The University of Massachusetts Basketball

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Ask Travis Ford his opinion on his team's 66-44 loss to Houston and he will say just one word: embarrassing.

"It was a disgrace," said Ford. "Not just for our guys, but the fans who came deserved better than this. This might be the ugliest game I've ever coached."

UMass never led in the game. Throughout the first half, they were down between seven and ten points. The second half saw them down 15 for most of the half, until Houston blew them away in the last two minutes.

"I'll say one thing, though," added Ford. "This was the worst officiated game I've ever seen. Chris [Lowe] was tackled twice in the backcourt and there wasn't a whistle to be heard. Gary [Forbes] got mauled driving to the basket and nothing.

"As bad as we played, the officiating was worse," said Ford.

The Minutemen shot just 40 percent from the field, 30 percent from long range. Compare that to Houston's 57 percent and there's no wonder UMass struggled.

"We couldn't find any rhythm," said Gary Forbes. "I mean, we got killed in everything. Points in the paint, their bench did well, got beat on the break. It was bad."

Forbes was the only Minuteman to score in double figures, and he did so with two seconds left in the game. The junior finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the game. Ricky Harris was the next closest in scoring, finishing with nine points.

"We've lost by more points this year, but this is the hardest pill to swallow," said Harris. "Nothing was open to us all game. It's frustrating."

UMass travels to 25th ranked Vanderbilt next, where they hope to steal a win against a tough SEC team.

[Chief Bstn]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Papa Lo's basket with 8 seconds left gave the Minutemen a one point lead, but Vanderbilt's Jermaine Beal hit a 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining to give the 25th ranked Commodores the win.

"Absolutely heartbreaking," said Travis Ford after the game. "To get embarrassed by Houston and almost come out of Vanderbilt with a win ... it's heartbreaking."

UMass continued to struggle shooting the ball, shooting 40 percent from the field and just 29 percent from long range. However, they outrebounded Vanderbilt 25-23 and kept the Commodores from using the fast break.

Ricky Harris was tied with Shan Foster as the games leading scorers, putting up 12 points each. Harris shot just 5-of-12 from the floor.

In limited minutes, Luke Bonner had two points and 3 rebounds, playing big and giving UMass a boost when he was on the floor.

"I just wanted to show I can compete against big time teams," said Bonner. "I haven't been playing as much as I would like, but I think I can contribute to the team in a big way."

Harris and Chris Lowe each had four steals in the game, each playing big defense to spark the Minutemen. Lowe missed his only shot attempt, the 3/4 court shot to try and win the game. He also had four assists.

"Our guards played really well," said Ford. "Chris isn't a scorer right now, but he gets involved every other way. If we can get him to score six or eight points a night for us, we can win the conference."

The loss against Vanderbilt puts UMass at 3-11 before conference play begins. They take on St. Joseph's on Wednesday. Despite their dismal record, UMass can sneak into the tournament by winning the Atlantic 10 conference.

[Loki]

#FIRETRAVISFORD

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- With conference play starting up for the Massachusetts Minutemen, teams around the league are shifting their focus to each other.

Fordham and Rhode Island are the top teams in the conference. Fordham is currently ranked 18th and sits at 10-1, while Rhode Island slides up to 25th and are 14-2. Most teams in the conference sit around .500, with UMass having the worst winning percentage at .214 -- 3-11 on the year.

Still, conference play means anything can happen. If the Minutemen can turn around their year, there's still time to make the NCAA Tournament as a conference winner. Unfortunately for Travis Ford's squad, an at-large bid seems unlikely.

"With how we played in the first half, I don't think we can make it as an at-large team," said Ford. "But anything can happen in conference play. I wouldn't count us out at all."

One team in the conference seems to be counting their eggs a little too soon. George Washington University, who sits at just 4-6, has been claiming themselves as conference champions before play has even started.

"I think, honestly, our conference is a joke," said Maurice Rice, GWU's leading scorer with 11 points-per-game. "I don't see any of them stopping us."

During the Atlantic 10 media day prior to the season, Rice was asked by a reporter how he felt about the budding rivalry between UMass and George Washington. Back then, he answered, "UMass is nothing. They haven't been anything since Marcus Camby, and look what he's done in the pros."

UMass and George Washington don't meet until the last game of the regular season, but the Minutemen are already circling that game in their calendars.

"Any time you can make someone shut up is a good day," said Gary Forbes, who leads UMass in scoring. "I don't really no Mo personally, but I'm looking forward to George Washington. I can't wait for that game."

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Conference play for many teams is a new beginning. A team can start a season, say 3-11, and still make the NCAA Tournament by winning their conference. The Massachusetts Minutemen got off to a good start on Wednesday, topping the St. Joseph's Hawks 59-53.

Four UMass players entered double figures, the most by the team this year. Gary Forbes led the way with 14, Trey Lang scored 11, and Papa Lo and Chris Lowe each had 10 for the Minutemen.

"We changed up our plan of attack," said Travis Ford. "We scored in the paint instead of relying on mid and long range shots, and it really worked our for us."

Massachusetts scored 42 points in the paint, by far their most this season. They went to the free-throw line 9 times and connected on each attempt. They only hit three shots not in the paint, including two 3-pointers.

"We got Trey and Papa the ball a lot this game," said Gary Forbes. "We opened up the inner game, and they never really adapted."

Massachusetts also played stellar defense on St. Joseph's, recording 11 team steals. Lowe and Lang each had three to lead the team.

"This was probably our best offensive game of the year," said Ford. "We executed our game plan to perfection. We got timely steals on defense, but we let them score too many points."

Massachusetts shot 57 percent from the floor, taking the high-percentage shots in the paint and making the most of them. Not only that, but the Minutemen outrebounded the Hawks 20-14. Lang and Lo each had five to lead the team.

"We started off poorly," said Ford. "But that part of the season is over. We're focused on the conference now. All we need is a conference tournament bid and anything can happen. We can salvage this."

[Chief Bstn]

DAYTON, Fla. -- Despite missing 10 free throws, the Dayton Flyers held on to defeat the Massachusetts Minutemen, 63-57.

Massachusetts held the lead in the final three minutes, but untimely turnovers and poor shot selection ultimately let Dayton back in the game.

"We choked," said Travis Ford. "It's as simple as that. We choked."

UMass was led in scoring by Dante Milligan, who had 12 points and 5 rebounds off the bench. Gary Correia also had 9 points off the bench for the Minutemen.

Papa Lo had the first ten rebound game for a Minuteman this year, but scored just 4 points in the game.

"If Papa has any type of offensive game at all tonight," said Ford, "we win. He made a lot of dumb fouls and then got nervous around the hoop. Papa has a ton of potential but can't be scared. We needed him tonight."

UMass committed 16 team fouls, which was a season high. "They played undisciplined. They would let up the offensive board, then foul a guy on the put back. Every single time," said Ford.

Lo and Trey Lang each had four fouls, which led to Milligan seeing increased time off the bench. No other Minutemen player had more than two.

"We absolutely needed this game," said Ford. "It's the most frustrating game I think we've had this year. I say that a lot, but this one is going to make me lose some sleep."

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Five scorers reached double figures for the Massaschusetts Minutemen as they rolled past the Charlotte 49ers, 76-64.

"The kids played pissed," said Travis Ford. "After the Dayton game, everyone wanted to show what they had to offer."

Gary Forbes led the Minutemen with 23 points, while Ricky Harris was close behind with 20. Papa Lo had 11 points and Trey Lang and Gary Correia each had 10. The only other UMass player to score was Chris Lowe, who scored to points.

Five UMass bench players didn't see action, but Ford said it was no cause for concern. "The guys we played today just meshed well as a unit," said Ford. "We needed to get back with a win, and I put the guys who played well together on the court."

UMass was lights out from the floor. They shot 57 percent, including 9-of-13 from beyond-the-arc. "We couldn't miss," said Gary Forbes. "The basket seemed like it was bigger tonight. Everyone was just on."

UMass had only one turnover and five team fouls, both stats significantly better than their previous game against the University of Dayton. "Those are key for us," said Ford. "If we don't turn the ball over and don't commit stupid fouls, we'll win a lot of games."

Trey Lang had the best overall game of any UMass player. He scored 10 points, pulled down 5 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. "Everything clicked," said Lang. "I saw the open guys and wasn't afraid to attack the rim. I feel I can do that on a night by night basis."

UMass plays St. Joseph's again on Wednesday where they hope to take home another win.

[Chief Bstn]

PHILADELPHIA -- For the second time this season, the University of Massaschusetts Minutemen knocked off the St. Joseph's University Hawks. This time, the UMass won 64-54.

UMass again exploited St. Joe's weak interior defense, scoring 44 points in the paint against the Hawks. Not only did UMass dominate the paint offensively, but defensively as well. The team had seven blocks in the game, five coming from Papa Lo.

"Papa was a monster defensively for us," said Travis Ford. "That's why we brought him here. He's a tenacious shot blocker."

Gary Forbes again led the Minutemen in scoring. Forbes scored 17 points on 6-10 shooting, but missed all three shots he attempted behind the arc. He also pulled down three rebounds in the game.

"I felt good," said Forbes. "I can make an impact for this team."

Trey Lang entered double figures again, also pulling down six rebounds. "Trey has been so good the past three or four games," said Ford. "His offense is really coming around, and he's more active on the glass. It's nice to see."

The win is the Minutemen's second in a row, just the second time this season they have won consecutive games. They move to 6-12 on the season, but more importantly 3-1 in conference play. The only team better in conference play so far is Xavier, who UMass plays on Sunday

"We can steal it," said Forbes. "We'll show them who we are."

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Despite trailing by five at the half, the Massachusetts Minutemen pushed their winning streak to three as they moved past Xavier, 71-66.

Massachusetts trailed by 10 with under a minute left in the half when Max Groebe came in and hit a 3-pointer at the top of the key, quickly stole the inbounds pass and layed it in for a five point swing.

"We got so much momentum going into the half from that," said Travis Ford. "Max is a guy who comes in and makes a quick impact."

Groebe finished with 8 points in just two minutes, hitting another three in the second half. It's the second time this season he's come in and given his team a quick lift.

"I just want to help the team," said Groebe. "I didn't even have the biggest game tonight. Papa [Lo] did."

And what a game Lo had. After receiving criticism for being soft around the rim, Lo scored 18 points on 8-9 shooting. He finished with eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

"If Papa can do this consistently, he can be a conference first teamer," said Ford. "He was unbelievable tonight. He really put the team on his back."

UMass held Xavier star C.J. Anderson in check for most of the game. Anderson finished with 12 points, as UMass double teamed him for most of the second half. The player who caused them the most trouble was Stanley Burrell. Burrell finished with a game high 19 points, hitting 2 of his 5 3-point shots to give Xavier leads in the second half.

"Their guy hit some big shots, but we came right back at them," said Ford. "We got to the line 18 times tonight. Any time we do that, we win."

Xavier came into the game 5-0 against conference opponents, defeating Fordham, Temple, George Washington, Dayton and St. Bonaventure. The loss to UMass keeps them in first place in the conference, but UMass just a half game behind.

UMass travels to Duquense next to take on the 9-9 Dukes.

[Chief Bstn]

PITTSBURGH, Penn. -- The UMass winning streak came to a close Monday as Travis Ford's squad dropped the contest to Duquense, 74-71.

Despite going to the free throw line 22 times, UMass shot just 39 percent from the floor. However, they connected on 11-of-20 3-point attempts, their most makes this season from beyond the arc.

Duquense's interior defense was too good to get the UMass bigs involved, as Papa Lo and Trey Lang combined for just six points. However, shooting guard Max Groebe came into the game to provide a spark for the Minutemen and again succeeded.

Groebe scored 15 points off the bench for Massachusetts, hitting 3-of-5 shots from beyond the arc and making all four free throws he attempted. Groebe was subbed out in the last minute despite being the hot hand that started UMass's comeback.

"Max shot lights out again," said Ford. "I took him out because I thought Ricky [Harris] would give us a shot to get it into overtime."

Harris hit one 3-pointer to bring UMass within two. After fouling Duquense splitting free throws, Harris missed the would-be game tying shot at the buzzer. He finished on 4-of-11 shooting.

"Max hasn't played a lot this year and Ricky has," said Ford. "I went with the guy who I thought could make the shot."

Gary Forbes led the Minutemen in scoring. He scored 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting, hitting 4-of-5 from beyond the arc. He went 0-of-4 from inside.

"There were a few times where I thought I got hacked," said Forbes. "I shot the ball well, though. I don't know what else I could have done."

UMass scored just 10 points in the paint, a big reason why they struggled to gain momentum on the road. Through their first 5 Atlantic 10 games, they averaged over 35 points in the paint and went 4-1.

UMass travels to St. Louis to take on the Billikens on Saturday. They have just 9 regular season games left before the Atlantic 10 tournament begins.

[Chief Bstn]

ST. LOUIS -- The Massachusetts Minutemen got back on the winning track as they topped St. Louis University, 61-60.

Gary Forbes again led the Minutemen in scoring, his fifteenth time this season doing so. He scored 13 points and dished out four assists in the win. Trey Lang scored 11 points and Max Groebe scored 10 points off the bench.

"We rebounded well from the Duquense game," said Travis Ford. "Our guys figured out how to put losses behind them."

Massachusetts shot 58 percent from the floor, and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. They also had four blocks in the game, and are currently 5th in the conference in blocks per game.

"We have Trey and Papa [Lo] in the post, so we're going to get a few blocks a night," said Gary Forbes. "Our team is really defense-oriented."

St. Louis had a chance to take the lead with five seconds left, but SLU's Hugh Jass missed a 3-point shot and Forbes grabbed the rebound and avoided being fouled as the clock ran out.

UMass is home on Thursday as they take on 13th ranked Rhode Island. The Minutemen are 0-2 against ranked opponents this season, losing to Syracuse and Vanderbilt.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Massachusetts Minutemen held on and knocked off the 13th ranked Rhode Island Rams, 66-63.

The win is UMass's first against ranked opponents in three tries this season, losing to Syracuse and Vanderbilt earlier in the season.

"These guys never gave up," said Travis Ford after the game. "They executed perfectly down the stretch."

Chris Lowe scored 17 points in the game, his first double figure game of the season.

"I've said all along that if Chris can score for us, we can win games," said Ford. "He had a brilliant game. This may be the best game of his career."

UMass couldn't find the mark from 3-point land, but Ricky Harris hit a long range shot with five minutes remaining to give the Minutemen a one point lead. It was Harris' first bucket of the game.

"I had missed two or three shots before that," said Harris. "But I felt confident in the shot. The sound it made when it went in -- our fans exploded."

The Mullins Center crowd erupted from that mark on, giving UMass a real home court advantage for the rest of the game.

"We needed all the help we could get," said Gary Forbes, who had 18 points to lead the team. "Our crowd was amazing. We can beat anyone if we have this support."

UMass will travel to Philadelphia again to take on the Temple Owls. Temple enters the game 6-15, slightly worse than UMass's 9-13. However, UMass is third in the conference while Temple is last with a 1-6 conference record.

[Chief Bstn]

PHILADELPHIA -- Despite beating the 13th ranked team earlier in the week, the Massachusetts Minutemen were embarrassed by the Temple Owls, losing 79-58.

"I know that any team can win on any given night," said Travis Ford, "but this was probably the worst loss of our season, postseason wise. Any chance we had at an at-large bid is out the window."

Temple shot 62 percent from the floor, including 5 of 10 from beyond the arc. Massachusetts had no answer for their defense, despite shooting a respectable 48 percent.

"We just didn't have effort tonight," said Ford. "That's about as simple as I can put it. No heart, no desire."

Massachusetts had an injury scare late in the second half, when Chris Lowe was fouled driving to the basket. He suffered ligament soreness and was removed from the came for precautionary reasons.

"Chris probably could have come back, but I didn't want to risk anything," Ford said. "We were out of this game from the tip off on, so it wouldn't have been beneficial to bring him back in."

Before leaving the game to injury, Lowe scored seven points, had two steals and dished two assists. Gary Correia came in and made both of Lowe's free throws.

Gary Forbes was the only Minuteman to reach double figures, scoring 17 points. He shot just 6-of-13, 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.

"This game was brutal," said Forbes. "We're going to be looking at this for the rest of the year as a missed opportunity. Temple just wanted it more."

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Massachusetts Minutemen beat a ranked team for the second time in as many weeks, topping the Fordham Rams, 56-45.

Papa Lo was Sunday's star of the game, pulling down the first UMass double-double of the season. Lo scored 13 points and ripped down 11 rebounds in the win.

"I've been working on my rebounding a lot lately," said Lo after the game. "It's nice to see it pay off against a good team like Fordham."

Gary Forbes led Massachusetts in points again, scoring 19 in the contest. Forbes also hd six rebounds and three steals in the win.

"Gary and Papa really led the offense," said Travis Ford. "I'm really pleased with how they both performed today. It's nice to beat ranked teams."

Despite injuring his knee in the previous game, Chris Lowe took the court again for Travis Ford's squad. The junior scored eight points and dished out five assists, igniting the Massachusetts offense.

"Chris is such a tough kid," said Ford. "He really showed what a gamer he is out there today."

Massachusetts outrebounded Fordham 24-20 and outscored them in the paint, 34-28. The Rams, however, blocked nine UMass shots compared to two blocks for the Minutemen.

Massachusetts stays at home on Sunday where they take on St. Louis in a rematch. UMass won their previous matchup by a point, 61-60.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- St. Louis edged Massachusetts in double overtime, winning 93-90.

The Minutemen forced both extra sessions by clutch shooting in the final seconds, but were unable to do it a third time as they couldn't find their mark from long range.

While Gary Forbes finished with a game high 27 points, he struggled shooting the ball. He shot just 10-of-30 and 0-of-8 from long range. If he was any more efficient from the field, one wonders if UMass could have been the victors.
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Max Groebe again was an unsung hero for the Minutemen. He scored 16 points in six minutes, hitting clutch shot after clutch shot. He fniished 7-of-12 from the field, hitting two threes to bring the Minutemen closer to St. Louis.

In the end, though, Hugh Jass was too much for Massachusetts. He finished with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, causing fits for the Minutemen defense.

"I thought we played well," said Travis Ford. "Obviously the result didn't go the way we wanted it to, but St. Louis played a heck of a ball game."

UMass has just five games left in their regular season before the Atlantic 10 tournament. They play 20th ranked Rhode Island again next, then St. Bonaventure, Richmond, La Salle and finally George Washington.

[Chief Bstn]

KINGSTON, R.I. -- The Massachusetts Minutemen rebounded from their double overtime loss and topped the 20th ranked University of Rhode Island, 72-63.

"We have a short memory," said Gary Forbes, who finished with a game high 29 points. "We're not going to dwell on losses, we need to look to finish the season strong."

UMass looked strong on every side of the ball. Offensively, Forbes and Lang each scored in double figures, Lang with 10 points. Chris Lowe had his first 10 assist game of the season, also having five seals defensively. Papa Lo finished with 3 blocks.

"Everyone got involved," said Travis Ford. "Gary led us a bit in scoring, but everyone played their part nicely."

UMass has defeated URI in each game the schools have played against each other this season. With the win, Massachusetts improved their record to 3-2 against ranked teams, with their other win coming against Fordham.

URI outrebounded Massachusetts 29-21, but UMass made their shots when it counted. The Minutemen shot 54 percent from the floor, compared to URI's 43 percent.

UMass moves to 8-4 in conference play with the win, putting them tied for second behind Dayton. Should the two teams finish the season tied, Dayton holds the tiebreaker. Xavier leads the Atlantic 10 with a 10-1 record, their only conference loss coming to UMass. Massachusetts is now 11-15 on the season with four games left.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- Despite going 0-of-7 from beyond the arc, the Massachusetts Minutemen put away the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, 68-44.

Luke Bonner was tied for the team lead in points with 12, his first game in double figures this season. Gary Forbes also had 12 points for Massachusetts, and Tony Gaffney scored 10 points.

"Luke and Tony pulled me aside this week and told me they were unhappy with how they were being utilized," said Travis Ford. "I gave them a shot today to play big minutes and they definitely came through for us."

In addition to his scoring, Bonner also ripped down eight rebounds for UMass, which led both teams.

"It felt good to be a part of the win," said Bonner. "I think I can do this on a regular basis if I got the playing time. Today wasn't a fluke."

UMass outrebounded St. Bonaventure 36-21 in the contest, by far their biggest margin on the year. "They were aggressive," said Ford. "They wanted to get every shot and put it back. They were outstanding."

There are just three games left for the Minutemen this season before the Atlantic 10 tournament. They still sit tied with Dayton for second in the conference.

[Chief Bstn]

RICHMOND, Virgnia -- It took an extra period, but the Massachusetts Minutemen knocked off the Richmond Spiders, 78-72.

Richmond held an eight point lead heading into the second half, but Massachusetts was able to quickly get back and take a lead. From there, the two teams exchanged leads the rest of the way.

Ricky Harris and Gary Forbes each scored 21 points for the Minutemen, and Trey Lang also had double figures with 10 points.

"Ricky and Gary continue to lead this offense," said Travis Ford. "I think both of them have a real case for some postseason awards."

Both teams shot 6-of-18 from down range, but it was Harris' shot late in the second half that gave Massachusetts momentum. From down two to up one, Massachusetts was able to avoid playing catch up, putting the pressure on Richmond.

Richmond responded, though, with clutch shots from their two guards. With less than eight seconds left, Richmond hit a 3-pointer to tie the game.

The overtime period was all Massachusetts. UMass scored 16 points in the extra frame, with half of them coming from the charity stripe. Forbes connected on 3-of-4 from the stripe, Harris 6-of-6.

Massachusetts will turn their focus to La Salle before they end their regular season with George Washington. In order to finish the regular season .500, the Minutemen need to win their final two games.

[Chief Bstn]

AMHERST, Mass. -- The Massachusetts Minutemen played their last game in front of their home crowd, coming home with a slim 72-69 victory over La Salle.

Gary Forbes scored 33 points to lead all scorers, also pulling down eight rebounds in the win. His 3-pointer with 45 seconds left gave UMass the lead, which they wouldn't surrender.

"We needed this one," said Forbes. "These fans put up with our awful start and deserve to end the year on a good note."

Forbes went to the free throw line 11 times, sinking each attempt. He also made 4-of-5 shots from long range.

"Gary really did what the team needed him to do tonight," said Travis Ford. "If we needed a three, he gave us a three. If we needed a quick easy basket, that's what he gave us."

Massachusetts shot 63 percent from the floor, including 6-of-9 from long range. Each team scored 34 points in the paint.

"We could sneak in as the first seed in the conference tournament," said Ford. "We had a hell of a run after the 0-7 start. I'm really proud of these guys.

The win is UMass's fourth in a row, their longest winning streak of the season.

Other Minutemen to reach double figure scoring were Papa Lo with 12 points and Ricky Harris with 11. Chris Lowe had four assists and three steals in the win.

Massachusetts will travel to George Washington University for their last regular season game of the year. This game will decide seeding in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which George Washington is eliminated from.

[Chief Bstn]

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Massachusetts Minutemen lost at the buzzer to George Washington University, 79-78. Gary Forbes missed the game tying free throw and Papa Lo's shot got blocked with 0.4 seconds left to secure the win for the Colonials.

Gary Forbes scored 26 points in the win. Ricky Harris also scored in double figures with 13 points. Dante Milligan had eight off the bench for the Minutemen.

Massachusetts finishes their season 14-16 but gear up for the Atlantic 10 Tournament, where they are likely a 3 seed behind Dayton and Xavier.

The game went in to overtime.