University of Massachusets Athletics
Saturday, January 28
Amherst, Mass.
4 PM
University of Massachusetts
87
vs
79
Duquesne
Luis’ 31 Points Guide UMass Over Duquesne, 87-79
January 28, 2023 | Men's Basketball
RJ Luis scored a career-high 31 points to mark the first 30-point game by a Minuteman since Dec. of 2020.
AMHERST, Mass. – RJ Luis scored a career-high 31 points as the Massachusetts men's basketball team came away with an 87-79 win over Duquesne on Saturday afternoon in the Mullins Center. Luis' second consecutive game with a career-high in scoring marked the first time since December of 2020 that a UMass (13-8 Overall, 4-5 Atlantic 10) player scored 30 or more.
Duquesne (14-8 Overall, 4-4 Atlantic 10) used an early 9-0 scoring run to take its largest lead of the afternoon at 12-5 while making five of its first seven attempts from the field. The Dukes finished the day at 41-percent from the field and 27-percent from 3-point range and were led in scoring by Dae Dae Grant's 23 and Jimmy Clark's 21.
UMass came back to tie at 16-16 with a 6-0 run in less than a minute as part of eight unanswered. The Minutemen started the game 5-of-8 from 3-point range and finished the first half at 50-percent from deep. UMass built a lead as many as seven in the opening half and took a 39-33 lead into the halftime break. There were six ties and seven lead changes in the opening frame before UMass regained the lead for the final time on a Tafara Gapare triple with 5:35 to go in the opening stanza.
Dyondre Dominguez set a new season-high and tied his career-high with three 3-point field goals made on his way to posting his first career double-double. Dominguez grabbed a career-best 11 boards and added 13 points off the bench.
The Minutemen built a double-digit lead early in the second half and used a 9-0 scoring run to take a 52-38 advantage with just over 13 to go. The Dukes opened the second half 2-of-12 from the field as they fell behind by double digits before an 8-0 run cut the Minuteman lead back down to seven. Duquesne pulled as close as within five with 44-seconds to go before UMass iced the game at the free throw line.
UMass shot 25-of-32 from the line in the second half and finished the game at 77-percent from the stripe on 30-of-39. Luis converted on 17-of-18 free throw attempts and went 7-of-11 from the field to reach a new career-high in scoring for the second time this week.
Keon Thompson joined Luis and Dominguez in double figures with 11 points, including a 5-of-6 showing from the line, to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Wildens Leveque added eight rebounds for a UMass squad that posted a 47-36 advantage on the glass. Isaac Kante pitched in nine points on 3-of-5 from the field while T.J. Weeks Jr. chipped in eight.
The Minutemen hit the road on Wednesday night for a matchup at George Mason at 7 p.m. before returning home to the Mullins Center next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. tip-off against Davidson as part of Dr. J Day.
For complete coverage of the UMass men's basketball team, follow the Minutemen on Twitter at @UMassMBB, on Instagram and Facebook at @UMassBasketball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
Duquesne (14-8 Overall, 4-4 Atlantic 10) used an early 9-0 scoring run to take its largest lead of the afternoon at 12-5 while making five of its first seven attempts from the field. The Dukes finished the day at 41-percent from the field and 27-percent from 3-point range and were led in scoring by Dae Dae Grant's 23 and Jimmy Clark's 21.
UMass came back to tie at 16-16 with a 6-0 run in less than a minute as part of eight unanswered. The Minutemen started the game 5-of-8 from 3-point range and finished the first half at 50-percent from deep. UMass built a lead as many as seven in the opening half and took a 39-33 lead into the halftime break. There were six ties and seven lead changes in the opening frame before UMass regained the lead for the final time on a Tafara Gapare triple with 5:35 to go in the opening stanza.
Dyondre Dominguez set a new season-high and tied his career-high with three 3-point field goals made on his way to posting his first career double-double. Dominguez grabbed a career-best 11 boards and added 13 points off the bench.
The Minutemen built a double-digit lead early in the second half and used a 9-0 scoring run to take a 52-38 advantage with just over 13 to go. The Dukes opened the second half 2-of-12 from the field as they fell behind by double digits before an 8-0 run cut the Minuteman lead back down to seven. Duquesne pulled as close as within five with 44-seconds to go before UMass iced the game at the free throw line.
UMass shot 25-of-32 from the line in the second half and finished the game at 77-percent from the stripe on 30-of-39. Luis converted on 17-of-18 free throw attempts and went 7-of-11 from the field to reach a new career-high in scoring for the second time this week.
Keon Thompson joined Luis and Dominguez in double figures with 11 points, including a 5-of-6 showing from the line, to go along with three rebounds and three assists. Wildens Leveque added eight rebounds for a UMass squad that posted a 47-36 advantage on the glass. Isaac Kante pitched in nine points on 3-of-5 from the field while T.J. Weeks Jr. chipped in eight.
The Minutemen hit the road on Wednesday night for a matchup at George Mason at 7 p.m. before returning home to the Mullins Center next Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. tip-off against Davidson as part of Dr. J Day.
For complete coverage of the UMass men's basketball team, follow the Minutemen on Twitter at @UMassMBB, on Instagram and Facebook at @UMassBasketball and online at www.UMassAthletics.com.
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