University of Massachusets Athletics
Postgame Notes: UMass 66, St. Peter's 49
December 27, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 27, 2005
Recap | Box Score | Quotes
* Stephane Lasme scored a career-high 21 points in the win. He scored 16 points in the first half alone, just two points shy of his previous career-high of 18, set at St. Bonaventure (1/26/05).
* Lasme had his fourth career double-double, as he also grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. It was his second double-double of the season and fourth of his career.
* Lasme broke into double-figures less than 10 minutes into the game, as he had 11 points on 4-fof-5 from the floor and 3-for-3 on free throws. It was Lasme's fourth game in double-figures this season and ninth of his career.
* Lasme scored UMass' first eight points of the game as the Minutemen were tied at 8-8, through the first five minutes.
* UMass which came into the game leading the nation in blocked shots at 8.5 per game, had 16 in the game including 11 in the second half. The 16 blocked shots are the second-most in school history and most since the record of 20 was set on Jan. 3, 1995 against West Virginia in Springfield, Mass.
* Junior Rashaun Freeman became the 37th player in UMass history to post 1,000 career points as he made a layout with 8:44 left in the first half. Freeman finished with 10 points, his seventh time in double-figures in eight games this season and 53rd of his career.
* Jeff Viggiano scored in double-figures for the fourth game in a row with 11 points. It is the second time in his career Viggiano scored more than 10 points in four straight games, as he also did it from Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2003. Over the four games, UMass' lone senior is averaging 12.5 over the last four games.
* Viggiano also grabbed 11 rebounds for his fourth career double-double and first since Dayton on Feb. 8, 2004.
* With Lasme and Viggiano, it was the first time since Feb. 3, 2004 vs. Rider that UMass had two players with double-doubles in a game.
* Dante Milligan was the first sub into the game, as he came in with 16:37 left in the first half. In his first game at the Garden, where he had been eight previous times on the bench for Pittsburgh, but never played, he had five points and six rebounds.
* At 5-3 overall, UMass is off to its best start since the 2001-02 season, when they also started 5-3 and eventually 6-3 before a five-game losing streak.
* At halftime, Madison Square Garden presented the first annual "Alonzo Milligan Mentorship Award" named in honor of the late brother of UMass' forward Dante Milligan. Alonzo was tragically murdered this past June at the age of 19, the victim of a random shooting while he was returning home from a christening in his native Harlem. This year, Knicks guard Jamal Crawford has donated $5,000 to the "Alonzo Milligan Mentorship Award" along with 1,000 more from The Boys Club.