University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Richmond
UMass Shoots Blanks In 81-66 Loss At Richmond
March 01, 2006 | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2006
Box Score | Quotes | Notes
RICHMOND, Va. -- With playoff seeding at stake, the UMass basketball team dropped a 81-66 decision at Richmond on Wednesday night at the Robins Center. With a chance to finish as high as fifth in the league, UMass fell to 7-8 in the league and 12-14 overall. Richmond is now 12-16 overall and 5-10 in the A-10 and ended the Spiders' eight-game losing streak. The scoring output was a season-high for the Spiders.
The Minutemen were plagued by bad shooting and turnovers once again. They missed all 12 3-point attempts of the game and were held without a 3-pointer for the first time in 233 games since March 13, 1998 against Saint Louis in the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time in the coaching career of Travis Ford, spanning 265 games that his team did not make a trey.
UMass committed 18 miscues and was whistled for 29 fouls.
The second half was a parade to the free throw line. UMass was 18-of-28 from the foul line while the Spiders were 21-of-31.
Stephane Lasme and Rashaun Freeman led UMass with 16 points apiece. Lasme also had 10 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
Richmond had five players in double-figures for the first time all season led by seniors Jermaine Bucknor (17 points) and Kevin Steenberge (14), playing on Senior Night. The Spiders shot 57.4 from the floor and 63.6 percent in the second half.
Richmond hit 10 of its first 13 shots of the second half. Oumar Sylla landed a nifty reverse lay-up with 11:51 left in the game making it 53-35. Richmond had expanded its lead to 48-31 on a lofting 3-pointer by Drew Crank with 13:27 left in the game.
The Spiders opened the second half with an 11-4 run ending with a 3-pointer by Gaston Moliva as the shot clock expired to make is 41-26 with 15:36 left in the game.
UMass got to within four points at 22-18 with 6:32 left on a Lasme dunk, but Richmond closed out the half with more proficient shooting to lead 30-22 at intermission. UMass continued to be plagued by turnovers with 10 first-half miscues.
The Spiders continued to shoot well in the first half as they built a 17-8 lead on back-to-back baskets by Monty Sanders with 11:41 left in the first half.
Richmond jumped out to a 9-0 lead on consecutive 3-pointers by Steenberge, Bucknor and Peter Thomas in the game's first 3:27. Dante Milligan scored back-to-back baskets 21 seconds apart to get UMass on the board at 9-4. UMass committed turnovers on its first four possessions.
UMass closes out the 2005-06 regular season on Saturday vs. Xavier. Senior Day honoring Jeff Viggiano will tip-off at 4 p.m. and be televised live on the A-10 TV Network. It will be shown on Fox Sports New England in the region.
