University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Duquesne (A-10 First Round)
Men's Hoops Storms Past Duquesne, 77-52
March 08, 2000 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2000
By ROB MAADDI
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Monty Mack scored 27 points and Shannon Crooks added 18 to lead Massachusetts to a 77-52 victory over Duquesne in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament on Wednesday.
UMass (16-14) scored the first 11 points of the game and never trailed, leading by as many as 17 points in the first half and 29 in the second half.
The Minutemen play George Washington (15-14) in the second round Thursday. Duquesne (9-20) finishes its season by losing 13 of its last 14 games.
Mack and Crooks, UMass' backcourt duo, combined for 25 points in the first half. Mack scored eight straight points during an 8-2 run as UMass built a 21-8 lead with 9:10 left in the first half. He finished 9-of-20, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range. Crooks was 7-of-11.
UMass held Duquesne's leading scorer Wayne Smith (17.1 points per game) to five points. Smith scored his only basket, a 3-pointer, with 1:49 remaining in the game. Smith attempted just four shots and was 2-of-6 from the free throw line.
Mack hit a jumper and sank a free throw to complete a three-point play to give UMass its biggest lead of the game, 58-29, with 10:31 remaining.
Jonathon DePina's 3-pointer from the top of the key at the end of the first half gave UMass a 40-24 lead. The Minutemen opened the second half with an 11-0 run to take a 51-24 lead. Mack scored five points and Chris Kirkland had four during the stretch.
Courtney Wallace led the Dukes with 13 points and Simon Ogunlesi added 12. Duquesne outrebounded UMass 45-32 as Ogunlesi grabbed 12 boards.
UMass shot 17-of-32 (53 percent) in the first half, including 5-of-12 (42 percent) from 3-point range. The Minutemen finished 28-of-59 (48 percent).
