.
MHERST, Mass. - Revenge really is sweet. It sure was last night for the University of Massachusetts basketball team.
The Minutemen not only avenged a loss to the University of Rhode Island two weeks ago, they did it with authority, 77-55, at the Mullins Center.
 Dante Milligan defends Joe Mbang. |
"It was a great night,'' was the way UMass coach Travis Ford summed up the evening for his team. Ford, who had criticized his team for being outworked by URI in the earlier game, this time had nothing but praise for his squad, now 17-6, 7-2 in the conference.
"We played very, very well,'' he said. "I don't know if it's the best (his team has played). I know it's the hardest we've played and the most focused we've played in a very long time . . . That was as ready as we've seen this basketball team in any game this year.''
Part of the motive was the revenge factor.
"Definitely. It was set up perfectly. They beat us at their place. It was a perfect game to get revenge,'' said forward Gary Forbes, who had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Minutemen. "We definitely made a statement with us coming out and jumping on them at the start.''
UMass did just about everything right. After being outrebounded by five in the Ryan Center game, it won that battle this time, 50-39. It handled the ball well, with only one turnover in the first half and 10 in the game. And it played defense so well it held URI to 27 percent shooting from the floor, 1-for-13 on 3-pointers.
"They came out very focused. They came out very physical, very aggressive. They hurt us inside,'' said URI coach Jim Baron, whose team fell to 14-10, 7-3 in the conference. "We just came out a little flat. We didn't make shots early on.''
"We didn't have a good week of practice coming into this game,'' said Jimmy Baron, who led the Rams with 17 points. "We didn't have the same mentality we had the first time we played them.''
While just about everyone played well for the Minutemen, Stephane Lasme stood out. The 6-foot-8 senior forward dominated offensively with 13 first-half points, on the way to 18 for the night. But he was even better on defense in the second half as he personally made sure URI never had any hope of staging a comeback.
Lasme finished with a triple-double - 18 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocked shots. It was his third triple-double of the season, making him only the eighth player in NCAA history to have three in one season. He had scored only eight points in the loss at the Ryan Center. "You don't know how many times I watched the tape (of the first URI game),'' he said. "I must have watched it five times (Wednesday night). We (he was with center Rashaun Freeman) just kept rewinding it.''
"He's a game-changer,'' said Jimmy Baron. "Every time you go into the lane you've got to check where he is.'' URI had challenged Lasme in the first game and gotten him into foul trouble. It drove often again last night. This time it was Lasme, who recently became UMass' all-time leading shot-blocker, who dominated.
"It got to a point, don't tell my team this, I was begging to let them drive,'' Ford said. "He was in a rhythm there blocking shots.'' The 11 blocked shots tied Lasme for the national lead in that department with 120 for the season.
The capper in making it a great night for the Minutemen was that the performance came before 8,358 fans, the largest crowd for an A-10 game in six years.
The night actually was very similar to what URI did two weeks ago. At URI, it was "Pink Out Night,'' a fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research. It drew 7,021 fans, including a record 2,657 student who made for a great home-court advantage.
UMass got its revenge on "Black Out Night.'' That was a promotion by a local radio station in which all students were given free black T-shirts. More than 3,500 students attended, making for a raucous atmosphere very much like the one at the Ryan Center.
The Massachusetts players had visited dining halls all week handing out T-shirts and encouraging students to attend.
"Everyone did a great job,'' said Ford, who got into the spirit of the night by wearing an all-black suit, shirt and tie.
"I kind of liked it,'' Ford said of his outfit. "I'm a big Johnny Cash fan.'' Last night he was a big Stephane Lasme fan. And Gary Forbes fan. And Rashaun Freeman, and everyone else on his team.
Pink Out was Rhode Island's night. Black Out was all Massachusetts.
| Rhode Island Rams | 55 |
| Massachusetts Minutemen | 77 |
| at the Mullins Center | |
Official Basketball Box Score
Rhode Island vs Massachusetts
02/08/07 8:05 p.m. at Amherst, Mass. - Mullins Center
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Rhode Island 14-10, 7-3 A-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
25 DANIELS, Will....... f 3-12 0-3 1-1 3 6 9 3 7 0 0 0 1 27
32 CRUZ, Jonathan...... f 0-2 0-0 2-2 1 1 2 3 2 0 0 0 0 11
33 SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem... f 1-10 0-0 7-8 3 0 3 4 9 1 0 1 0 28
14 BITEE, Parfait...... g 0-3 0-1 1-2 0 1 1 3 1 1 1 0 1 22
20 BARON, Jimmy........ g 7-14 1-4 2-3 1 2 3 1 17 0 2 0 0 30
01 MBANG, Joe.......... 4-11 0-4 2-2 2 8 10 2 10 1 3 1 1 30
05 LYNCH, Jamael....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
12 GRIER, Terence...... 0-0 0-0 3-4 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 5
15 ULMER, Lamonte...... 1-4 0-0 0-3 1 2 3 3 2 0 0 1 2 21
22 COTHRAN, Keith...... 1-8 0-1 2-2 1 1 2 1 4 3 3 0 0 26
TEAM................ 4 1 5
Totals.............. 17-64 1-13 20-27 16 23 39 20 55 6 9 3 5 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 8-29 27.6% 2nd Half: 9-35 25.7% Game: 26.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 0-8 0.0% 2nd Half: 1-5 20.0% Game: 7.7% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 11-15 73.3% 2nd Half: 9-12 75.0% Game: 74.1% 2,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts 17-6, 7-2 A-10
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
03 Forbes, Gary........ f 9-17 2-3 2-4 2 7 9 1 22 3 2 0 1 34
13 Lasme, Stephane..... f 6-9 0-0 6-10 5 7 12 3 18 1 3 11 1 31
01 Freeman, Rashaun.... c 5-7 0-0 0-0 1 4 5 4 10 1 3 0 0 21
14 Lowe, Chris......... g 4-10 0-1 0-2 2 4 6 2 8 6 1 0 0 28
34 Life, James......... g 2-6 1-5 0-0 0 3 3 3 5 3 0 0 0 23
02 Thomas, Brandon..... 0-0 0-0 2-2 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2
05 Harris, Ricky....... 1-4 0-1 1-2 0 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 16
10 Mayben, Tiki........ 0-2 0-2 1-2 1 2 3 3 1 3 1 0 0 12
12 Pennie, Matt........ 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
20 Milligan, Dante..... 2-4 0-0 0-0 2 1 3 3 4 0 0 2 0 12
22 Brower, Etienne..... 1-3 0-1 2-2 1 1 2 2 4 2 0 0 0 18
31 Bonner, Luke........ 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
TEAM................ 2 3 5
Totals.............. 30-63 3-14 14-24 16 34 50 22 77 20 10 13 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 16-34 47.1% 2nd Half: 14-29 48.3% Game: 47.6% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-5 20.0% 2nd Half: 2-9 22.2% Game: 21.4% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 8-14 57.1% 2nd Half: 6-10 60.0% Game: 58.3% 3,2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: John Cahill, Mike Kitts, Bryan Kersey
Technical fouls: Rhode Island-SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem. Massachusetts-FREEMAN,
Rashaun.
Attendance: 8358
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Rhode Island.................. 27 28 - 55
Massachusetts................. 41 36 - 77
ID-478678
Points in the paint-URI 20,UMASS 48. Points off turnovers-URI 9,UMASS 2.
2nd chance points-URI 11,UMASS 14. Fast break points-URI 6,UMASS 14.
Bench points-URI 19,UMASS 14. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-URI 2nd-00:06, UMASS 2nd-01:55.
Largest lead-URI None, UMASS by 26 2nd-01:08.
Play-by-Play
Rhode Island vs Massachusetts
02/08/07 8:05 p.m. at Amherst, Mass. - Mullins Center
1st PERIOD Play-by-Play (Page 1)
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts TIME SCORE MAR VISITORS: Rhode Island
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSED 3 PTR by Forbes, Gary 19:39
REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM) 19:39
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 19:33 REBOUND (DEF) by BARON, Jimmy
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 19:12 MISSED JUMPER by CRUZ, Jonathan
MISSED LAYUP by Lowe, Chris 19:01
REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM) 19:01
MISSED LAYUP by Forbes, Gary 18:54
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 18:54
MISSED JUMPER by Lasme, Stephane 18:47 REBOUND (DEF) by BITEE, Parfait
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 18:27 MISSED 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
GOOD! LAYUP by Forbes, Gary [PNT] 17:56 2-0 H 2
ASSIST by Freeman, Rashaun 17:56
MISSED FT SHOT by Forbes, Gary 17:56 FOUL by CRUZ, Jonathan
REBOUND (OFF) by Lowe, Chris 17:56
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 17:42 4-0 H 4
ASSIST by Life, James 17:42
17:28 TURNOVR by BARON, Jimmy
STEAL by Forbes, Gary 17:26
GOOD! LAYUP by Life, James [FB/PNT] 17:24 6-0 H 6
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 17:24
REBOUND (DEF) by (DEADBALL) 17:05 MISSED JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
17:03 SUB IN : MBANG, Joe
17:03 SUB OUT: CRUZ, Jonathan
GOOD! JUMPER by Lowe, Chris [PNT] 16:34 8-0 H 8
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 16:22 MISSED 3 PTR by DANIELS, Will
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 16:14 10-0 H 10
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 16:14
16:14 TIMEOUT 30sec
15:47 MISSED LAYUP by MBANG, Joe
15:47 REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM)
15:46 TIMEOUT media
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 15:40 MISSED 3 PTR by MBANG, Joe
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 15:20 12-0 H 12
FOUL by Forbes, Gary 15:10
15:10 SUB IN : COTHRAN, Keith
15:10 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
FOUL by Life, James 15:08 12-1 H 11 GOOD! FT SHOT by COTHRAN, Keith
15:08 12-2 H 10 GOOD! FT SHOT by COTHRAN, Keith
SUB IN : Milligan, Dante 15:08
SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane 15:08
GOOD! LAYUP by Milligan, Dante [PNT] 14:46 14-2 H 12
ASSIST by Forbes, Gary 14:46
14:25 MISSED JUMPER by DANIELS, Will
14:25 REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM)
14:13 TURNOVR by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 14:00 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 13:57
13:57 SUB IN : ULMER, Lamonte
13:57 SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy
13:57 SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will
13:57 SUB OUT: BITEE, Parfait
REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM) 13:45 MISSED JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
MISSED JUMPER by Milligan, Dante 13:21 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 13:10 MISSED 3 PTR by MBANG, Joe
MISSED JUMPER by Lowe, Chris 12:51 REBOUND (DEF) by BARON, Jimmy
12:30 MISSED LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
12:30 REBOUND (OFF) by MBANG, Joe
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 12:29
SUB IN : Brower, Etienne 12:29
SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane 12:29
SUB IN : Mayben, Tiki 12:29
SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun 12:29
SUB OUT: Life, James 12:29
SUB OUT: Lowe, Chris 12:29
FOUL by Brower, Etienne 12:28 14-3 H 11 GOOD! FT SHOT by BARON, Jimmy
12:28 14-4 H 10 GOOD! FT SHOT by BARON, Jimmy
12:28 SUB IN : CRUZ, Jonathan
12:28 SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
GOOD! JUMPER by Forbes, Gary 12:16 16-4 H 12
ASSIST by Mayben, Tiki 12:16
BLOCK by Milligan, Dante 12:00 MISSED LAYUP by MBANG, Joe
REBOUND (DEF) by Mayben, Tiki 11:58
MISSED LAYUP by Forbes, Gary 11:47 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
FOUL by Mayben, Tiki 11:41
11:41 TIMEOUT media
11:41 MISSED FT SHOT by ULMER, Lamonte
11:41 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 11:41 MISSED FT SHOT by ULMER, Lamonte
SUB IN : Harris, Ricky 11:41 SUB IN : DANIELS, Will
SUB IN : Freeman, Rashaun 11:41 SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
SUB OUT: Milligan, Dante 11:41 SUB OUT: CRUZ, Jonathan
SUB OUT: Forbes, Gary 11:41 SUB OUT: MBANG, Joe
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 11:16 18-4 H 14
10:51 TURNOVR by COTHRAN, Keith
STEAL by Harris, Ricky 10:50
TURNOVR by Mayben, Tiki 10:28
10:28 SUB IN : BITEE, Parfait
10:28 SUB OUT: ULMER, Lamonte
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 10:11 18-5 H 13 GOOD! FT SHOT by BITEE, Parfait
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 10:11 MISSED FT SHOT by BITEE, Parfait
SUB IN : Forbes, Gary 10:11 SUB IN : GRIER, Terence
SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun 10:11 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
09:52 FOUL by BITEE, Parfait
09:45 FOUL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
GOOD! LAYUP by Forbes, Gary [PNT] 09:44 20-5 H 15
ASSIST by Mayben, Tiki 09:44
GOOD! FT SHOT by Forbes, Gary 09:44 21-5 H 16 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
09:44 SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy
09:44 SUB OUT: GRIER, Terence
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 09:34 MISSED 3 PTR by BITEE, Parfait
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 09:13 23-5 H 18
ASSIST by Forbes, Gary 09:13
08:54 23-7 H 16 GOOD! LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy [PNT]
08:54 ASSIST by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
MISSED LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane 08:35 BLOCK by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
08:35 REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM)
SUB IN : Freeman, Rashaun 08:35 SUB IN : MBANG, Joe
SUB IN : Life, James 08:35 SUB OUT: COTHRAN, Keith
SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane 08:35
SUB OUT: Harris, Ricky 08:35
08:16 23-9 H 14 GOOD! JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman, Rashaun 07:49 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
FOUL by Life, James 07:39
07:39 TIMEOUT media
07:39 23-10 H 13 GOOD! FT SHOT by MBANG, Joe
07:39 23-11 H 12 GOOD! FT SHOT by MBANG, Joe
SUB IN : Lowe, Chris 07:39
SUB OUT: Mayben, Tiki 07:39
MISSED JUMPER by Forbes, Gary 07:11 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
07:02 23-13 H 10 GOOD! LAYUP by DANIELS, Will [PNT]
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 06:45 25-13 H 12
ASSIST by Brower, Etienne 06:45
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 06:20 MISSED JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
GOOD! DUNK by Freeman, Rashaun [FB/PNT] 06:14 27-13 H 14
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 06:14
06:01 MISSED 3 PTR by DANIELS, Will
06:01 REBOUND (OFF) by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
FOUL by Freeman, Rashaun 05:59 27-14 H 13 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 05:59 MISSED FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
SUB IN : Milligan, Dante 05:59 SUB IN : COTHRAN, Keith
SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane 05:59 SUB IN : ULMER, Lamonte
SUB OUT: Brower, Etienne 05:59 SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will
SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun 05:59 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 05:43 28-14 H 14 FOUL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 05:43 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
SUB IN : Thomas, Brandon 05:43 SUB IN : DANIELS, Will
SUB OUT: Forbes, Gary 05:43 SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 05:30 MISSED LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith
05:28 REBOUND (OFF) by DANIELS, Will
BLOCK by Milligan, Dante 05:26 MISSED LAYUP by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 05:23
GOOD! FT SHOT by Thomas, Brandon 05:23 29-14 H 15 FOUL by ULMER, Lamonte
GOOD! FT SHOT by Thomas, Brandon 05:23 30-14 H 16
05:23 SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy
05:23 SUB OUT: BITEE, Parfait
05:13 30-16 H 14 GOOD! JUMPER by MBANG, Joe
05:13 ASSIST by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED LAYUP by Lowe, Chris 04:53
REBOUND (OFF) by Milligan, Dante 04:53
GOOD! TIP-IN by Milligan, Dante [PNT] 04:45 32-16 H 16
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 04:40 MISSED LAYUP by DANIELS, Will
04:39 REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM)
04:38 32-18 H 14 GOOD! JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy
04:38 ASSIST by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 04:22 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
04:06 32-20 H 12 GOOD! LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy [PNT]
03:50 FOUL by MBANG, Joe
TIMEOUT media 03:50
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:50 33-20 H 13
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:50 34-20 H 14
SUB IN : Forbes, Gary 03:50
SUB IN : Harris, Ricky 03:50
SUB OUT: Thomas, Brandon 03:50
SUB OUT: Life, James 03:50
03:44 34-22 H 12 GOOD! LAYUP by ULMER, Lamonte [PNT]
03:44 ASSIST by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED LAYUP by Forbes, Gary 03:26
REBOUND (OFF) by Milligan, Dante 03:26
MISSED TIP-IN by Milligan, Dante 03:21
REBOUND (OFF) by Forbes, Gary 03:21
MISSED FT SHOT by Forbes, Gary 03:20 FOUL by ULMER, Lamonte
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 03:20
GOOD! FT SHOT by Forbes, Gary 03:20 35-22 H 13
REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM) 03:01 MISSED 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
02:59 SUB IN : CRUZ, Jonathan
02:59 SUB OUT: ULMER, Lamonte
GOOD! 3 PTR by Forbes, Gary 02:43 38-22 H 16
02:29 38-24 H 14 GOOD! JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy
MISSED JUMPER by Forbes, Gary 02:10 REBOUND (DEF) by (DEADBALL)
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 02:10 38-25 H 13 GOOD! FT SHOT by CRUZ, Jonathan
02:10 38-26 H 12 GOOD! FT SHOT by CRUZ, Jonathan
02:10 SUB IN : BITEE, Parfait
02:10 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
GOOD! LAYUP by Lowe, Chris [PNT] 01:38 40-26 H 14
ASSIST by Harris, Ricky 01:38
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 01:32 MISSED LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED FT SHOT by Lowe, Chris 01:28 FOUL by BITEE, Parfait
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 01:28
MISSED FT SHOT by Lowe, Chris 01:28 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 01:28 MISSED LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith
01:28 REBOUND (OFF) by COTHRAN, Keith
REBOUND (DEF) by (DEADBALL) 01:28 MISSED 3 PTR by COTHRAN, Keith
SUB IN : Brower, Etienne 01:28 SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy
SUB OUT: Milligan, Dante 01:28 SUB OUT: CRUZ, Jonathan
01:12 SUB IN : CRUZ, Jonathan
01:12 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
GOOD! FT SHOT by Harris, Ricky 00:49 41-26 H 15 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
MISSED FT SHOT by Harris, Ricky 00:49 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
00:49 SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy
00:49 SUB OUT: CRUZ, Jonathan
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 00:33
TIMEOUT 30sec 00:33
00:33 41-27 H 14 GOOD! FT SHOT by DANIELS, Will
00:33 TURNOVR by MBANG, Joe
00:32 SUB IN : ULMER, Lamonte
00:32 SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will
MISSED JUMPER by Forbes, Gary 00:09
REBOUND (OFF) by Brower, Etienne 00:09
Massachusetts 41, Rhode Island 27
1st period-only InPaint Pts-T/O 2nd-Chc FastBrk BnchPts Ties Leads
Rhode Island 8 1 5 0 8 0 0
Massachusetts 28 2 5 4 7 0 0
2nd PERIOD Play-by-Play (Page 1)
HOME TEAM: Massachusetts TIME SCORE MAR VISITORS: Rhode Island
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19:46 41-30 H 11 GOOD! 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
19:46 ASSIST by BITEE, Parfait
MISSED 3 PTR by Life, James 19:21
REBOUND (OFF) by Freeman, Rashaun 19:21
GOOD! DUNK by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 19:18 43-30 H 13
19:09 MISSED JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy
19:09 REBOUND (OFF) by DANIELS, Will
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 19:05 MISSED LAYUP by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 19:01
GOOD! DUNK by Forbes, Gary [FB/PNT] 18:58 45-30 H 15
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 18:58
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 18:40 MISSED LAYUP by DANIELS, Will
GOOD! JUMPER by Lowe, Chris [FB] 18:33 47-30 H 17
FOUL by Life, James 18:18
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 17:56 MISSED JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy
17:52 FOUL by CRUZ, Jonathan
TURNOVR by Lowe, Chris 17:46
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 17:29 MISSED JUMPER by BITEE, Parfait
TURNOVR by Forbes, Gary 17:21
17:20 STEAL by BITEE, Parfait
17:17 47-32 H 15 GOOD! LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy [FB/PNT]
MISSED 3 PTR by Lowe, Chris 16:53
REBOUND (OFF) by Forbes, Gary 16:53
16:50 FOUL by CRUZ, Jonathan
16:50 FOUL TECHNCL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
FOUL TECHNCL by Freeman, Rashaun 16:50
16:50 FOUL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
FOUL!byTFREEMAN, RashaunStephane 16:50 48-32 H 16
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 16:50 49-32 H 17
SUB IN : Milligan, Dante 16:50 SUB IN : MBANG, Joe
SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun 16:50 SUB OUT: CRUZ, Jonathan
16:46 49-34 H 15 GOOD! JUMPER by DANIELS, Will
GOOD! 3 PTR by Life, James 16:11 52-34 H 18
ASSIST by Forbes, Gary 16:11
REBOUND (DEF) by Milligan, Dante 16:01 MISSED 3 PTR by DANIELS, Will
15:49 FOUL by BITEE, Parfait
TIMEOUT MEDIA 15:49
15:49 SUB IN : COTHRAN, Keith
15:49 SUB OUT: BITEE, Parfait
GOOD! LAYUP by Forbes, Gary [PNT] 15:43 54-34 H 20
ASSIST by Life, James 15:43
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 15:21 MISSED LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
15:19 REBOUND (OFF) by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 15:17 MISSED LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
15:15 REBOUND (OFF) by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
15:12 MISSED LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
15:12 REBOUND (OFF) by BARON, Jimmy
15:08 TURNOVR by BARON, Jimmy
TURNOVR by Lasme, Stephane 15:03
15:01 STEAL by MBANG, Joe
14:45 54-36 H 18 GOOD! JUMPER by MBANG, Joe
GOOD! LAYUP by Lowe, Chris [PNT] 14:05 56-36 H 20
13:51 MISSED 3 PTR by MBANG, Joe
13:51 REBOUND (OFF) by (TEAM)
SUB IN : Brower, Etienne 13:49
SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane 13:49
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 13:38 56-37 H 19 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
13:38 56-38 H 18 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
13:38 SUB IN : ULMER, Lamonte
13:38 SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will
GOOD! 3 PTR by Forbes, Gary 13:27 59-38 H 21
FOUL by Milligan, Dante 13:02 59-39 H 20 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
13:02 59-40 H 19 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane 13:02 SUB IN : BITEE, Parfait
SUB OUT: Milligan, Dante 13:02 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
MISSED LAYUP by Lowe, Chris 12:34
REBOUND (OFF) by Lowe, Chris 12:34
GOOD! JUMPER by Brower, Etienne 12:20 61-40 H 21
ASSIST by Lasme, Stephane 12:20
12:13 TIMEOUT 30sec
SUB IN : Mayben, Tiki 12:13 SUB OUT: COTHRAN, Keith
SUB OUT: Lowe, Chris 12:13
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 11:59 MISSED JUMPER by MBANG, Joe
TIMEOUT MEDIA 11:49
MISSED 3 PTR by Mayben, Tiki 11:34 REBOUND (DEF) by ULMER, Lamonte
FOUL by Mayben, Tiki 11:27 61-41 H 20 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
11:27 61-42 H 19 GOOD! FT SHOT by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
11:15 FOUL by ULMER, Lamonte
MISSED 3 PTR by Brower, Etienne 10:58 REBOUND (DEF) by COTHRAN, Keith
FOUL by Mayben, Tiki 10:53
10:53 SUB IN : BARON, Jimmy
10:47 MISSED LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy
10:47 REBOUND (OFF) by MBANG, Joe
10:41 61-44 H 17 GOOD! LAYUP by MBANG, Joe [PNT]
TURNOVR by Lasme, Stephane 10:27
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 10:02 MISSED LAYUP by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
09:57 REBOUND (OFF) by ULMER, Lamonte
FOUL by Brower, Etienne 09:55 MISSED FT SHOT by ULMER, Lamonte
REBOUND (DEF) by Life, James 09:55
GOOD! DUNK by Forbes, Gary [FB/PNT] 09:51 63-44 H 19
ASSIST by Life, James 09:51
FOUL by Lasme, Stephane 09:45 MISSED FT SHOT by BARON, Jimmy
REBOUND (DEF) by Forbes, Gary 09:45
MISSED LAYUP by Brower, Etienne 09:14
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 09:14
GOOD! LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane [PNT] 09:10 65-44 H 21
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 09:02 MISSED LAYUP by BITEE, Parfait
REBOUND (DEF) by Brower, Etienne 09:00
GOOD! LAYUP by Forbes, Gary [PNT] 08:52 67-44 H 23
ASSIST by Brower, Etienne 08:52
08:46 TIMEOUT 30sec
SUB IN : Harris, Ricky 08:46
SUB OUT: Life, James 08:46
REBOUND (DEF) by (TEAM) 08:36 MISSED 3 PTR by BARON, Jimmy
MISSED JUMPER by Harris, Ricky 08:26 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
08:23 SUB IN : DANIELS, Will
08:23 SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
08:19 TURNOVR by BITEE, Parfait
STEAL by Lasme, Stephane 08:18
MISSED JUMPER by Harris, Ricky 07:55
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 07:55
07:46 FOUL by BARON, Jimmy
TIMEOUT MEDIA 07:46
SUB IN : Freeman, Rashaun 07:46 SUB IN : COTHRAN, Keith
SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane 07:46 SUB OUT: BITEE, Parfait
TURNOVR by Forbes, Gary 07:40
07:39 STEAL by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (DEF) by Freeman, Rashaun 07:21 MISSED DUNK by DANIELS, Will
TURNOVR by Freeman, Rashaun 07:01
06:59 STEAL by ULMER, Lamonte
06:56 67-46 H 21 GOOD! LAYUP by BARON, Jimmy [FB/PNT]
06:56 ASSIST by MBANG, Joe
GOOD! FT SHOT by Mayben, Tiki 06:38 68-46 H 22 FOUL by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED FT SHOT by Mayben, Tiki 06:38 REBOUND (DEF) by DANIELS, Will
SUB IN : Lasme, Stephane 06:38
SUB OUT: Brower, Etienne 06:38
REBOUND (DEF) by Mayben, Tiki 06:18 MISSED LAYUP by ULMER, Lamonte
GOOD! DUNK by Harris, Ricky [FB/PNT] 06:13 70-46 H 24
ASSIST by Mayben, Tiki 06:13
05:59 MISSED JUMPER by BARON, Jimmy
05:59 REBOUND (OFF) by DANIELS, Will
05:53 70-48 H 22 GOOD! LAYUP by DANIELS, Will [PNT]
MISSED LAYUP by Lasme, Stephane 05:27 BLOCK by MBANG, Joe
REBOUND (OFF) by Mayben, Tiki 05:24
MISSED 3 PTR by Mayben, Tiki 05:19
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 05:19
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 05:14 FOUL by DANIELS, Will
REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL) 05:14
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 05:14 REBOUND (DEF) by CRUZ, Jonathan
SUB IN : Lowe, Chris 05:14 SUB IN : GRIER, Terence
SUB OUT: Mayben, Tiki 05:14 SUB IN : CRUZ, Jonathan
05:14 SUB OUT: DANIELS, Will
05:14 SUB OUT: BARON, Jimmy
05:08 TURNOVR by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED JUMPER by Forbes, Gary 04:51 BLOCK by ULMER, Lamonte
04:49 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 04:37 MISSED LAYUP by CRUZ, Jonathan
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 04:34
TURNOVR by Lasme, Stephane 04:31
04:30 STEAL by ULMER, Lamonte
04:28 MISSED JUMPER by ULMER, Lamonte
04:28 REBOUND (OFF) by CRUZ, Jonathan
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 04:24 MISSED LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith
MISSED 3 PTR by Harris, Ricky 04:16 REBOUND (DEF) by ULMER, Lamonte
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 04:08 MISSED LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 04:07
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [FB/PNT] 04:01 72-48 H 24
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 04:01
FOUL by Lowe, Chris 03:44
03:44 TIMEOUT media
03:44 TURNOVR by MBANG, Joe
03:44 SUB IN : SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
03:44 SUB OUT: CRUZ, Jonathan
03:40 TURNOVR by MBANG, Joe
03:37 72-50 H 22 GOOD! DUNK by MBANG, Joe [FB/PNT]
MISSED JUMPER by Freeman, Rashaun 03:03
REBOUND (OFF) by Lasme, Stephane 03:03
GOOD! FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:00 73-50 H 23 FOUL by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
MISSED FT SHOT by Lasme, Stephane 03:00 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
BLOCK by Lasme, Stephane 02:51 MISSED LAYUP by ULMER, Lamonte
REBOUND (DEF) by Lowe, Chris 02:48
SUB IN : Brower, Etienne 02:41
SUB OUT: Forbes, Gary 02:41
MISSED JUMPER by Lowe, Chris 02:31 REBOUND (DEF) by MBANG, Joe
REBOUND (DEF) by Lasme, Stephane 02:19 MISSED JUMPER by SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
TIMEOUT 30sec 01:56
GOOD! LAYUP by Freeman, Rashaun [PNT] 01:55 75-50 H 25
ASSIST by Lowe, Chris 01:55
FOUL by Lowe, Chris 01:46 MISSED FT SHOT by GRIER, Terence
01:46 REBOUND (OFF) by (DEADBALL)
01:46 75-51 H 24 GOOD! FT SHOT by GRIER, Terence
SUB IN : Bonner, Luke 01:46 SUB IN : LYNCH, Jamael
SUB OUT: Lasme, Stephane 01:46 SUB OUT: SEAWRIGHT, Kahiem
TURNOVR by Freeman, Rashaun 01:33
REBOUND (DEF) by Bonner, Luke 01:28 MISSED LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith
GOOD! FT SHOT by Brower, Etienne 01:08 76-51 H 25 FOUL by MBANG, Joe
GOOD! FT SHOT by Brower, Etienne 01:08 77-51 H 26
REBOUND (DEF) by Harris, Ricky 00:48 MISSED 3 PTR by MBANG, Joe
TURNOVR by Freeman, Rashaun 00:40
FOUL by Bonner, Luke 00:35 77-52 H 25 GOOD! FT SHOT by GRIER, Terence
00:35 77-53 H 24 GOOD! FT SHOT by GRIER, Terence
SUB IN : Pennie, Matt 00:35
SUB OUT: Freeman, Rashaun 00:35
MISSED 3 PTR by Pennie, Matt 00:17 REBOUND (DEF) by GRIER, Terence
00:06 77-55 H 22 GOOD! LAYUP by COTHRAN, Keith [PNT]
Massachusetts 77, Rhode Island 55
2nd period-only InPaint Pts-T/O 2nd-Chc FastBrk BnchPts Ties Leads
Rhode Island 12 8 6 6 11 0 0
Massachusetts 20 0 9 10 7 0 0
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 1 8 - 9
Massachusetts........... 2 0 - 2
POINTS IN PAINT 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 8 12 - 20
Massachusetts........... 28 20 - 48
2ND CHANCE POINTS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 5 6 - 11
Massachusetts........... 5 9 - 14
FAST BREAK POINTS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 0 6 - 6
Massachusetts........... 4 10 - 14
BENCH POINTS 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 8 11 - 19
Massachusetts........... 7 7 - 14
SCORE TIED BY 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 0 0 - 0
Massachusetts........... 0 0 - 0
LEAD GAINED BY 1 2 - Tot
Rhode Island............ 0 0 - 0
Massachusetts........... 0 0 - 0