Minutemen Claim Bounce Back Win Over Portland On Day Two At Diamond Head Classic, 100-78

HONOLULU, HI. - Massachusetts (7-3) secured a bounce-back win on day two of the Diamond Head Classic, claiming a 100-78 victory over Portland (6-8) on Friday night in Simplifi Arena At Stan Sheriff Center. The Minutemen shot a blistering 59% from the field, scoring 100 points for the second time this season.

Josh Cohen led the Minuteman offense with a perfect night from the field, scoring 26 points on 9-9 shooting from the field and the free throw line. Cohen is the first player since Jesse Morgan on Feb. 3, 2012 to go perfect from the field with at least nine field goals attempted.

Matt Cross was once again a factor on both sides of the ball, totaling 19 points while bringing in a game-high eight rebounds.

Jayden Ndjigue set a career-high in points for the second consecutive night, recording 13 points and snagging 5 rebounds.

The Pilots were led by Tyler Harris who tallied 18 points and five rebounds on the night.

Breaking Down The Action

Keon Thompson got the scoring started on the night, laying in the games first two points at the 19:44 mark.
Back-to-back three-point baskets from Jayden Ndjigue gave UMass a 14-13 advantage with 13:38 remaining.
Six consecutive points from Josh Cohen pushed the Massachusetts lead to four (29-25) at the under-eight media timeout (7:08).
Consecutive driving layups from Rahsool Diggins and Keon Thompson provided UMass with a nine-point lead (39-30), its largest at that point in the contest, with 3:16 left in the first half.
The lead reached as high as 10 points (41-31) after two free-throws from Diggins with 3:04 remaining.
Ndjigue ended the half with a second-chance buzzer beating layup, sending Massachusetts to the break with a 48-40 lead.
Massachusetts started the second half with two quick layups from Cohen and Matt Cross, giving UMass a 12-point lead (52-40) and forcing Portland into a timeout with 18:52 on the clock.
An emphatic dunk from Cross put the Minutemen up 14 (64-50) with 13:50 left in the second half.
Five unanswered points from Matt Cross made it 77-66 at the under-eight media timeout with the clock reading 7:57.
A three-point basket from Daniel Hankins-Sanford gave Massachusetts a 20-point lead (94-74) with just under three minutes to play.
A fast-break slam from Tarique Foster extended the UMass advantage to 100-77 with 1:07 left in regulation.
The night ended with the final score 100-78.

New Kids On The Block

Cohen all newcomers offensively once again, scoring 26 to go along with five rebounds and three assists.
Ndjigue carried over his positive momentum, scoring 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field including two made three-pointers.
Daniel Hankins-Sanford tallied seven points and grabbed three rebounds across 14 minutes on the floor.
Robert Davis Jr. totaled five points, sinking one three-pointer.

Numbers To Know

6: Total assists for Keon Thompson, tying his season-high for the third time this season.
9: Cohen went a perfect 9-9 from the field and free throw line on the night.
20: Fast break points for Massachusetts, earning a 20-8 advantage over Portland.
23: The largest lead of the night for the Minutemen.
26: Cohen's point total on the night, tying a season-high in points for the senior.
48: Minuteman points in the paint, owning a 48-32 advantage on the night.
59: The Minutemen's percentage from the field, the second highest total the team this season.

Year Two Under Coach Martin

Massachusetts Head Coach, Frank Martin now holds a current 22-19 record leading the Minutemen.
Martin now sits with a 310-220 collegiate career record.

Series History

UMass now holds a 1-0 record all-time versus the Pilots, winning the first matchup in program history between the two teams.

Up Next

Massachusetts concludes its holiday in Hawaii as it faces Old Dominion in the final game of the Diamond Head Classic on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 3:30 pm ET. The broadcast can be found live on ESPN2 with links and live updates are available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard