|
• UMass opens #RamWeek on Wednesday night with a 7 pm contest at Rhode Island, before heading to VCU for a Saturday contest at High Noon on ESPN2. These game conclude a stretch of 5 of 7 away from home.
• The UMass Sports Network will feature the "Voice of the Minutemen" Josh Maurer handling play-by-play duties, along with analysts Tim Collins. The game can be heard live starting at 6:40 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.
• Wednesday's game is being produced by SNY and is available on Comcast New England, Comcast Philadelphia and SNY. Streaming video is available on the A-10 Digital Network for free.
TOP STORYLINES
• This is the 106th season of UMass Basketball. UMass has an all-time record of 1,245-1,089 (.533) in 2,334 games. UMass is 466-317 (.595) in conference games, including a 302-297 in Atlantic 10 play. The Minutemen have claimed 15 regular-season conference championships and five tournament titles.
• The Minutemen rank 106th nationally in scoring (70.0), 16th in FT made (434), 24th in FT attempted (615), 112th in FT pct. (70.6%), 102nd in steals (6.9) and 57th in blocks (4.6).
• UMass has won six-consecutive games for the first time this season. It's the longest stretch since winning six-straight midway through last year.
• UMass is 10-1 when leading at half & 26-3 over the last two years.
• The Minutemen have scored at least 34 points in the first half 11 times this season, going 10-1. They are 10-3 when scoring at least 70 points.
• The Minutemen have outrebounded their opponents in nine of the last 10 games.
• UMass has won three-consecutive A-10 road games and is looking to win four-straight for the first time since 1997. The Minutemen are 5-1 in league road contests.
• UMass has won seven-straight over Rhode Island, marking the fourth-longest win streak for the Minutemen in the series.
• Both UMass & URI are 6-1 since their first meeting on Jan. 17 in Amherst.
• UMass is wearing its alternate black uniform during February for Black History Month. The Minutemen are 6-1 when wearing them, with wins over Manhattan, Florida State, Rhode Island, La Salle, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne. The lone loss came at BYU in overtime.
SERIES HISTORY WITH RHODE ISLAND
• Wednesday's contest marks the 145th all-time meeting between UMass and Rhode Island on the hardwood. UMass leads the series 86-58.
• The Minutemen have won the last sseven games, 10 of 11 and 14 of the last 17. The current win streak is the fourth-longest for UMass in the series.
• UMass has won 42 of the last 56 games in the series. That includes season sweeps by UMass in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2014; and URI in 1999 and 2003.
• Overall, for games played in Amherst, the Minutemen lead the series 53-20, with a 16-4 mark at the Mullins Center. UMass is 31-36 in the Ocean State and has won seven of the 12 meetings in the Ryan Center.
• The teams have met seven times in conference tournament play, with the Minutemen owning a 5-2 edge dating back to the 1981 Eastern 8 Tournament, which includes last year's 65-61 win in the A-10 1st Round in Brooklyn.
• UMass coach Derek Kellogg is 9-3 as a coach against the Rams. As a player at UMass from 1992-95, the Minutemen were 9-1 vs. Rhode Island, losing once in 1993 in Providence.
• LAST MEETING (Jan. 17 in Amherst-32 days): Zach Coleman sparked a 13-3 run to close the game as UMass defeated Rhode Island 60-56 at the Mullins Center. UMass controlled the glass with a 36-31 advantage, including a 18-7 margin on the offensive end. The Minutemen outscored the Rams 18-3 in second-chance points. Maxie Esho battled foul trouble for the majority of the game, finishing with 18 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 23 minutes. Coleman finished with a career-high 13 points in 14 minutes. His back-to-back 3-pointers started the run with just over five minutes remaining. He also knocked down a baseline, turn-around jumper with the shot clock nearing zero to put the Minutemen up 57-53 with 3:17 left. UMass shot just 36 percent but committed a season-low 10 turnovers and scored 19 points off 15 URI miscues. Hassan Martin led the Rams with 13 points and four blocks. UMass scored the final five points of the half to take a 28-27 lead into the break. URI took a 50-45 lead on a Martin 8-foot turnaround jumper with 7:40 left. The Rams got the lead to six twice in the next two minutes before the Minutemen made their game-ending run. On URI's final possession, E.C. Matthews fumbled the ball away and Davis picked it up before being fouled. He made one free throw to ice the game for UMass.
• LAST GAME IN KINGSTON (2/9/14): Chaz Williams scored 21 points with seven assists and Derrick Gordon had 11 and nine rebounds as UMass ended the game on an 18-6 run for a 73-68 road victory. After UMass tied the game at 55 midway through the second period, URI scored seven-straight to claim a 62-55 lead with 8:35 to play. That was the Rams' largest lead of the contest. From there, Williams orchestrated the UMass comeback as he was responsible for the Minutemen's next 11 points with nine of his own and an assist. His jumper in the paint with 3:31 put UMass ahead for good, 66-65. Gordon followed with a layup to go up 68-65 and then Raphiael Putney made one of the biggest plays of the game. The Minutemen turned the ball over in the lane and T.J. Buchanan appeared to have an uncontested layup with 40 seconds left to cut the margin to one, but Putney sprinted from the left wing around Buchanan in the lane and pinned the ball against the backboard for the team's season-high 10th block. The Minutemen shot 53 percent and had a 36-27 edge on the glass. Putney finished with 11 points and four blocks. Sampson Carter had nine points and Davis finished with eight. URI shot 42 percent and was led by Matthews' 24 points. Xavier Munford had 19.
BACK IN BLACK HISTORY MONTH
• UMass has a 6-1 record this season when wearing its alternate black uniform, with wins over Manhattan, Florida State, Rhode Island, La Salle, St. Bonaventure and Duquesne. The lone loss came at BYU in overtime.
• The team decided to wear them during select February games in honor of Black History Month.
UMASS ON THE ROAD
• UMass is 5-5 on the road this season and 5-1 in A-10 play after last Wednesday's 55-53 win at St. Bonaventure.
• UMass won its first two A-10 road contests, claiming back-to-back road games for the first time this season. The Minutemen went a step further in its most recent road stretch, beating Saint Louis, Fordham and St. Bonaventure for a 3-game A-10 road win streak - its longest since 2008.
• A win on Wednesday at Rhode Island would extend the streak of A-10 road victories to four, marking the longest streak since the 1998 squad won their first six to open league play. It would also be UMass' sixth A-10 road win, tying VCU for the most this season.
• UMass is 37-47 on the road in seven seasons under Derek Kellogg. A year ago the Minutemen were 7-4 on the road and 4-4 in A-10 road contests.
|
Click Here
Comcast New England, Comcast Philly and SNY
UMass Sports Network | Affiliates | Desktop Stream | Mobile TuneIn App
GameTracker
| Rhode Island Game Notes 
Game Day Blog | 
@MassAthletics |