University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Fordham
Men's Hoops Hosts Fordham Wednesday Night
February 05, 2019 | Men's Basketball
First of two home games this week for the Minutemen televised on NESN starting at 7 PM.
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 23 | Fordham (9-12, 0-8 A-10) at Massachusetts (8-14, 1-8 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 // 7:00 PM (ET) |
| Location | Amherst, Mass. // Mullins Center |
| Live Statistics | Sidearm Live Stats |
| Game Notes | vs. Fordham (PDF) |
| Watch | TV: NESN // Digital: ESPN+ | NESNGo |
| 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 - Fordham Preview |
• Coming off a tough two-game road stretch in Philadelphia, the UMass basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Mullins Center for a pair of Atlantic 10 match-ups this week starting with Fordham on Wednesday night. The Minutemen are looking to snap a two-game skid while also building momentum as the regular-season begins to wind down.
• Wednesday's game will be televised on NESN with Tim Neverett (play-by-play) and Frank Sullivan (analyst) calling the action. It can also be viewed digitally online on ESPN+ and NESNGo (New England subscribers). Nationally, the network can be found on DirecTV as well.
• 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 Adam Frenier.
• Overall, UMass holds a 29-16 advantage in the series though the Rams have won the last three meetings. Prior to the past three seasons, UMass had won five straight match-ups in the series dating back to 2012.
• The Minutemen have played in a number of close games this year with 11 games being decided by seven-or-fewer points. The Minutemen are 4-7 in those contests. Three of UMass' eight league games were decided by five-or-fewer points with the Minutemen in position to tie or go ahead late in each game. In the Mullins Center, UMass holds a 17-4 record dating back to the series start in 1967.
• 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 1,384 career points, Pipkins needs four more points to pass Marcus Camby (14th, 1,387 pts, 1993-96) 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.
• Pipkins also ranks 14th in career scoring average (15.9 pts), 5th for career three-pointers (222), 14th in assists (322), and 10th in steals (139).
• On the year, UMass has the fifth best scoring average (71.5 pts) in the Atlantic 10, ranks fifth in field goal percentage (43.9) and is third in three point field goal percentage (34.0). Defensively, UMass 13th in the league giving up 72.1 points per night - though in league play that number has fallen to 66.8 points allowed which ranks 8th overall. While the defense has improved during league play, the offense has averaged just 60.3 points in nine games which ranks 14th.
• Individually, Rashaan Holloway leads the A-10 for field goal percentage (71.8) while Pipkins ranks fifth in the league for points per game (16.8) and third in assists per game (5.3). Jonathan Laurent remains the top three-point shooter in the A-10, connecting on 47.1 percent of his attempts from range while Carl Pierre is 10th (36.3 percent).
• On the season, Pipkins' 16.8 points per night leads the Minutemen. Holloway ranks second with an 10.1 point per game average, while Pierre rounds out the top scorers with a 9.8 point average. Laurent and Curtis Cobb are just shy of double figures as well averaging 9.2 and 8.6 points, respectively, per night.
• Getting the ball inside to Holloway was a focal point over the last two games. The big man responded with back-to-back double-doubles as he averaged 19 points and 13 rebounds during the Philly trip - much to the delight of his family members at both games as the made the trip from across the river in New Jersey. Against Saint Joseph's, Holloway set a new career-high with 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
• 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 15 blocked shots in his first 10 games. He had a career-high five blocks against La Salle. His 15 blocks are 2nd-best on the team and already account for nearly 1/4th of UMass' swats this season.
