University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Temple
Defense, Defense, Defense: UMass Tops Temple, 60-34
January 21, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 21, 2006
Box Score | Quotes | Notes | Photo Gallery
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass used a 31-to-5 run starting in the first half to claim a 60-34 win over Temple on Saturday in front of the season's largest crowd of 8,127 in the Mullins Center. Sophomore Lawrence Carrier (San Bernadino, Calif.) had a career day hitting five three-pointers and leading UMass with 17 points. Senior Jeff Viggiano (Suffield, Conn.) also paced the Minutemen with 17 points, four rebounds and two steals.
The win marked the eighth game of the season, fourth consecutive, that UMass (9-6, 4-1 A-10) has held an opponent under 40 percent shooting. The Minutemen held the Owls to just 27 percent shooting on 13-for-49 field goals from the floor.
Temple's 34 points was the fewest an opponent scored on the Minutemen since Jan. 7, 1950, when UMass beat Norwich, 37-28. It was the lowest point total for Temple since Feb. 18, 1973 when they lost to Tennessee, 11-6.
The Minutemen recorded their 11th-straight home win dating back to last season and are now 4-1 in the Atlantic 10 for the first time since 2000-01 when they started 8-1 in the league.
UMass took control of the first half with a 17-2 run keyed by three three-pointers from Carrier and four points from junior Brandon Thomas (San Antonio, Texas).
Carrier entered the game with just three treys on the season. His third shot gave the Minutemen a 29-15 lead with 2:02 remaining in the half.
In that stretch, the Minutemen played tenacious defense holding Temple to just 2-for-18 shooting over the last 15:09 of the first half after the Owls started the game 4-for-6 from the floor.
Temple's 15 points in the first half was the lowest total of points surrendered by the Minutemen for a half this season and the fewest since Feb. 12, 2003 held Richmond to just 14 in the first half.
The Owls' shooting did not improve to start the second half and UMass continued to pour on the offense with a 14-to-3 run following intermission.
After Temple's Mardy Collins hit the first lay-up of the second-half, UMass responded with two three-pointers and a break-away dunk from Viggiano to give the Minutemen a 35-17 lead with 14:47 to play in the game.
Carrier drilled his fourth three-pointer of the game, while Viggiano hit his third to give UMass a 43-18 lead with 11:31 remaining in the game.
Junior walk-on Matt Pennie (Hanson, Mass.) finished the game with his first-career points on a 3-pointer with two seconds left.
Collins entered the game averaging 15.2 points per game and the Owls had four players who averaged double-figures scoring per game. Against the UMass defense, however, Collins managed just eight points and no Temple player recorded double-figures in the scoring column.
UMas held an autograph session with all of its players after the game.
The Minutemen take to the road for the next three games starting on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Rhode Island. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on CN8.
