The Massachusetts men’s basketball team warmed up for its 2023-24 season on Wednesday with a stress-free 85-41 exhibition victory over the Division-III Western Connecticut State Wolves.

Shortly after the opening tip, the Minutemen jumped out to an early double-digit lead and never looked back. The game’s first points came via a three-pointer from the team’s biggest offseason addition, Josh Cohen, which is something the senior hasn’t done yet across four seasons of Division-I play. A 3-0 lead quickly ballooned to 14 within the game’s first eight minutes, and from there, the UMass lead only grew.

“For the most part, our guys stayed disciplined and played with [effort],” head coach Frank Martin said. “I thought the ball movement was excellent…I thought we [took] good shots as a team, I really do. That’s been consistent since [our foreign trip to] Puerto Rico.”

For the Minutemen, freshman Robert Davis Jr. was the team’s scoring leader with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting. The bulk of the Detroit native’s attempts came from deep, and Davis Jr. would make good on six of them, showcasing the shooting prowess that brought him to Amherst in the first place.

Elsewhere, fellow newcomer Jayden Ndjigue also had a strong performance, albeit one which ended early as the freshman left the game due to cramps. Regardless, in his 20 minutes on the court, the wing made a noticeable impact, finishing with seven points and six assists on 3-of-6 shooting.

Martin experimented with lineups quite a bit throughout the game, especially in the backcourt. Minutes were evenly distributed between Keon Thompson, Rahsool Diggins and the four first-year guards, who each had a chance to showcase their in-game skillsets for the first time.

Matt Cross played in just under half of the game, including a few minutes where the senior filled in as UMass’ center. The preseason All-Atlantic 10 Third Team member hit two triples of his own and added a layup to finish with 10 points, third on the Minutemen roster.

“[Cross is] in a completely different space as a teammate and as a player than he was last year,” Martin said. “He’s grown with his confidence, he’s grown as a human being…he’s prepared himself to have a monster year.”

For Western Connecticut State, offense was hard to come by all night thanks to a blend of UMass defenses that kept the Wolves on their toes. The team shot just over 28 percent from the floor and only made two of their 14 three-point attempts. Cameron Gallon was Western Connecticut State’s only double-digit scorer, with the junior scoring 10 points on three-of-four shooting.

Next up for the Minutemen (following Saturday’s “secret” scrimmage against Iona) is their official season opener against the Albany Great Danes. That matchup will be Nov. 7 at 7:00 p.m. in Mullins Center.

Dean Wendel can be reached at [email protected] or followed on Twitter @DeanWende1.