The Massachusetts men’s basketball team remains winless in conference play through two contests that served as a cold reminder of how difficult the level of play is in the Atlantic 10.
The 72-64 loss to Richmond came at the hands of great performances from DeLonnie Hunt and Dusan Neskovic. The Spiders (7-8, 2-0 A-10) leaned on Hunt and Neskovic offensively as the pairing combined for 31 points and went 13-of-14 at the free throw line.
The Minutemen (5-10, 0-2 A-10) were led by Jaylen Curry who scored 18 points and pulled in eight rebounds to lead the team in both categories. Additionally, Rahsool Diggins went 4-of-9 from beyond the arc to supply outside shooting that the Minutemen needed.
With just over nine minutes left in the game, UMass trailed by 10 points with waning hope of a comeback. Following a Diggins layup, Jayden Ndjigue got a steal, hustled for an offensive rebound and scored at the hoop to bring life to the crowd at the Mullins Center. After a clean defensive stop, Curry pushed the pace on a fast break to find Diggins open for a triple. This 7-0 run from the home squad resulted in a timeout from Richmond.
One possession after the timeout, Collin Tanner nailed a three to bring momentum back in the Spiders’ favor. Curry got a pair of free throws on the other end, but this paled in comparison to the upcoming shot from Richmond.
With the Minutemen set in a 2-1-2 zone, Neskovic moved off the ball to an open left corner three. Hunt found the Bosnian native wide open and a late contest from Curry on the shot made it a four-point play. This shot was a dagger for the Spiders as they halted any comeback momentum UMass was building with a single play.
“You see moments of what we can become and then you see moments of our [immaturities],” head coach Frank Martin said. “Stats had nothing to do with winning and losing today, [it was] their willingness to make the hard plays.”
Richmond’s efficiency wasn’t potent throughout the night, but its intensity on the offensive glass and on defense allowed for a plethora of extra chances. The Spiders ended the game with a 12-9 advantage in offensive rebounds despite being last in the A-10 in offensive rebounds per game versus the Minutemen who are ranked first in the category.
“It’s just a non-stop inability to even get a neutral at the center spot,” Martin said. “Our centers have to play a lot better for us to have a chance in these kind of games.”
The defensive intensity of Richmond forced a season-high tying 17 turnovers by UMass. Hunt ended the game with five steals while Neskovic snagged three while playing fearlessly through foul trouble. These extra chances allowed the Spiders to claw back into the game after trailing early in the first half.
Richmond scored 13 straight points off offensive rebounds and turnovers to surge ahead of the Minutemen to end the first half. The final punch for the Spiders came when Hunt hit a smooth step-back buzzer-beating three to take a 34-31 lead at the half.
Jason Roche opened the second half with a three for Richmond to continue its scoring momentum. Diggins attempted to bite back with a pair of threes, but the Spiders continued to roll as they spread the ball throughout the offense.
Hunt and Mikkel Tyne stepped up as facilitators for Richmond as both guards used the attention they demand at the basket to get teammates open. Hunt in particular led both teams with seven assists, tying a career-high that he has hit five times now.
UMass had no combatant in the end for the very balanced style of play of the Spiders and its comeback efforts would ultimately fall short with how easily Richmond matched its momentum.
The Minutemen will attempt to break a three-game losing streak when they face the Dayton Flyers on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m., available to watch on Peacock.
Tym Brown can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @tym_brown1.
