University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Concludes Gotham Classic Against Rider
December 21, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Men's basketball takes on the Broncs at 7 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 22
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 12 | Massachusetts (8-3 overall) vs. Rider (8-3) |
| Date | Time | Thursday, Dec. 22, 2016 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Location | Mullins Center (9,493) | Amherst, Mass. |
| Live Statistics | Sidearm Sports |
| Watch | Atlantic 10 Digital Network (Free) |
| Listen (Radio) | 105.5 FM WEEI (Western Massachusetts), 830 AM WCRN (Worcester) 95.9 WATD (South Shore), 1200 AM WXKS (Boston, Manchester, Providence) |
| Listen (Online) | WEEI Streaming Player | TuneIn App (mobile devices) |
| Series History | Massachusetts leads, 8-0 Last meeting: Massachusetts 77, Rider 67; Nov. 12, 2010 |
| Game Notes | Massachusetts | Rider |
| Team Information | Massachusetts | Rider |
| @UMassAthletics | @UMassBasketball | |
| UMass Men's Basketball | |
| Buy Tickets | Single Game | Season | Mini-Plan | Group | Parquet Pass | Student Tickets |
Follow UMass Athletics & UMass Basketball On Twitter
Instant information on the basketball program, including an inside look at key points and statistics in each game as well as updates from practice and other team events are available via the Twitter handle @UMassBasketball. Follow the Minutemen there and catch information about each University of Massachusetts Athletic Department program through @UMassAthletics.
Pipkins Wins Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week
Freshman guard Luwane Pipkins took home Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Mon., Dec. 19 after he averaged 19.0 points per game during victory over North Carolina A&T and Kennesaw State. The Chicago, Illinois, native also chipped in 4.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game with only two turnovers committed in 63 minutes on the floor.
Pipkins helped UMass overcome an 18-point first half deficit against NC A&T with 11 points on the game, including nine in the pivotal second half. He scored all nine of those second half points during the final eight minutes of the game, during which the Minutemen went in front for the first time on the day. Pipkins staked the team to the lead for good with a 3-pointer at the 4:27 mark.
The freshman guard followed with a personal-best 27 points against Kennesaw State, including a program record-tying eight made 3-pointers. Pipkins guided Massachusetts to a 41-35 halftime lead with 12 first half points and three assists. He then poured in another 15 points in the second half as the Minutemen put away the Owls for the win.
Rewarding The Mullins Center MinuteFans
UMass men's basketball is 30-3 in its last 33 non-conference home games at the Mullins Center tracking back to the 2011-12 season, a 90.1 win percentage. The Minutemen were undefeated in non-conference, on-campus home games during 2011-12 (6-0), in 2013-14 (5-0) and 2014-15 (3-0). With their victory over Kennesaw State on Dec. 17, the Maroon and White secured its most non-conference home wins in that span with seven.
Bucking The Broncs
UMass men's basketball is 8-0 all-time against Rider, including most recently a 77-67 victory over the Broncs on Nov. 12, 2010 after the Minutemen trailed by as many as 22 points. Massachusetts outscored Rider, 53-22 in the second half to mount the improbable comeback.
The scoring efforts of Anthony Gurley (31 points) and Freddie Riley (28) sprung the offense to life following the break, which UMass trailed 45-24 at. Gurley (12-20) and Riley (10-15) were a combined 22-for-35 while the rest of the squad was 4-of-20 overall. Gurley and Riley accounted for all nine made 3-pointers.
The comeback still ranks as the greatest of the Derek Kellogg era, during which the team has mounted 20 come-from-behind wins when trailing by 10 or more points.
Luwane Strip-kins, Fast-Handed Minuteman
Freshman guard Luwane Pipkins has the fourth-most steals per game (3.27) across NCAA Division I men's basketball and is third in total steals (36) through games on Mon., Dec. 19. He is the only player in NCAA Division I with two games of seven or more steals this season (8 vs. UMass Lowell; 7 vs. UCF).
His eight against UMass Lowell also rank tied for the second-most in a single game in NCAA Division I this season and are tied for the most in the history of the UMass men's basketball program.
Led by Pipkins' 36, UMass is tied for 10th in the nation for steals per game (9.4) as of contests on Mon., Dec. 19. The Minutemen are one of only 20 teams in the country averaging nine or more steals per game.
Minutemen Marching To Non-Conference Victories
University of Massachusetts men's basketball enters the game against Rider with an 8-3 record, the first time the Minutemen opened the year with at least eight victories in 11 games since 2013-14 (started 10-0). It is the fourth time in head coach Derek Kellogg's nine seasons Massachusetts opened 8-3 or better.
Quick With The Dish
University of Massachusetts men's basketball ranks tied for 22nd in the nation in assists per game with an average of 17.9 dished out per contest as of play on Mon., Dec. 19. It ranks first among Atlantic 10 teams by more than two assists per game (La Salle, 15.8, tied-80th). The Minutemen do not rely on one distribution leader as four Minutemen average 2.5 or more assists per game: DeJon Jarreau (5.0), Donte Clark (3.7), Luwane Pipkins (2.9) and C.J. Anderson (2.6).
20-Pointers Becoming A Routine
Six members of the University of Massachusetts program have at least one outing with 20 or more points through the opening 11 games played. Those six Minutemen include Rashaan Holloway (21 vs. UMass Lowell; 21 at Providence), DeJon Jarreau (25 at Ole Miss), Zach Lewis (20 at Ole Miss), Donte Clark (29 vs. Harvard; 22 vs. North Carolina A&T), Tyrn Flowers (20 vs. UCF) and Luwane Pipkins (20 at Providence, 27 vs. Kennesaw State).
Nearly Double-Doubles
Three Minutemen have fallen one rebound shy of a double-double this season, including Donte Clark, Tyrn Flowers and Rashaan Holloway. Each reached double-figures in the scoring column but ended their respective game at nine rebounds apiece. Clark had 14 points vs. UMass Lowell, Flowers poured in 20 against UCF and Holloway had 21 at Providence.
Flowers Blossoms Into 3-Point Threat
Freshman forward Tyrn Flowers connected on six 3-point field goals against UCF - a personal best and - at the time - the most by a Minuteman since Jabarie Hinds had seven in the 108-99 overtime win at Duquesne on Feb. 14, 2016. Flowers has at least one made 3-point field goal in eight of the 11 games played this season. He is 17-of-45 overall this season (37.8 percent) on 3-pointers.
Anderson Named A NABC Good Works Team Nominee
C.J. Anderson was selected as a nominee for the 2017 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Good Works Team, as announced by the NABC on Wed., Nov. 30. Anderson is one of 181 men's basketball student-athletes from the NCAA Divisions I, II, II and NAIA levels chosen as a nominee.
The Allstate NABC and WBCA Good Works Teams recognize players at all levels of college basketball whose charitable involvement and altruistic acts stand out amongst all other student-athletes participating in the sport. From leading an initiative to help end the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, to co-founding a non-profit with the mission to improve literacy rates across the country, the players nominated embody the true spirit of teamwork and giving back.
Minutemen In Primetime
University of Massachusetts men's basketball will play 14 televised regular season games during the 2016-17 season, and will appear on an array of networks, including ASN, CBSSN, FS1, NBCSN and the SEC Network.
American Sports Network (ASN): Temple (Nov. 17), Saint Joseph's (Jan. 18), at George Washington (Feb. 23), La Salle (Feb. 26) and at St. Bonaventure (March 4)
CBS Sports Network (CBSSN): Dayton (Jan. 11) and Rhode Island (Feb. 7)
Fox Sports One (FS1): at Providence (Dec. 10)
NBC Sports Network (NBCSN): at VCU (Jan. 7), at Rhode Island (Jan. 15), Fordham (Jan. 21), at Saint Joseph's (Feb. 11) and Davidson (Feb. 18)
SEC Network: at Ole Miss (Nov. 14)
