The matchup between the Massachusetts men’s basketball team and Duquesne turned into a defensive showdown that led to UMass (10-12, 5-4 Atlantic 10) pulling away in the final 10 minutes of regulation for a 62-53 road victory.
In those last 10 minutes, Rahsool Diggins led an 18-5 run that cemented the Minutemen’s win. Diggins ended the contest with a game-high 32 points on 11-of-18 shooting and five made threes as he dominated once again for his team in A-10 play.
Before Diggins got in his groove, Daniel Hankins-Sanford lifted up UMass against the Dukes (9-13, 4-5 A-10) with his fourth double-double of the season. The junior netted 12 points and 12 rebounds, paired with three steals and two assists. This showing makes it four straight games that Hankins-Sanford has scored in double figures.
“[Hankins-Sanford’s] really grounded himself into being successful now, so I’m really happy he’s having success on the court.” head coach Frank Martin said. “We need him, he’s a good player and he’s my most experienced front-line guy as far as being around me, [so] he makes our team better.”
Almost all of the Minutemen’s offensive production came from the duo of Diggins and Hankins-Sanford, as no other player scored more than four points. Yet, where scoring suffered, players stepped up in other ways. Daniel Rivera had five boards, two assists and the lone block of the game while Jaylen Curry led the team with four assists.
UMass continued to showcase its fast-paced offense and strong physicality against Duquesne, which led to the Minutemen holding the Dukes to a season-low in points. Duquesne could not turn its offensive efforts around as scoring struggles remained constant, which led to another season-low, a 31.7 shot percentage from the field.
“Yesterday in practice, we spent a lot of time on making sure our discipline and our edge was there,” Martin said. “Where our team has grown is… we’ve learned how to play to the buzzer and not lose our focus with our rebounding and our defense.”
The defensive commitment from UMass kept the game within reach until the team found its offensive rhythm in the end. Prior to the end of the second half, neither team had built a lead greater than five points. The Minutemen’s defense also helped produce nine steals against the Dukes to create many extra opportunities when they needed them most.
Along with its defensive performance, UMass dominated in the paint with 38 of its points coming from inside the area. The team also out-rebounded Duquesne 48-35 with 13 offensive boards that led to 13 second-chance points.
Despite the win, the Minutemen lacked in crucial areas on the court, including many missed layups and 10 missed free throws. UMass also gave up a season-high 18 turnovers as mental mistakes and poor decisions haunted them throughout the game. However, this time around, the Minutemen bounced back from their self-inflicted wounds and overcame adversity.
The Dukes had just two players score in double figures. Guard Tre Dinkins had 11 points for Duquesne, while Cam Crawford pitched in 10.
With Saturday’s victory, UMass has won four of its last five conference games, putting the team in a tie with Dayton for fourth in the A-10.
“[I’m] really proud of our guys,” Martin said. “Winning on the road is hard.”
Looking to keep up this momentum, the Minutemen will return to the Mullins Center as they prepare to host Saint Louis on Tuesday, Feb. 4 with tip-off set for 7 p.m.. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Samantha Sands can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @samantha_sands_.