Chaffee, Pipkins Named UMass Co-Athletes Of The Week

AMHERST, Mass. - After helping the UMass hockey and men's basketball teams to some key victories last week, forward Mitchel Chaffee and guard Luwane Pipkins have been named the UMass Student-Athletes of the Week announced Monday.

Chaffee played a key role in a 2-1 road win for the hockey team at No. 19 Union on Sunday, while Pipkins led UMass to home wins over Holy Cross and Providence.

The pair will be honored on Wednesday afternoon at the UMass Sports Luncheon which is hosted at the Berkshire Dining Hall from Noon to 1 PM. Lunch is available from the university's No.1 ranked dining services for just $11.25 with many outstanding choices. The featured guest speakers of the day will be UMass Marching Band Director Tim Anderson, who will be joined by a student showing off the marching band's new uniforms, and head men's swimming and diving coach Russ Yarworth.

In the two games last week, Chaffee tallied three assists extending his point streak to seven straight games, the longest career streak for any active Minuteman. The freshman forward set up both power-play goals in UMass' 2-1 win on the road at No. 19 Union. That win was the Minutemen's ninth of the year, the most for a UMass squad in the first half since the 2009-10 season. The Rockford, Michigan native also had an assist in Tuesday's game at UConn.

Pipkins was outstanding in the two wins where he averaged 21.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals for the Minutemen. The effort improved UMass to 5-0 at home this year following a 64-50 win over Holy Cross and a signature 72-63 win over Providence. The win over Providence was the first for the Minutemen since 2013. Pipkins was pivotal in both games. Against the Crusaders, he scored 13 points, highlighted by going 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, while adding four rebounds, four assists, and two steals. His big game of the week, however, was against the Friars where he scored a game-high 30 points. The sophomore hit 12-of-16 field goals including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He collected three rebounds, three assists and three steals in 36 minutes of play. That marked his second 30-point game of the year. He had 22 points in the first half alone which was two shy of a Mullins Center record set in 2012. His eight points in the second half came during a decisive 21-to-5 run in the second half that pulled UMass from a five-point deficit with 10:51 to go giving the Minutemen the lead for good.

Wednesday will be the final UMass Sports Luncheon of the fall semester. The series will resume on Jan. 24 to kick-off the spring semester and will be held each week.

For complete coverage of the UMass Department of Athletics, follow the Minutemen and Minutewomen on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @UMassAthletics and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.

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