Massachusetts Close Out Diamond Head Classic With Dominant 87-65 Win Over Old Dominion

HONOLULU, HI. - Massachusetts (8-3) hit on all cylinders offensively claiming a dominant 87-65 win over Old Dominion (4-8) on Sunday morning in Simplifi Arena At Stan Sheriff Center.

Josh Cohen scored 28 points in back-to-back games, powering the Minuteman offense, while grabbing six rebounds. The Senior forward went 10-of-15 from the field and an efficient 8-of-9 from the free throw line.

Make it 3??0??

Firing on all cylinders to close out our time in Hawaii

9:01 H2 | UMass 74, ODU 43 pic.twitter.com/7CbH0o0tpw
— UMass Men's Basketball (@UMassMBB) December 24, 2023

Matt Cross impacted the game in all facets, totaling 14 points while adding seven rebounds and a game-high five assists.

Another Cross??

Eight points in the second half alone for @mcsnipes333 #Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/tbxZ6otn9b
— UMass Men's Basketball (@UMassMBB) December 24, 2023

Jayden Ndjigue continued his stellar week in Hawaii, scoring nine points and swiping two steals. Fellow freshman Jaylen Curry made multiple plays over his 15 minutes on the court, distributing three assists and snagging a team-high three steals.

The Pilots were led by Tyrone Williams who recorded 22 points and five rebounds on the night.

Breaking Down The Action

Jayden Ndjigue opened the scoring for the Minutemen, laying in a fastbreak layup to make the score 2-3 at the 18:51 mark.
A contested layup from Keon Thompson evened the scoring at 8-8 with 14:20 remaining in the first half.
Two three-point baskets from Robert Davis Jr. powered an 11-2 scoring run that provided the Minutemen with a 22-14 lead with 8:49 left in the first.
Josh Cohen went on an individual 6-0 scoring run for the Minutemen giving them their first double-digit lead (30-20) with 5:49 on the clock.
Rahsool Diggins capped a 6-0 scoring run to finish the half, sending Massachusetts to the break with a 41-28 advantage.
Matt Cross got the second half started with a corner three to make it 44-28 UMass lead in the first minute of the second half.
A three-point play from Keon Thompson finished a 13-2 run, allowing the Minutemen to claim a 60-34 lead with 15:01 remaining.
Massachusetts held the Monarchs without a field goal for a 4:45 stretch during its 13-point scoring run.
A Diggins three-point basket capped a 12-4 and 3:40 scoring run for the Minutemen, giving them a 31-point lead (74-43) with 9:01 on the clock.
An alley-oop dunk from Mathok Majok capped a solid offensive performance for the Minutemen as the final whistle blew, 87-65.

New Kids On The Block

Cohen once again led all newcomers offensively, scoring 28 to go along with six rebounds and a steal.
Ndjigue continued his hot stretch in Hawaii scoring nine points and grabbing four rebounds. The freshmen averaged 11 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 steals over three games in Honolulu.
Curry recorded a career-high three steals while dishing out three assists.
Robert Davis Jr. totaled eight points, shooting 2-4 from three-point range.

Numbers To Know

5: Total assists for Matt Cross, tying his season high.
19: Assists for Massachusetts, earning a 19-7 advantage over Old Dominion.
28: Cohen's point total on the night, tying a season-high in back-to-back games.
31: The largest lead of the night for the Minutemen, coming with 6:08 (80-49) remaining.
50: Minuteman points in the paint, owning a 50-38 advantage on the night.
54: The Minutemen's percentage from the field, eclipsing 50% for the fourth time this season.

Year Two Under Coach Martin

Massachusetts Head Coach, Frank Martin now holds a current 23-19 record leading the Minutemen.
Martin now sits with a 311-220 collegiate career record.
Coach Martin is now 7-2 all-time at the Diamond Head Classic.

Series History

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

Up Next

Massachusetts returns to Amherst to host Siena on Saturday, Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. The broadcast can be found live on NESN with streaming available on ESPN+. Links and live updates are available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

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