University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Hosts Duquesne On Senior Day This Saturday
March 03, 2005 | Men's Basketball
March 3, 2005
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MASSACHUSETTS (15-11, 8-7) vs. DUQUESNE (8-20, 5-10)
Saturday, March 5, 2005 • 2 p.m.
Mullins Center (9.493)
AMherst, Mass.
UMass Radio Network
Senior Day As UMass Hosts Duquesne
• Saturday, the UMass men's basketball team honors three senior players and three senior managers for the efforts they have given during their careers as Minutemen.
• Anthony Anderson: The returning captain has played a vital role as a leader of the Minutemen and will finish his career among the school's leaders in several statistical categories. A consummate competitor, the native of Lynn, Mass., is described by coaches and teammates as an `unselfish player.' Despite fighting nagging back injuries during the end of this season, Anthony will finish his career as one of the top shooting guards in UMass history. He stands tied for 19th all-time with 1,211 points, ranks third all-time in steals (150), and seventh in assists (367). Beyond the arc, he ranks second in three-pointers made (277), second in attempts (705) and fifth in percentage made (.390).
• Chris Chadwick: In Chris's two seasons with the Minutemen he has made a substantial impact on the team. In his first season with the program, he was honored with the Rafer Giles Sixth Man Award, while this season he has moved into the starting role as the squad's point guard. In two of this year's biggest wins, the Union, N.J. native, provided the spark the Minutemen needed. Against then-No. 21 George Washington, he scored a season-high 12 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer in regulation, and handed out four assists. In the triple-overtime win against Xavier, he played a career-high 40 minutes netting nine points and dishing out three assists.
• Tim Collins: Tim is the epitome of a student-athlete with his diligent work both on the court and in the classroom. A walk-on as a junior, the Lee, Mass. native has been a vital contributor to the Minutemen as his efforts help prepare the team for competition. With a true passion for the game, a desire to help the team improve daily, and a willingness to contribute in any way needed, Tim's tremendous heart and quick smile will leave an impact on the program that statistically could never be tracked.
• Managers Michael Girard, Adam Glessner, and Brian Kamuda: Part of the `behind-the-scenes' operation of any athletic team is a group of dedicated managers who help the team daily and who make extraordinary sacrifices. The Minutemen honor our three senior managers today: Michael Girard, Adam Glessner and Brian Kamuda. Their efforts and tireless energy will leave an indelible mark on the program. We thank this trio for all they have done.
UMass-Duquesne Preview
• The Minutemen (15-11, 8-7 A-10) are coming off a heartbreaking 53-52 loss at Dayton on Tuesday and look to finish the regular season on a high note against Duquesne today. As they have for much of the season, Rashaun Freeman, and Maurice Maxwell lead UMass in the scoring column. A win Saturday will cap one of the most successful home seasons for UMass since moving into the Mullins Center.
• Duquesne (8-20, 5-10) has won two of its last three games after losing five straight. Bryant McAllister (16.0 ppg), Kieron Achara (11.5 ppg), and Jack Higgins (10.0) lead the Dukes this season. Achara is also the team's leading rebounder at nearly seven boards per game.
• UMass has secured a winning record for the first time since 1999-2000 is 15-10 overall and 8-6 in the A-10. The Minutemen are battling Fordham for third place in the A-10 East. With a winning- season record clinched UMass continues to enhance its chances for a postseason berth, which would the team's first since a 2000 appearance in NIT. The Minutemen have won eight of their last 13 games and three of five.
• Should either team end up tied at the end of the regular-season here are the following tiebreakers used the Atlantic 10.
• UMass is deadlocked with Fordham heading into the game at 8-7, based on the league tie-breakers, here are the four scenarios for the final standings in the A-10 East. Saint Joseph's has clinched No. 1, Temple will be No. 2, UMass and Fordham are battling for third place, Rhode Island is No. 5 and St. Bonaventure is No. 6.
• If UMass beats Duquesne and Fordham beat Saint Joseph's, Fordham wins the tie-breaker with a better division record.
• If UMass wins and Fordham loses, UMass wins by virtue of a better record 9-7 versus 8-8.
• If Fordham wins and UMass loses, than Fordham takes second with the better record.
• If UMass and Fordham lose, Fordham wins the tie-breaker with a better division record.
• Interestingly, UMass and Fordham will face LaSalle and Duquesne any way the standings turn out, but it is not assured who will face who.
• Should LaSalle and Duquesne end up tied at either 6-10 or 5-11, the Dukes hold the tie-breaker as they beat the Explorers twice and would finish fifth. Should one team win and the other lose, the winning team would finish fifth.
A-10 Tournament Look Ahead
• Based on the results of the standings, here are the game times for the Atlantic 10 Tournament being held at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. The No. 5 seed from the East plays the No. 4 seed from the West at Noon followed by the No. 3 seed from the East vs. the No. 6 seed from the West at 2 p.m. In the evening session, the No. 4 seed from the East plays No. 5 from West at 6:30 p.m. followed by No. 6 from the East vs. No. 3 from the West at 8:30 p.m.
• UMass will be playing at 2 p.m. or 6:30 p.m., as the No. 3 or No. 4 seed in the East, respectively.
Overtime Wonders
• With the 70-64 overtime win over Rhode Island on Feb. 23, UMass is now one extra-session win away from tying the NCAA record for most overtime wins in a season. The 1983-84 Wake Forest (6-1) and 1988-89 Chattanooga (6-0) teams both won six overtime games.
• UMass is the first team since 1989 to win five overtime games in a season, as Chattanooga and Cal State Fullerton (5-1) did it that season. • With the perfect 5-0 record in overtime, UMass has set the school record for overtime wins as well as the Atlantic 10 mark -- for all conference teams and all games. All of UMass OT wins have come in conference games, which is also a league record.
• The Atlantic 10 record for overall overtime games in a season is six set by the 1985-86 Rhode Island team and tied by 1990-91 Saint Joseph's.
• At 5-0, UMass is one five teams that won at least five overtime games in a season without suffering a loss. UMass has two more regular-season games to play this season plus postseason.
• The five overtime games has tied UMass' record for total extra-session games in a season set in 1990-91 and equalled in 1997-98.
• With the 69-66 overtime win at LaSalle, UMass won its fourth OT game of the season to tie the school record for OT wins in a season, the 1995-96 Final Four team also went 4-0 in extra-session games.
• With the wins against Xavier (90-86 in triple OT) and at St. Bonaventure (82-78 in double OT), UMass has two wins in multiple overtimes. This also marks the first time in school history that the Minutemen have won two games in a season which featured multiple overtime periods. It is only the second season that UMass has played in two or more games with multiple OT's.
• Throughout the program's history, UMass has a 52-49 record in overtime.
A Winning Season!
• UMass has secured an above .500 mark in the season for the first time since the 1999-2000 season when they when 17-16 overall.
• UMass reached six games over .500 (15-9 after URI win) for the first time since the end of the 1997-98 season when they finished 21-11.
• UMass' 15 wins is the most in a single-season under Steve Lappas in his four years in Amherst. The 2000-01 team went 15-15 prior to his arrival. UMass is also up to eight conference wins, its best A-10 record in four years under Lappas.
Taking On The Tough Teams
• UMass plays one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation this season, taking on three teams which are ranked in this week's top 25: No. 5/5 Boston College (23-2), No. 12/13 Gonzaga (22-4) and No. 15/16 UConn (19-6).
• According to CollegeRPI.com, UMass played the sixth-toughest non-conference schedule in the nation.
• The Minutemen were ranked in the RPI's top 10 in strength of schedule until late January, ranking as high as No. 4 in mid-January. With some late conference games, UMass has fallen to the Mid-30s in strength of schedule.
• Additionally, UMass has faced three Elite Eight teams from last season's NCAA Tournament: UConn (W, 61-59), Xavier (W, 90-86 3OT), and Saint Joseph's (L, 52-59).
• On Jan. 15, UMass defeated the Atlantic 10's top team, George Washington who was ranked 21st nationally heading into the game. Sophomore Rashaun Freeman's lay-in with 0.4 seconds to play gave the Minutemen a 76-74 overtime win and their second win over a top-25 opponent. Earlier this season, Freeman hit a game-winner against then-No. 7/6 UConn on Dec. 9.
• Prior to this season, the last time UMass beat two ranked teams in the same season was in 1998-99, when the Minutemen upset No. 15 Kansas, 64-60 (1/16/99) and No. 24 Temple, 57-49 (2/28/99). All-time, UMass is 29-61 against ranked teams.
The Series With Duquesne
• The two teams have met every season but one since 1975 and UMass holds a 29-21 series record. Duquesne has won three of the last four meetings after the Minutemen reeled off 16 straight wins. Duquesne won the last game which came in the first round of the A-10 Tournament last season, 79-76.
• This will be the 51st meeting between UMass and Duquesne, with the Minutemen holding a 29-20 lead in the all-time series. The Dukes won both games last season, 88-62 in Pittsburgh, and have been victorious.
• The Minutemen won the last meeting between the schools in Amherst, 70-55 in 2003, and had won 16 games in a row against the Dukes, before Duquesne posted a 78-69 victory in Pittsburgh on Feb. 6, 2002.
• UMass is 5-5 against Duquesne at the Mullins Center
• UMass stands 9-14 against Duquesne in road games, and had won six straight before the Dukes' victory in 2001-2002. At the Palumbo Center, the Minutemen have a 6-5 all-time mark.
• For games played in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, UMass holds a 4-3 advantage with four straight victories. The Minutemen also lead the series 4-2 in neutral site games (all coming in the Atlantic 10 Tournament), winning the last four.
The Last Meeting
• Martin Osimani made four free throws in the final 8.6 seconds to lead Duquesne to a 79-76 victory over Massachusetts on in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
• Massachusetts (10-19) scored six points in a row to take a 71-67 lead with 2:32 left but Duquesne (12-16) pulled even on two free throws by Bryant McAllister and a baseline jumper by Jack Higgins. After a miss by the Minutemen, McAllister hit a short turnaround jumper in the lane with 1:10 left for a 73-71 lead.
• The Minutemen missed a 3-point attempt and on the ensuing trip down the floor, McAllister was knocked down in the backcourt by UMass' Jeff Viggiano. McAllister did not immediately get up and coach Danny Nee summoned seldom-used guard Tyler Bluemling to shoot the free throws for the woozy McAllister.
• Bluemling came into the game just long enough to make both shots with 32.2 seconds left for a 75-71 lead.
• Rashaun Freeman, who led the Minutemen with 18 points and 12 rebounds, scored inside with 10 seconds remaining to cut the lead to two points.
Winning The Close Ones
• UMass has made a practice of winning the close games this season, most recently winning by six points against Rhode Island (70-64 in overtime on Feb. 23). The Minutemen are a remarkable 10-2 in games decided by six points or less, suffering their only losses against Richmond (67-63) on Jan. 29 and in thier last game, at Dayton, 53-52 on March 1.
• UMass picked up a five-point win at Rhode Island (49-44) on Feb. 9. The Minutemen are 3-0 in two-point games and 2-0 and three-point games to be 5-0 overall in games decided by three and two points.
• It is a great turnaround for UMass, which went 2-4 in games decided by four points or less last season.
The Magic 70 mark
• UMass is a perfect 10-0 in games the Minutemen scored 70 or more points after netting 70 in the win over Rhode Island on Feb. 23. They have also won games against St. Bonaventure (74-58), Fordham (76-63), Yale (70-56), Davidson (70-67), Rider (73-63), Xavier (90-86), GW (76-74 in OT) and Florida State (78-68) this season. Last year, UMass was 7-4 when they scored 70 points.
• Since Steve Lappas took over at UMass, the Minutemen are 27-9 in games which they score 70 points.
Home Sweet Home At Mullins
• UMass is in its 13th season of play at the William D. Mullins Memorial Center, and has posted an all-time record of 111-47 in the building. The Minutemen went 8-7 at the Mullins Center last season, recording their 100th all-time victory at Mullins against St. Bonaventure on February 28. This year, UMass is 11-5 at the Mullins Center as they host a school-record 17 games.
• The 11 home wins this season ties as the second-best total at the Mullins Center. The Minutemen were 14-0 in 1993-94 and 11-1 in 1994-95. • With the addition of last year's 8-7 home record, UMass has not had a losing record at home since moving into the new arena in 1992-1993. In fact, UMass has gone 21 straight seasons without having a losing record on its home court. The win against Florida State on Feb. 15 assured Massachusetts its 22nd consecutive home winning season in front of the friendly faithful.
• The Minutemen also own a 66-30 all-time record in regular season Atlantic 10 Conference games at the Mullins Center, and a 3-1 mark in Atlantic 10 Tournament contests.
• UMass went 4-2 in its last homestand (Dec. 19-Jan. 8) -- the longest at the school since 1930-31 season when UMass had seven games in a row at home at Drill Hall, the team's last season in the facility before legendary Curry Hicks Cage was opened in 1931-32.
