Wednesday, January 30, 2008

UMass wins 61-59

Steve Games

With the score tied at 59-59 and only 20 seconds left, senior forward Alisha Tatham found an open lane as she drove past her defender for the go-ahead basket. With only seven seconds left and Fordham trailing by two, Tatham sealed the game with a steal at half court to give the Massachusetts women’s basketball team a 61-59 win.

The Minutewomen improved their Atlantic 10 standing to (2-3) and (10-10) overall. Fordham loses another close game and drops to (0-21) despite a 24-point effort by freshman guard Megan Mahoney.

UMass Women's Basketball

Steve Games

First Half- UMass 30- Fordham 27


It is field trip day at the Mullins Center and it might be the loudest crowd of the year in any sport.
Both teams started slow out of the gate as the Minutewomen went 2-8 in the first four minutes of play, while the Rams went 2-10 from the field.

Kate Mills dominated in the paint scoring 14 points, but the UMass offense was slowed by turnovers with 9 in the first half. Pam Rosanio had four turnovers and Teya Wright had four turnovers in eight minutes.

The Minutewomen continue to struggle from outside going 0-5 from three. UMass is moving the ball well as the Minutewomen have 11 assists on 12 field goals. Fordham who came into the game winless is attacking UMass inside with 14 of their 27 points in the paint.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

UMass - Vanderbilt

Men's Basketball
Michael King

The Minutemen get their first chance of the season to defeat a team ranked in the Top 25. Vanderbilt sits at No. 15 in the nation with a spotless 14-0 record. UMass has not defeated a ranked team since the 2004 season, when the team upended UConn and George Washington.

The Commodore's arena, Memorial Gym, is unique for several reasons including a raised court, benches on the baselines, and a general design that is more reminiscent of a concert hall than a traditional basketball complex.

UMass is riding a six-game winning streak with a win over Houston last Wednesday to its credit.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

First half recap; 48-37 Houston

Men's Basketball
Michael King

It's not quite the track meet many thought it would be, but both teams proved they could consistently run the court in the first half. Though Houston played well offensively, it was the team's defensive effort that sparked its run to an 11-point lead to end the half.

But it was Luke Bonner's dunk on a rebound from a missed Ricky Harris jumper that electrified the crowd with about one minute left in the period. Bonner's play was inconsistent in the first half, as he has been unable to establish a physical prescence in the paint despite havig a five-inch advantage over his Houston counterpart. Dante Milligan spent much of the half on the bench after picking up two early fouls. Papa Lo saw eight minutes at center, registering one block for two fouls.

Be sure to check http://www.dailycollegian.com/ for complete coverage of the game later this evening.

Big game feel: UMass v. Houston

Men's Basketball
Michael King

There's a decided big game feel to this one as tip-off approaches at the Mullins Center. The matchup between UMass and Houston is arguably the Minutemen's biggest nonconference home game of the season. But it remains to be seen how many fans will show up on this cold Wednesday evening.

UMass drew a sizeable crowd (over 4,000) for last Saturday's game against Boston University. Despite the Patriots conflict, it was the team's largest crowd of the season. Tonight's game is also on CSTV.

This game will feature two teams that play similar up-tempo styles who like to run the court and shoot 3-pointers. Defense will be at a premium and the combined score could reach beyond the 200-point level.