The University of Massachusetts Basketball

[Chief Bstn]

GAME: College Hoops 2K8
SYSTEM: PlayStation 3
HALF LENGTH: 10 Minutes
SIM HALF LENGTH: 20 Minutes

[Chief Bstn]

#	Player Name	Position	Height	Weight	Class	State
1	Papa Lo	PF	6'9"	215	So.	Africa
3	Stephen Sood	SF	6'2"	173	Fr.	Texas
5	Ricky Harris	SG	6'3"	182	Jr.	Maryland
10	J.B. Matsu	PG	6'3"	211	Fr.	Japan
11	Gary Correia	PG	6'1"	185	So.	Rhode Island
13	Max Groebe	SG	6'5"	185	So.	Florida
14	Chris Lowe	PG	6'0"	165	Sr.	New York
20	Sredrick Danley	SF	6'7"	210	So.	New York
21	Trey Lang	PF	6'8"	219	So.	Georgia
30	Patrick Blizzard	PG	6'1"	179	Fr.	New York
31	Luke Bonner	C	7'0"	255	RS Sr.	New Hampshire
33	Matt Glass	SG	6'7"	190	So.	Virginia
35	Nicchaeus Danelius	SF	6'8"	220	Jr.	Europe
42	Kenneth Attaway	C	6'11"	227	Fr.	Connecticut
43	Curtis Jack	PF	6'5"	220	Fr.	North Carolina
50	Matt Hill	PF	6'7"	218	So.	Connecticut

Date	Opponent	Location	Result
11/9	Cal Poly	Away	L 67-49
11/10	Northern Illinois	Away	L 67-59
11/11	Northern Iowa	Away	L 64-43
11/14	Yale	Home	L 62-44
11/17	UW-Green Bay	Home	L 58-48
11/28	24 Syracuse	Away	L 72-46
12/1	IUPUI	Away	L 59-56
12/8	Marist	Away	W 50-43
12/12	Boston College	Away	W 63-55
12/15	Toledo	Home	L 69-67
12/22	C. Connecticut	Home	L 61-46
12/29	Boston University	Home	W 74-50
1/2	Houston	Home	L 66-44
1/5	25 Vanderbilt	Away	L 49-47
1/9	St. Joseph's	Home	W 59-53
1/16	Dayton	Away	L 63-57
1/19	Charlotte	Home	W 76-64
1/23	St. Joseph's	Away	W 64-54
1/27	Xavier	Home	W 71-66
1/30	Duquense	Away	L 74-71
2/2	St. Louis	Away	W 61-60
2/7	13 Rhode Island	Home	W 66-63
2/10	Temple	Away	L 79-58
2/14	23 Fordham	Home	W 56-45
2/17	St. Louis	Home	L 93-90 (2OT)
2/21	20 Rhode Island	Away	W 72-63
2/24	St. Bonaventure	Home	W 68-44
3/1	Richmond	Away	W 78-72 (OT)
3/5	La Salle	Home	W 72-69
3/8	George Washington	Away	L 80-79 (OT)
3/13	Fordham (A10 Tournament)	Away	W 63-51
3/14	Xavier (A10 Tournament)	Away	L 63-62

UMass inks two recruits for next season

[Chief Bstn]

NCAA MEDIA POLL
Rank	Team	Conference	Record
1 (1)	Duke	ACC	3-0
2 (2)	Michigan State	Big 10	3-1
3 (3)	Texas	Big 12	2-0
4 (4)	North Carolina	ACC	5-0
5 (5)	Providence	Big East	4-0
6 (6)	Louisville	ACC	2-0
7 (7)	Memphis	C-USA	2-0
8 (8)	Syracuse	Big East	2-0
9 (9)	UCLA	Pac-10	3-0
10 (11)	Tennessee	SEC	3-0
11 (12)	Villanova	Big East	3-1
12 (10)	Connecticut	Big East	4-1
13 (13)	Stanford	Pac-10	1-0
14 (14)	Indiana	Big 10	1-0
15 (17)	West Virginia	Big East	3-0
16 (15)	Pittsburgh	Big East	3-2
17 (20)	Marquette	Big East	4-0
18 ((24)	Wisconsin	Big 10	4-0
19 (22)	LSU	SEC	4-0
20 (NR)	Arizona	Pac 10	6-0
21 (25)	NC State	Pac 10	4-1
22 (NR)	Florida State	ACC	3-0
23 (18)	Alabama	SEC	2-1
24 (NR)	Mississippi State	SEC	4-0
25 (19)	Gonzaga	WCC	2-1

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Tip-off time is once again near at basketball returns to the University of Massachusetts.

Last season, the Minutemen finished 24-9 under head coach Travis Ford, ending their season with a second-round NIT exit, losing to West Virginia. This year, UMass looks just as strong -- if not stronger.

While only having one center on the roster, the UMass squad hopes to use their size to their advantage. Ford's team has 9 players 6'5" or taller, something that can only be a positive for the Minutemen. UMass is also a very young team, bringing 6 freshmen onto the team for the season.

"We're a little younger than some of the other teams in our conference," said coach Travis Ford. "First semester might have some growing pains, but we'll be just as competitive as last season and hope to earn a tournament bid."

UMass will be led by junior Gary Forbes, a transfer from the University of Virginia. Forbes averaged 13 points a game a season ago as the team's main scorer, but looks to be the team's main scorer with Rashaun Freeman having exhausted his eligibility.

"I enjoyed my first year in Amherst," said Forbes. "We were a great team and should have been in the Tournament. We lost some great players, but I really like the guys we have this year."

Junior point-guard Chris Lowe is expected to be Ford's main facilitator on offense. The lightning quick guard averaged seven points and 4.2 assists for the Minutemen last year, and both of those numbers are expected to rise with more playing time.

"Chris is a great asset on both sides of the ball," said Forbes. "He's quick bringing the ball up court, and his speed can really bother guys on defense. I'm really excited to see what he can do for us this year."

A new face to UMass, Papa Lo is expected to start as a freshman. Ford recruited Lo out of Senegal, but attended the Winchendon School in Massachusetts for prep ball. Lo, who stands at 6'9" is small for his size, weighing in at 215 pounds. However, Lo is gifted athletically and should rebound and block well for the Minutemen in the upcoming season.

UMass kicks off their season November 9 at Cal Poly University. They play their first home game against Yale on November 19 and kick off conference play January 9 against Saint Joseph's. Other big games on the Minutemen schedule are the games against Syracuse (who enters the season ranked 24th), Boston College, UConn and George Washington.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- The UMass basketball "Midnight Madness" celebration signified the return of the college basketball season. In the inter-squad matchup, Maroon topped White, 67-52.

The Maroon squad was composed of Gary Correia, Max Groebe, Etienne Brower, Dante Milligan, Luke Bonner, Matt Hill and Nana Ampin. The White team, meanwhile, consisted of Chris Lowe, Ricky Harris, Gary Forbes, Papa Lo, Trey Lang, Tony Gaffney and Matt Glass.

"I was really impressed with how our kids played," said Travis Ford, the Minutemen head coach. "The guys on the Maroon side really showed they wanted to play. They shot the ball extremely well."

Dante Milligan led all scorers with 23 points, leading Maroon to victory. Milligan pulled down 8 rebounds (5 offensive) and shot 9-13 from the floor to lead Maroon's charge.

On the other end, Gary Forbes shined for the White team. After starting 0-3, Forbes caught fire and hit his next seven shots from the field, including 2-3 from 3-point range. He finished 7-10 from the floor, and 3-5 from the free throw line.

"Gary and Dante really played well tonight. They both shot the ball well, and really got good, open looks," said Ford. "Dante was all over the glass, which was nice to see. We're going to need that this season."

Max Groebe scored 16 points for the Maroon team, as did Ricky Harris for the White side. Where Maroon really stood out was on the boards. Maroon pulled down 27 rebounds -- 12 more than White did during the exhibition.

"I just wanted to get second chance opportunities," said Milligan. "If we can see two shots a possession, we're going to score a lot of points."

Papa Lo scored just 6 points and grabbed 4 rebounds for White, but he shined defensively. Lo recorded 3 blocks in the game, the most of any player.

Chris Lowe showed why he's going to be heavily relied upon, as well. He scored just 2 points on 1-4 shooting, but Lowe was able to spark the offense in the second half. He finished with 8 assists and 2 steals, each game highs.

"I think Chris is really the key for us offensively," said Assistant Coach Darren Tardif. "He did a good job of penetrating and kicking to an open man for the shot. That's huge."

Maroon outscored White 38-16 in the first half, but White managed to win the second half 36-29.

UMass will open up shop on November 9 against Cal Poly in the Preseason Dick's Sporting Goods Invitational.

[Chief Bstn]

UMass drops season opener to Cal Poly

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The UMass Minutemen struggled in the second half and dropped their season opener to Cal Poly, 67-49.

Rebounding was a problem for Massachusetts, as they only grabbed 14 rebounds in the entire contest, including four each from Papa Lo and Trey Lang. UMass also had trouble shooting the ball from the 3-point line, making just 3 of 11 attempts for the game.

Cal Poly was led by Trae Clark's 25 points. Clark shot 11 of 17 from the field, making both of his long distance attempts and his only three throw of the game. Cal Poly as a team was splashing down from three-, shooting 80% from long range.

The Minutemen were led in scoring by Gary Forbes, although Forbes struggled from the floor. He missed on all three long range attempts, all coming when UMass as trying to mount a second half comeback. Forbes did hit all four of his free throw attempts.

Chris Lowe showed that the Maroon/White game was no fluke. Lowe scored just three points, and dished only four assists, but he picked up five steals on the defensive end.

"Chris played well for us defensively," said UMass coach Travis Ford. "Not much went right for us tonight, but Chris never quit and got steal after steal."

The Minutemen led for most of the first half, but when struggles on the boards gave the Mustangs new life and let them creep back into the game. In the span of two minutes, Cal Poly went from down 6 to up 7, entering the half with a 33-26 lead.

"We just stopped trying," said Ford. "We had no desire on the boards. Those kids at Cal Poly seemed like vacuum cleaners and we couldn't buy a rebound."

Ricky Harris scored 13 points for Massachusetts, leading the team in scoring. He was 3-of-6 from long distance and 5-10 overall.

"I felt like I shot well, just had trouble creating shots," said Harris. "Chris gave me open looks, but when he took a break I couldn't get open."

UMass will travel to Northern Illinois to take on the Huskies on Saturday in the second game of a three game invitational. NIU also enters the game 0-1 on the season.

"We need to change some things up tomorrow," said Ford. "We can't be beat on the boards that badly again. It just can't happen."

[Chief Bstn]

Second half rally not enough as UMass drops second straight

DEKALB, Ill. -- UMass trailed by as many as 17 in the second half, but chipped away at the Huskies lead before losing their second straight game, 67-59.

The Minutemen looked out of sorts during the beginning minutes of the second half, unable to make open baskets and turned the ball over.

NIU's Zach Pancratz led the Huskies in scoring with 16 points, but the story of the game was UMass's Ricky Harris. Harris scored 23 points on 9-17 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three point range. The only other Minuteman to reach double figures was Gary Forbes, who scored 13 points.

"Ricky shot unbelievably today," said UMass head coach Travis Ford. "He scored two or three quick baskets to get us back into the game."

UMass trailed 34-27 heading into the second half, and that's when the trouble started for Ford's team.

"We weren't hitting shots," said the UMass coach. "They played us in a full court press and it really affected our tempo."

The press led Chris Lowe to record 5 turnovers -- the only Minuteman player to have more than one.

"We've seen that stuff before, but it took us a while to adapt," said Lowe. "When they started pressuring the full court is when I struggled."

Lowe scored 4 points, each basket a dunk on a breakaway. One was a highlight reel dunk worth of SportsCenter, when he dunked on NIU's Egan Grafel, a 6'10" center.

UMass plays their third game in three days on Sunday, when they finish the Dick's Sporting Goods Invitational agaisnt Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls.

[Chief Bstn]

UMass continues losing skid, drops contest to UNI

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- If UMass didn't have rebounding problems before, they do now.

The Minutemen were out-rebounded by a smaller Northern Iowa team 23-16. They were helpless in the post, helpless on the perimeter and helpless shooting the ball as they dropped their third straight game, 64-43.

"It was an absolutely terrible game," said UMass coach Travis Ford. "No one stepped up for us. No one wanted to take control or take responsibility."

Ricky Harris was the only Minuteman to score in double figures, scoring 12 points. Gary Forbes finished with 9, Papa Lo with 8 and Trey Lang with 7.

Ford said that the team's defense was the key reason they lost against the Panthers.

"They shot 8 of 12 from 3. We let them shoot, what, 65 percent? You can't win games if you can't stop the long range shot."

Gary Forbes continues to struggle for UMass. He shot just 4 of 11 from the floor.

"My shot feels good right now. It's just not falling in," said Forbes after the game. "One of these days I'll heat up and everything will average out."

Chris Lowe again had a solid game for the Minutemen. He turned the ball over just once, while dishing out four assists and coming away with three steals. He is averaging three a game so far in the season, which leads the nation in players who have played more than one game.

The team will take two days off before playing Yale in their home opener at the Mullins Center. For UMass, this game means a lot.

"We're not a tournament team right now, obviously," said Ford. "We have a long way to go before conference play, and we need all the work we can get right now."

[Chief Bstn]

Bulldogs bite Minutemen, UMass drops 4 straight

Despite leading most of the first half and the first five minutes of the second half, the UMass Minutemen dropped their fourth straight game of the year, 62-44.

"I don't know what went wrong with this team," said Travis Ford. "We had a strong pre-season, really good intersquad games, and now we can't do anything right on the court."

Gary Forbes was the only UMass player to score in double figures, coming away with 12 points. He also grabbed eight boards for the Minutemen, but shot just 6-of-18 from the floor.

"I had great looks all night," said Forbes. "I didn't feel like I took bad shots, they just weren't falling."

UMass guard Ricky Harris was also kept in check by Yale. He shot 3-of-10 from the floor and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, his worst game of the season.

"No one on this team is taking control," said Ford. "I don't think we could be playing worse basketball if we wanted to."

UMass did have one positive, though. For the first time this season, they weren't outrebounded. Each team came away with 27 boards -- UMass with nine offensive. Forbes' eight were the most by a Minuteman this season.

The game was the first at home for the Minutemen this season, and the UMass students came out in full support.

"Our crowd was great," said Forbes. "We felt unbeatable early on but just fell apart. They deserved a better showing, definitely."

UMass stays at home Friday when they take on UW-Green Bay, who sits at 3-0 on the season. After that, UMass plays the 24th ranked Syracuse Orange, a game that Travis Ford says will be ugly if they don't figure something out soon.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass -- For a second, it looked like UMass was going to win their first game of the year. After Max Groebe hit three straight 3-pointers off the bench, UMass had a 2 point lead with 2:15 left before succumbing to UW-Green Bay, 58-48.

Groebe played just three minutes in the game and scored all of his team-high nine points in the second half. Groebe finished 3-of-6 behidn the arc, the only Minuteman to make more than one outside shot.

"Max just came in and shot lights out," said Minuteman coach Travis Ford. "He gave us a spark offensively, something we've needed this season. Unfortunately for him, the rest of the team let him down."

"I was just happy to make a contribution," said Groebe. "Ultimately we lost the game, so I really didn't deliver in the way I needed to. But it's a good confidence boost for the future."

Chris Lowe finished with a season high 8 points, but missed all five free throw opportunities. He finished with five assists and to steals.

Gary Forbes was held scoreless for the first time in his collegiate career. Forbes shot 0-for-3 from the field, but did come down with four rebounds, one block, one steal and one assist.

"This team needs me to be a leader on the court and I'm just not doing that right now," said Forbes. "We have Syracuse next, they're ranked pretty good I think. I'll be ready for them."

Green Bay's Vic Carter and Sam Smith each scored 18 points for the Phoenix. Smith shot 4-7 from outside, the only Phoenix player to hit a 3-pointer.

Massachusetts travels to the Carrier Dome in two weeks to play Syracuse University, the 24th ranked team in the nation. "We have some time off to plan for the Orange," said Travis Ford. "That's a game we would really like to steal on the road."

[Chief Bstn]

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Massachusetts continued their winless start to the season, dropping the contest against the 19th ranked Syracuse Orange 72-46.

Gary Forbes was what UMass expected of him offensively. He scored 23 points -- a Minuteman season high -- and pulled down four rebounds in the loss.

"We knew in order to win we would have to play perfect basketball," said Forbes. "We didn't. We turned the ball over too much, missed open looks and had trouble rebounding."

Forbes hit two quick 3-pointers to start the game for UMass and quieted the Syracuse crowd, but it was only a matter of time before the Orange powered back. Led by Eric Devendorf's 16 points on 60 percent shooting, Syracuse grabbed the lead shortly after and never looked back.

"They're such a great team," said Travis Ford. "We made a lot of mistakes and good teams will make you pay for those mistakes. Still, I thought considering how we started the season, we played well and got some confidence under our belts playing in such a big arena."

Ricky Harris was the only other Minuteman in double-figures. He scored 11 points but shot just 30 percent from the floor. He did, however, hit all three of his free throw attempts.

"It felt good to score a few points again," said Harris. "Obviously I would rather go scoreless and win than lose, but I think I can use this game as a momentum builder. I can't wait for that first win, man."

UMass travels to UIPUI on December 1 to take on the Jaguars. The Minutemen hope to earn their first win of the season and put their winless November behind them.

[Chief Bstn]

INDIANAPOLIS -- UMass traveled to IUPUI and for the first time all season kept the game in single figures, dropping the contest 59-56. It was their first game scoring at least 50 points since the Northern Illinois loss in their second game.

UMass was in a position to tie the game in the last 15 seconds, but missed each of their last five shots from beyond the arc. Ricky Harris again struggled finding his stroke from three, finishing 1-of-5 for the game.

Trey Lang had his first standout game for the Minutemen. Lang scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, missing just one shot attempt. Gary Forbes led the Minutemen in scoring for the second straight game, scoring 15 points and having 3 steals, two rebounds and two assists.

"It's night and day compared to the Syracuse game," said Forbes postgame. "We were much more efficient in this game, rebounded better and just made better shots. That's what makes the loss so frustrating. We should have won."

The Minutemen are 0-7 to start their season for the first time in over a decade -- something that no one in the locker room is happy about.

"I hate losing," said Chris Lowe. "Especially the way we've been losing. Late leads slip away and then we find ourselves racking up the losses."

UMass shot just 3-of-16 from beyond the arc, good for 19 percent. "We need to stop chucking up threes," said Travis Ford. "I swear, we take more stupid threes early in the shot clock than anyone else in the country. That's going to change next game, I promise you that."

The Minutemen have a week off before they host Marist, who is 3-4 on the season.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Minutemen basketball team announced they signed three-star recruits Patrick Blizzard and Kenneth Attaway today.

Blizzard is a 6'0" point guard out of Brooklyn, N.Y. An athletic guard, Blizzard shoots the ball extremely well and could split time between the 1 and 2 guard spots for the Minutemen next season as a freshman.

Attaway was the team's priority prospect. He was the 9th ranked center available in the country, and chose UMass over Connecticut and Boston College. At 6'11" and 218 pounds, Attaway should grow to over 7'0" by the time he moves in to Amherst.

[Chief Bstn]

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- The University of Massachusetts Minutemen are no longer winless, as they topped The Marist College Red Foxes, 50-43.

"It's about time," said UMass coach Travis Ford. "We definitely didn't plan on starting the season 0-7, but we'll take a win any time."

The Minutemen trailed by no fewer than five points the entire game, and finally took the lead with three minutes left in the regulation. With about a minute to go, Marist sensed desperation and started fouling. It was then that UMass knew they finally were bringing home a win.

"Man, this was a long time coming," said Gary Forbes, who was named the Player of the Game. "We busted our butts for forty minutes and it feels good to finally have something to show for it."

Forbes led all scorers with 14 points. He shot just 4-of-14 from the floor, but made all six free throw attempts down the stretch to secure the game.

"I can't say enough about Gary," Ford said. "He had a rough two or three games, and he took it really hard. He came out against Syracuse and has been playing magnificent since."

Ricky Harris scored in double figures again for UMass, finishing the game with 12 points. The only UMass players who saw action and didn't score were Etienne Brower and Max Hill. Brower ended the game with two rebounds, two assists and a steal.

The Minutemen only attempted five 3-pointers the entire game, something Ford was extremely pleased with. "We've been jacking up ugly shots all season so far, so it was good to actually take open looks," said the UMass coach. "That shot comes with penetration, which we did today."

Papa Lo was a force on the glass and in the paint for the Minutemen. He finished with just six points, but blocked four shots and pulled down six rebounds in the contest.

"I feel good in the post," said Lo after the game. "I don't score a lot, but I can help the team in other ways."

UMass again goes on the road when they take on Boston College in an interstate matchup on Wednesday.

[Chief Bstn]

BOSTON -- The University of Massachusetts, after starting 0-7 on the year, defeated Boston College to win their second straight game, 63-55.

The story in this game was Tyrese Rice of BC against UMass's Gary Forbes. Rice scored 25 points for the Eagles, the only BC player to enter double figures. Forbes was the only Minuteman to score in double figures, and he led all scorers with 36 points.

"I felt good today," said Forbes. "I felt determined. Their crowd was against us, and I don't know, I guess that motivated me."

The 36 points by Forbes was by far the most by a UMass player this season, passing his own previous high of 23. The transfer junior was also efficient shooting the ball, hitting 14-of-17 shots from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

"All season long I said we didn't have someone who wanted to take over a game," Travis Ford said after the game. "Gary did that for us today. He penetrated, shot from outside, found open guys, he really put the team on his back in this game."

Forbes had a highlight reel dunk to begin the second half, when he intercepted a pass and dunked with authority in a wide open lane. The Conte Forum became very quiet afterward, and took the legs out from under Boston College.

"We have a little bit of momentum now, which we needed," said Forbes. "This season couldn't have gotten to a worse start, but we're turning the ship around. I think if we can stay hot we can surprise a lot of people."

UMass returns home on Saturday to take on the Toledo Rockets in the Mullins Center. Toledo enters the game 3-6 on the year.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Down two with 4 seconds left, Ricky Harris missed what would have been a game winning 3-point attempt as the Minutemen were downed by Toledo, 69-67.

The loss snaps the Minutemen's two game win streak they had entering the contest, despite leading for most of the game.

Three Minutemen scored in double figures for UMass, including Gary Forbes, who again led all scorers with 24 points. Harris scored 21 points and Chris Lowe had 11. It was the first time that two Massachusetts players scored at least 20 points in the same game this season.

"Well, it was good that Ricky and I were able to fill up the basket tonight," said Forbes after the game. "He was money all night, it was just a rough spot in the game to miss. He's the reason we were even in it at that point."

The UMass team has shot the ball significantly better since the Syracuse game, shooting better than 40 percent in each of the three games since. They shot 7-of-16 in the contest against Toledo, Harris making 5-of-9.

"He's just such a good scorer," said Travis Ford. "He always finds a way to be open, and Chris [Lowe] finds him when he is. He had a hell of a game tonight."

The Rockets, however, were not to be messed with on this night. Toledo shot 61 percent from the floor and turned the ball over only six times -- usually a recipe for a win. The Minutemen, on the other hand, turned the ball over 10 times.

"It hurts because we played such a good game," said Forbes. "If we play like that every game, we don't lose very many."

With 4.7 seconds left and down by two points, UMass forced a turnover to regain possession and have a chance at either a tie or the win. Harris got the ball inside the arc, but stepped back to go for the win.

"I was open and felt pretty good," said Harris. "The basket was the size of a hula hoop for me. I thought for sure it was in when it left my hand."

[Loki]

How you beat BC and lose to Toledo?!

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- UMass lost again, this time to Central Connecticut State. After leading for most of the first half, they ended up losing 61-46.

UMass shot just 41 percent from the floor, and a pedestrian 17 percent from 3-point land. Meanwhile, CCS hit 10-of-15 long distance shots, dooming the Minutemen from beyond the arc.

UMass trailed by just two going into the second half, but Central Connecticut powered through behind PG#35's 25 points. Gary Forbes again led UMass in scoring with 10 points, the only Minuteman to reach double figures.

"This is by far the worst game we've played," said UMass coach Travis Ford. "We did absolutely nothing right. I'm beyond frustrated with how we played."

UMass, for the first time this season, outrebounded their opponent. UMass had 25 team rebounds, while CCS had 21. 12 of UMass' rebounds were on the offensive glass, as well.

In addition to his 10 points, Forbes also pulled down seven rebounds and had a few assists against the Blue Devils. While he shot just 5-of-11, he filled out the scorecard for Ford. He is one of the few who can say that.

The loss puts UMass at 2-9 on the season, but they haven't played in any conference games yet. Should they turn it around and have a good conference showing, an NCAA Tournament bid is still on the table.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- The UMass basketball team had one thing on their mind after such an embarrassing loss: make a statement. That they did, as they topped Boston University, 74-50.

Papa Lo had his first dominant game at UMass. The African center scored 22 points and pulled down three rebounds, dominating the Terriers in the paint. Lo's 22 points were a game high, followed by BU's PG#13 who scored 18.

"It's good to see Papa finally come into his own a bit," said Chris Lowe. "He's talented, extremely talented, and tonight everyone got to see a taste of what he's capable of."

For a while, the Mullens Center became dunk city. UMass scored 40 of their 74 points in the paint, and scored 20 fast break points. It was a page out of Paul Westhead's playbook: score early and often.

"Early this week I called out everyone on this team," said coach Travis Ford. "I asked them how they wanted to finish this thing. We can either make a push or keep losing. They gave their answer to me tonight."

Gary Forbes had 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Minutemen, hile Ricky Harris scored 15 points and had three rebounds. In limited minutes off the bench, Dante Milligan scored 8 points and had four rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks all without committing a turnover.

UMass stays at home on Wednesday where they host the University of Houston, who comes into the game 9-3. After that, they take on 20-ranked Vanderbilt before starting conference play.

[Loki]

MOAR PLZ.