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• UMass travels to St. Bonaventure Wedneday night looking to extend its winning streak to five games, while snapping a 2-game skid at the Reilly Center. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
• The UMass Sports Network will feature the "Voice of the Minutemen" Josh Maurer handling play-by-play duties. The game can be heard live starting at 3:40 p.m. ET on 105.5 FM WEEI (Springfield), 1440 AM WVEI (Worcester), 1200 AM WXKS (Bloomberg Radio in Boston) and 95.9 FM WATD (Boston's South Shore). The broadcast is also available online through www.UMassAthletics.com and on smart phones & tablets through the TuneIn app.
• The game will be televised regionally in New York by Time Warner Cable Sports Channel.
TOP STORYLINES
• This is the 106th season of UMass Basketball. UMass has an all-time record of 1,243-1,089 (.532) in 2,332 games. UMass is 464-317 (.593) in conference games, including a 300-297 in Atlantic 10 play. The Minutemen have claimed 15 regular-season conference championships and five tournament titles.
• The Minutemen rank 108th nationally in scoring (70.1), 27th in FT made (394), 37th in FT attempted (558), 109th in FT pct. (70.6%), 122nd in steals (6.7) and 51st in blocks (4.7)
• UMass has won four-consecutive games for the first time this season. It’s the longest stretch since winning six-straight midway through last year.
• The Minutemen have scored at least 34 points in the first half 10 times this season and are 9-1 in those games.
• UMass is 9-3 when scoring at least 70 points. It is 8-1 when leading at half and 1-1 when tied at the break.
• The Minutemen have outrebounded their opponents in seven of the last eight games (overall & on off. end), marking the first time this season that has occurred.
• Cady Lalanne became the 47th player in school history to reach 1,000 career points on Wednesday.
• UMass is looking to win three-consecutive A-10 road games for the first time since 2008.
• UMass is 4-5 on the road this season and 4-1 in A-10 play. The Minutemen have lost their last two at the Reilly Center and three of the last four.
• UMass finished non-conference play with a strength of schedule between 7 and 11 among four different ratings formulas. The team enters the SBU game with a strength of schedule of 34 by ESPN.com and 31 by CBS Sports.com.
• UMass entered the year having won 70 games in the last 3 years (25, 21 & 24) and participated in 2 NITs (reaching Final Four in 2012) and 2014 NCAA tourney.
• The Minutemen return seven letterwinners, including starters Maxie Esho and Cady Lalanne, from last season that went 24-9 overall and 10-6 in Atlantic 10 play en route to it's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years (1998). The team also returned to the national rankings for the first time since 1998- 99, climbing as high as No. 12 in late January.
SERIES HISTORY WITH ST. BONAVENTURE
• UMass leads the all-time series 40-23. That includes margins of 21-8 in Amherst, 1-0 in Springfield, 15-14 in St. Bonaventure, and 3-1 in four Atlantic 10 Tournament games in Philadelphia and Atlantic City. UMass has won two of the three overtime games in the series - all of which have been played in Olean.
• The series dates back to the 1980-81 season when the Bonnies claimed both meetings - 97-79 in Amherst and 104-80 in Olean.
• SBU won nine of the first 16 meetings before UMass reeled off 20-consecutive wins from 1989-98. The Bonnies won eight of 12 from ‘99-04 and UMass has since owned an 9-6 edge dating back Feb. 2004 - but just three of the last nine.
• LAST MEETING: St. Bona closed the first half on a 9-0 run to gain the momentum it needed in a 69-55 win in Amherst on Jan. 3. The Minutemen were able to make it a three-point game with under 13 minutes to go, but a SBU 19-3 run ended any hopes of a comeback. SBU had four players in double-figures led by 16 points from Marcus Posley. Youssou Ndoye and Jaylen Adams each scored 14 points, while Andell Cumberbatch added 12 points. Ndoye had a double-double with 13 rebounds as well. Trey Davis and Cady Lalanne each had 12 points to lead UMass, while Donte Clark and Maxie Esho had nine points and eight points, respectively. It was a tough shooting day for the Minutemen who hit just 19-of-54 shots including 4-of-22 from behind the arc. The Bonnies were 22-of-49 from the floor and converted 21-of-31 free throws. St. Bonaventure also converted 15 UMass turnovers into 25 points for the game.
• LAST GAME IN OLEAN: No. 21/19 Massachusetts was unable to complete a road comeback and fell to St. Bonaventure, 78-65, at the Reilly Center on Jan. 29, 2014. UMass found itself trailing to Bona for the second time in as many meetings and appeared ready to get over the hump, cutting the deficit to one with just over seven minutes to play on a Trey Davis three-pointer. But SBU banked in a triple with the shot clock winding down and answered with a 11-2 run that UMass was unable to overcome. Davis led the Minutemen with a career-high 18 on 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Cady Lalanne and Chaz Williams each had 11, with Sampson Carter and Raphiael Putney adding 10 apiece. Carter and Lalanne led the team with seven rebounds each. Carter went over 500 boards for his career. UMass shot 42 percent but was just 8-for-15 from the free throw line. Conversely, SBU did a lot of its damage from the line, making 30-of-34. Charlon Kloof led five players in double figures with 14.
• MINUTEMEN AGAINST THE BONNIES: Cady Lalanne is averaging 13.0 points (19-for-31 .613), 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks against the Bonnies in four games. Maxie Esho (8.5 ppg in 6 games) and Trey Davis (9.3 ppg in 4 games) are the only other players with decent scoring numbers versus Bona. Freshman Donte Clark had nine points and three assists in the game last month, although he was 1-for-10 from the floor.
LA SALLE LEFTOVERS
• UMass has won its last four games for the first time this season and the first time since a year ago when it won six-straight from Dec. 28-Jan. 18.
• UMass swept the season series from La Salle and leads the all-time series 18-14 overall and 8-4 at home. It also has won four-straight over the Explorers for the first time since winning six-straight from 1992-98.
• UMass outrebounded La Salle 40-32 and had 10 offensive boards. It is the eighth-consecutive game with double-digit rebounds. UMass also had a 15-11 edge in second chance points.
• Donte Clark led the UMass attack with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. The freshman made his first four 3-point field goals in the first 9:25 of the game, breaking his previous high of 3 against FGCU on Dec. 7. He also made his first six field goals overall. It was his second 20-point game this season (25 vs. FGCU).
• Cady Lalanne finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds for his 11th double-double this season and third in 10 A-10 games. He also had two blocks to bring his career total to 185, passing Kitwana Rhymer (1998-2002) for sixth all-time in school history.
• Maxie Esho also entered double figures with 11 points and four boards. It was his 13th game in double figures and first in the last five games.
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