After suffering its first conference loss to Dayton on Sunday, the Massachusetts men’s basketball team bounced back Wednesday night with an 81-65 victory over the La Salle Explorers (10-6, 1-2 Atlantic 10).
While the result for UMass (11-4, 2-1 A-10) seems like it would indicate a resounding win, the game wasn’t as smooth of a ride as the final score suggests. La Salle stayed within striking distance for the first 30 minutes of the contest, never allowing UMass to build a lead larger than eight. After Explorers starting guard Khalil Brantley picked up his fourth foul and Minutemen center Josh Cohen began to find his groove, UMass pulled away, holding a double-digit lead for the game’s final six minutes.
“[We] obviously didn’t play very enthusiastically in the first half,” Martin said. “[After halftime, we played] with a little more enthusiasm defensively, a little more fight and with more discipline offensively…that shows a lot about our guys that on a day where we didn’t play great early, that they were able in the middle of a game [to] regroup and get back in character.”
Wednesday represented just another chapter in a productive season thus far for Cohen. After struggling to get anything going in the first half, the Lincroft, New Jersey native found consistency in the second. Cohen finished with 17 second half points, (24 total) due in large part to his offensive positioning, creating space down low against a young La Salle frontcourt.
Cohen wasn’t the only Minuteman that had struggles early in the game. Throughout the first half, it felt as if for every good pass and tough basket UMass scored, there was a sloppy play to follow it up. The Minutemen had eight first half turnovers compared to the Explorers’ six. With more opportunities on offense, La Salle was able to convert in the mid-range and in the paint, heading into halftime down just one.
One of the Minutemen’s lone bright spots in the opening period was sophomore Daniel Hankins-Sanford. As other players struggled to find their shot, the South Carolina transfer made his presence felt on that youthful Explorer frontcourt. Late in the first, the sophomore made three baskets in under three minutes thanks to his ability to make himself open under the basket for his guards to find him.
With Hankins-Sanford and Cohen firing on all cylinders, UMass continued to run offense through the paint at a high level, leading to a second half in which it outscored La Salle by 15. Of the Minutemen’s 63 shot attempts, just 13 of them came from the perimeter. Rahsool Diggins was UMass’ top marksman, bouncing back after a tough 0-for-10 performance from deep against Dayton. On Wednesday, Diggins made three of his five attempts from beyond the arc.
While Cohen provided a steady hand in the paint, the offensive spark plug for the Minutemen in the second half was freshman guard Jaylen Curry. Curry’s athleticism was touted coming out of Calvary Christian Academy, and against the Explorers, the Charlotte native showcased it in spades. The freshman got to the basket with ease and converted multiple difficult layups Wednesday, finishing with an efficient 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
“Jaylen’s done a good job of keeping his head even keel throughout the season,” Cohen said. “Coming into conference play, I think a lot of people kind of doubted him, but he’s done a really good job of doing the things that we need him to do…he’s been really finishing well.”
It was a tough night for Matt Cross, who came into Wednesday as UMass’ co-leader in scoring. The senior finished with just six points, but more importantly, his night was cut short due to a fall on the baseline that impacted his left ankle. Cross was helped to the locker room and didn’t return. Cohen and Hankins-Sanford expressed confidence postgame that the senior would be ready to play Saturday.
For La Salle, freshman wing Tunde Vahlberg Fasasi led the team in scoring with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Vahlberg Fasasi did the bulk of his work from deep, and until Andres Marrero hit a three with 9:56 to play, the freshman was the only Explorer that had made a three. Elsewhere, veteran guard Jhamir Brickus filled up the stat sheet, finishing with 12 points, four rebounds and six assists.
The Minutemen are on the road for their next matchup, facing off against Rhode Island Saturday at the Ryan Center. That game will tip off at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
Dean Wendel can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @DeanWende1.
