University of Massachusets Athletics
Rashaun Freeman Named Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week
December 12, 2004 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 12, 2004
PHILADELPHIA - For his efforts in the upset victory over No. 7 UConn, sophomore forward Rashaun Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y.) has been tabbed the Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week announced league Assistant Commissioner for Public Relations Ray Cella.
Freeman hit the game-winning layup with 4.3 seconds to play on Thursday night as the Minutemen stunned seventh-ranked Connecticut 61-59. He will share the weekly honor with senior guard T.J. Thompson of George Washington who averaged 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in wins over No. 12 Maryland and St. Francis (PA) last week.
For the season, Freeman has averaged 15.6 points on 55.2 percent shooting from the field and 7.4 rebounds which leads UMass.
Pacing UMass with 18 points and eight rebounds against UConn, the Preseason A-10 First Team selection came up big time and again for the Minutemen (3-2), who beat the Huskies (4-1) for the first time in 14 meetings. He has now reached double-figures in four games this season and 28 for his career.
The teams finished even with 39 rebounds each, but UMass had a slight edge on the glass in the first half and outscored Connecticut 42-24 in the paint for the game where Freeman, the 2004 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, hit 8-of-16 buckets.
The Huskies came back from a 12-point, first-half deficit and held a tenuous five-point lead late in the game until Freeman hit consecutive baskets with under four minutes left, pulling the Minutemen within 55-54. His layup to win the game snapped UConn's 13-game win streak versus UMass and, more impressively, UConn's 88-game streak extending back to 1986 versus non-conference New England teams.
The win was the first for UMass over a ranked team since March 9, 2001 when the Minutemen downed Saint Joseph's 75-70 in the A-10 Tournament. The win also improved UMass to 3-1 over defending national champions: defeated 1993 champ North Carolina and 1994 champ Arkansas.
UConn entered the game averaging 60.0 rebounds per game and outrebounding their opponents by 25.0 per game. UMass tied them on the glass in the game, 39-39. The Minutemen outrebounded the Huskies in the first half, 23-21.
Freeman hoisted up seven shots and canned three in the first four minutes as UMass built a 10-6 lead with 3:56 elapsed in the first half. In contrast to his previous game versus Gonzaga, he took just four shots the entire game, making all of them.
The upset victory, which was aired nationally on ESPN2, has been made an ESPN Instant Classic the network announced on Saturday. It will re-air on Thursday, Dec. 16 at 7:00 p.m. on the ESPN Classic cable channel. For information on the availability of ESPN Classic, contact your local cable/satellite provider.
The Minutemen take on ACC newcomer Miami on Sunday afternoon before returning to the Mullins Center to face Davidson on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 2:00 p.m.
