After missing three games with a wrist injury, Jaylen Curry was back in action for the Massachusetts men’s basketball team Saturday against Rhode Island. The sophomore seemed to be back at 100 percent, scoring 22 points and playing a big role in a hard-fought 91-88 victory.
Despite taking a 17-day hiatus from the hardwood, Curry quickly got back on track, scoring the first basket of Saturday’s contest. Rising up for a midrange jumper, the Charlotte, NC native knocked down his first shot just 23 seconds into the game.
Curry’s first make of the night immediately helped his confidence, which carried throughout all 40 minutes. He took 16 shots against the Rams (17-11, 6-10 Atlantic 10), eight coming from behind the arc. His offensive presence helped lead to 91 total points for the Minutemen (12-17, 7-9 A-10), their most since their three-overtime win against Fordham on Jan. 15.
“You don’t lose your point guard and get better,” head coach Frank Martin said. “If you lose your starting quarterback, the offense is not going to be as good with your backup. There’s a reason there’s a backup and a starter. Getting Curry back in there allowed us to play better offensively.”
Just about a quarter of UMass’ 91 points came from Curry himself, with his 22 on the night. The point guard shot 8-of-16 (50 percent) from the field and 5-8 (62.5 percent) from three, adding on eight assists and four rebounds.
With another guard able to confidently control the ball back in the lineup, the Minutemen’s leading scorer Rahsool Diggins also found more open looks for himself. Curry moved the ball well, avoiding double teams and aggressive defense en route to his eight assists on the night.
“It gives me more space because, you know, you still have to guard [Curry],” Diggins said. “He’s a great passer, so him being aggressive, guys think he’s going to score, and then him seeing me on the drop pass, or something like that; I think that’s where we connect the best.”
In each of the three games that Curry missed, UMass couldn’t eclipse 60 points offensively. With the sophomore back in the lineup, it opened up opportunities at all three levels. Ball movement came easy for the Minutemen, with constant movement keeping the defense off balance.
Curry battled on the other end of the floor too, playing aggressive on-ball defense and making sure Rhode Island defenders were uncomfortable. His twitchiness on the defensive end helped his squad go on a 14-0 run in the back end of the second half that was essential for the victory.
With over 5,000 fans in attendance at the Mullins Center, Curry thrived off making key shots and plays to get the crowd involved. His confidence continued to grow as the game went on, letting out a big smile after making a three to shrink the deficit to just two points and then assisting a Daniel Hankins-Sanford three to take the lead with 6:30 left in the second half.
“[Curry] was a good player for [UMass] last year, and he’s a really good player for them this year,” Rams head coach Archie Miller said. “… We give him the ultimate respect … I thought we maybe gave too much help off him a few times, got him going, but he was shooting deep. I mean, it wasn’t like he was teed up at the line. I mean, he was making some bombs.”
Although the sophomore had some flashy plays behind the three-point line, most of Curry’s best work on Saturday came in the pick-and-roll. Working around his big men and communicating well, Curry got downhill consistently and either hit his shots or made the right pass to his teammates.
For a team in desperate need of a spark after a rough stretch of conference games, Curry’s return could be just what UMass needed. With just two games left in the regular season, the Minutemen will be happy to have their second-leading scorer and leading assister back at 100 percent.
UMass plays its last road game of the regular season on Wednesday, March 5, against St. Bonaventure. Tipoff from the Reilly Center is set for 7 p.m., and the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
“It’s great to have [Curry] back, just having another playmaker, a guy that makes plays for us, pass the ball, makes plays for himself,” Diggins said. “And just having his energy and competitiveness back on the floor was a big thing for us. I think when we have good guard play, we’re a tough team to beat.”
Mike Maynard can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter/X @mikecmaynard.
