University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Regular-Season Finale As Men's Hoops Heads To Rhode Island
March 08, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Historic rivals battle for momentum heading into the postseason.
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball Game Notes & Information | |
| Game 31 | Massachusetts (11-19, 4-13 A-10) at Rhode Island (12-17, 6-10 A-10) |
| Date // Time | Saturday, March 9, 2019 // 4:00 PM (ET) |
| Location | Kingston, R.I. // Ryan Center |
| Live Statistics | URI Live Stats |
| Game Notes | vs. Rhode Island (PDF) |
| Watch | TV: COX YurView // Digital:Â ESPN+ |
| Listen | 105.5 FM WEEI, 830 AM WCRN, Tune-In App |
| @UMassAthletics // @UMassBasketball | |
| UMass Basketball | |
| UMass Basketball | |
| UMass Home Tickets | 866-UMASS-TIX //Â Single Game, Season Ticket, Mini-Plan, Parquet Pass Info |
| University of Massachusetts Men's Basketball - Rhode Island Preview |
• Looking to enter the postseason with momentum, UMass heads to long-time rival Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon for the regular-season finale. Both teams are coming off wins earlier this week and the Minutemen are looking for the first sweep of the Rams since Feb. 2014 as part of a seven-game win streak for UMass in the series.
• Wednesday's game will be televised on COX YurView in Rhode Island and streamed digitally via on ESPN+ for desktop and mobile devices.Â
• 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. The Voice of the UMass, Jay Burnham, will call the action and be joined courtside by former Minuteman Tim Collins.
• Overall, UMass holds an 89-64 advantage in the series including the earlier meeting this year in Amherst. Rhode Island, however, has won five of the last seven. The last time UMass won at the Ryan Center was back on Feb. 9, 2014, 73-68. 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 A-10 which began as the Eastern Collegiate Basketball League in 1975 before taking 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 15 games being decided by seven-or-fewer points. The Minutemen are 6-9 in those contests. Six of UMass' 16 league games were decided by five-or-fewer points with the Minutemen in position to tie or go ahead late in each of the loses.
• 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 1,406 career points, Pipkins needs 23 more points to pass Horace Neysmith (12th, 1,428 pts, 1981-85) on the all-time scoring list at UMass. Â
• Pipkins also ranks 14th in career scoring average (15.8 pts), 5th for career three-pointers (226), 12th in assists (332), and 10th in steals (140).
• On the year, UMass has the sixth best scoring average (70.8 pts) in the Atlantic 10, ranks sixth in field goal percentage (44.2) and is third in three point field goal percentage (34.9). Defensively, UMass is 14th in the league giving up 73.1 points per night - though in league play that number has fallen to 70.9 points allowed which ranks 10th overall. While the defense has improved during league play, the offense has averaged just 64.4 points which ranks 12th.
• Individually, Rashaan Holloway leads the A-10 for field goal percentage (70.2) while Pipkins is tied for sixth in points per game (16.3) 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 third (39.3 percent).
• On the season, Pipkins' 16.3 points per night leads the Minutemen. Pierre ranks second with an 11.5 point per game average, while Laurent and Holloway round out the top scorers with 9.8 point averages each. Curtis Cobb is just shy of double figures as well averaging 8.4 points per night. Laurent has played well over the last four games averaging 19.5 points, while Cobb has missed the last six games. Holloway has double-doubles in each of the last two games averaging 21 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
• Pierre has been the hot hand over the last eight games averaging 16.4 points on 45-of-100 shooting that includes 30 three pointers. He has scored 20-plus points in the three of those games with a career-best 26 points in the overtime loss at George Mason and the game-winner against Saint Joseph's with 2.3 seconds left in regulation.
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