University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Longtime Rival Rhode Island Visits Men's Hoops Sunday Afternoon
January 25, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Teams play for 153rd time in a series which dates back to 1908.
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 20 | Rhode Island (11-7, 4-2 A-10) at Massachusetts (7-12, 0-6 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Sunday, Jan. 27, 2019 // 2:00 PM (ET) |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center |
| Live Statistics | Sidearm Live Stats |
| Game Notes | vs. Rhode Island (PDF) |
| Watch | TV: STADIUM (Channel Finder) // Digital: WatchStadium.com |
| Listen | 105.5 FM WEEI, 830 AM WCRN, Tune-In App |
| @UMassAthletics // @UMassBasketball | |
| UMass Basketball | |
| UMass Basketball | |
| UMass Home Tickets | 866-UMASS-TIX // Single Game, Season Ticket, Mini-Plan, Parquet Pass Info |
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball - Rhode Island Preview |
• The longest running rivalry in UMass history is renewed for the 153rd time as the Minutemen host Rhode Island on Sunday afternoon at the Mullins Center. Massachusetts is looking to end a seven-game skid and pick up its first Atlantic 10 win of the season, while the Rams have won three straight after Wednesday's home victory against VCU.
• Sunday's game will be televised on STADIUM with Matt Martucci (play-by-play) and former La Salle head coach Dr. John Giannini (analyst) calling the action. Digitally, fans can also watch the game on WatchStadium for desktop and mobile devices. Nationally, fans can find local cable listings and over-the-air stations at www.WatchStadium.com.
• On the radio airwaves, the game will be broadcast on the UMass Sports Network anchored by flagship station 105.5 FM WEEI and online via the TuneIn App. New Voice of the Minutemen Jay Burnham will be joined courtside by former player Tim Collins.
• Overall, UMass holds an 88-64 advantage in the series, however, Rhode Island has won five of the last six including four consecutive. The annual series dates back to 1908 with UMass winning 32-14 that year. Since 1950, the teams have played every year as charter members of the Yankee Conference (which formed from the New England Conference). Fun fact, the Yankee Conference is credited as the first to implement college football's current overtime rules - then referred to as the Kansas Plan - before it was officially adopted by the NCAA in 1996. The Yankee Conference was the precursor to the Atlantic 10 which began as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League in 1975 before adopting the Atlantic 10 moniker in 1982. From 1976-1979, URI was not part of the ECBL but did join the A-10 in 1980 where conference competition against UMass once again resumed.
• The Minutemen have played in a number of close games this year with 10 games being decided by seven-or-fewer points. The Minutemen are 3-7 in those contests. Three of UMass' six league games were decided by five-or-fewer points with the Minutemen in position to tie or go ahead late in each game.
• UMass is led again this season by Pipkins who is the top returning scorer in the Atlantic 10 after notching 21.2 points per game last year. He was named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason First Team after a breakout sophomore campaign. He is one of just six players in program history to average over 21 points a game in a single-season joining the likes of Julius Erving and Marcus Camby. He also became the 51st player in program history to eclipse 1,000 points for his career.
• With 1,361 career points, Pipkins needs 10 more points to pass Julius Erving (15h, 1,370 pts, 1969-71) on the all-time scoring list at UMass. If Pipkins maintains his current scoring average, he could finish among UMass' top-10 all-time scorers as a junior. He needs 26 more points to reach Camby (14th, 1,387 pts, 1993-96).
• Through 19 games played, UMass has the third best scoring average (72.8 pts) in the Atlantic 10, ranks fourth in field goal percentage (44.7) and is second in three point field goal percentage (34.6). Defensively, UMass 13th in the league giving up 73.3 points per night - though in league play that number has fallen to 67.8 points allowed which ranks 7th overall. While the defense has improved during league play, the offense has averaged just 58.8 points in five games which ranks 14th.
• Individually, Rashaan Holloway leads the A-10 for field goal percentage (74.3) while Pipkins ranks second in the league for points per game (18.2) and fourth in assists per game (5.3). Jonathan Laurent remains the top three-point shooter in the A-10, connecting on 45.5 percent of his attempts from range while Carl Pierre is tied for 11th (37.3 percent).
• On the season, Pipkins' 18.2 points per night leads the Minutemen. Pierre ranks second with an 9.9 point per game average, while Laurent rounds out the top scorers with a 9.6 point average. Holloway and Curtis Cobb are just shy of double figures as well averaging 9.2 and 8.8 points, respectively, per night.
• Djery Baptiste, who joined the Minutemen in December prior to the Georgia game and will also be eligible in 2019-20, has made an instant impact on the defensive side for UMass with 13 blocked shots in his first six games. He had a career-high five blocks against La Salle. His 13 blocks are 2nd-best on the team and already account for 1/5th of UMass' swats this season.
