Massachusetts rally falls short against Green Bay, 79-75

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands -- Massachusetts basketball (3-3) dropped a 79-75 contest to Green Bay (2-5) on day two of the 2025 Paradise Jam at the University of the Virgin Islands.

The Minutemen were led by Leonardo Bettiol, who scored 21 points while shooting 13-for-14 from the free-throw line. Bettiol recorded a game-high eight rebounds in addition to dishing out four assists.

Marcus Banks Jr. scored 19 points, shooting 6-of-15 from the field. Danny Carbuccia tallied a career-high 16 points on the afternoon, going 7-for-9 from the field and dishing out a team-high five assists.

The Phoenix were led by Justin Allen, who scored a game-high 27 points. The guard went 7-for-13 from the field and a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe.

Breaking Down the Action

The Minutemen opened the game with an early 5-0 run capped by a steal and fastbreak layup from Jayden Ndjigue.
Green Bay tied the game with a pair of baskets and a free throw.
Danny Carbuccia drilled a three for a 10-7 Massachusetts lead with 12:51 on the clock.
An and-one basket from Preston Ruedinger gave Green Bay a 13-10 advantage with 10:48 on the clock.
Banks hit a 3-point basket to tie the game at 13, but Green Bay responded with a jumper from Justin Allen to keep the deficit at two points.
The Phoenix went on a 10-2 run over three minutes to widen the Phoenix lead, 25-15 with 5:34 on the clock.
A technical free throw from Banks sent Massachusetts to halftime down 33-25.
A pair of free throws by Caden Wilkins extended the Green Bay lead out of the break, 35-25.
Banks and Carbuccia capped a 7-2 Massachusetts run to cut the deficit back to 45-40 with 14:21 remaining.
Two layups from Vukasin Todorovic kept the Phoenix in the driver's seat, 59-51 with 10:07 left in regulation.
11 points from Bettiol keyed a 14-9 Minutemen run to cut the deficit down to 68-66 with 3:05 to play.
A pair of free throws from Banks brough the Minutemen within one, 72-71 with just over a minute remaining.
Massachusetts could not complete the comeback bid, falling 79-75 at the final whistle.

Newcomer Notifications

Eight newcomers saw action on the evening, with Bettiol, Banks Jr. and Parker entering as starters.
Bettiol recorded 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Banks made a game-high four 3-pointers.
Carbuccia shot 7-for-9 from the field and dished out a game-high five assists.

Numbers To Know

2: The game marked the second of three that Massachusetts will play as part of the Paradise Jam.
3: Two Minutemen reached double figures on the night: Bettiol (21), Banks Jr (19) and Carbuccia (16).
28: Massachusetts scored 28 points in the paint.
30: The Minutemen nabbed 30 rebounds.

Series History

With the result, Massachusetts now holds a 1-2 record against the Phoenix all-time
Massachusetts is now 3-3 over the season and 50-50 with Coach Martin at the helm.

Up Next

The Minutemen will cap the Paradise Jam against Oregon State on Monday, Nov. 24 with tip-off set for 12:30 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

Next Event

Team Stats

Leonardo Bettiol

Marcus Banks Jr.

Danny Carbuccia

Hankins-Sanford Daniel

Players Mentioned

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

Danny Carbuccia

Jayden Ndjigue

Players Mentioned

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

Danny Carbuccia

Jayden Ndjigue

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics