University of Massachusets Athletics

NIT Quarterfinal Notes: UMass 72, Drexel 70

March 20, 2012 | Men's Basketball

March 20, 2012

Recap |  Box Score

  • UMass becomes just the fourth team to win three road games to get to the NIT Semifinal at Madison Square Garden since the tournament began using home sites in 1977.
  • The 17-point deficit (53-36) with 16:26 to play in the second half tied the largest deficit overcome to win this season. UMass was down 20-3 against Saint Joseph's with 13:13 remaining in the first half of that contest on Jan. 14 and came back to defeat the Hawks, 71-62.
  • In UMass' last NIT quarterfinal game, the Minutemen overcame a 22-point deficit to beat Syracuse in 2008.
  • The victory also snapped UMass' six-game losing streak in Philadelphia, with its last win in the City of Brotherly Love coming at Saint Joseph's (87-80) on Jan. 27, 2010.
  • With the victory, the Minutemen now have 25 wins on the season, tied for fifth-most in program history. UMass last won 25 games when advancing to the NIT Final Four in 2007-08.
  • Needing just one more coming into the evening, UMass has set a new school record for team steals in a season, now with 321 on the year. The previous record was 311 in 1995-96.
  • Chaz Williams (20 pts) posted his 13th 20-point game of the season and third consecutively. He has reached double figures in scoring in 17 straight games and is averaging 22.6 ppg in the NIT.
  • Terrell Vinson (18 pts) tied his career high for field goals made with eight, finishing 8-for-15. He scored a team-high 14 second-half points.
  • UMass shot a season-best 58.8% from the field, including a blistering 70.8% (17-for-24) in the second half.
  • 21 rebounds (9-12) was a season-low for the Minutemen. The previous season-low was 27 vs. Utah on Nov. 25.
  • Drexel's leading scorer at the half, Dartaye Ruffin (17 points), was held scoreless in the second half.
  • The Minutemen limited the Dragons to just 1-for-13 (7.7%) shooting from long range, tying the fewest made threes by a UMass opponent this season. Central Connecticut was 1-for-15 (6.7%) on Dec. 30.
  • The 72 points scored matched the most allowed by Drexel this season.
  • The win snapped Drexel's 18-game home court winning streak, the sixth-longest active streak in Division I.

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