Minutemen Fall 78-72 to Marshall in Season Opener

AMHERST, Mass -- Massachusetts basketball (0-1) dropped a 78-72 matchup over Marshall (1-0) to open the 2025-26 campaign on Monday at the Mullins Center.

The Minutemen were led by grad transfer, Marcus Banks Jr., who recorded 18 points going 7-14 from the field with four three-pointers. Leonardo Bettiol added 15 points going 5-5 from the field and recording five rebounds.

K'Jei Parker opened his first season in maroon and white with 13 points, going 5-5 from the free throw line.

The Thundering Herd were led by Wyatt Fricks who recorded 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Breaking Down The Action

Massachusetts opened the scoring with a jumper under the basket by Hankins-Sanford just 26 seconds into the half.
Marshall got on the board with a pair of free throws by Jalen Speer keying a 9-2 run over nearly two minutes for a 9-6 lead.
Danny Carbuccia found Daniel Hankins-Sanford under the basket to put the Minutemen within one with 14:54 on the clock.
Three free throws by Dimitri Clerc cut the Massachusetts deficit, 14-11.
Noah Otshudi opened a 9-0 run over nearly three minutes for the Thundering Herd to give Marshall a 23-11 advantage.
Banks Jr. snapped a nearly three-minute scoring drought for the Minutemen to bring the deficit back to nine.
With 4:38 left in the half, Banks Jr. answered with a shot from beyond the arc, cutting the Marshall lead to 31-23.
A pair of layups from Leonardo Bettiol put the Minutemen within five with 3:10 on the clock.
Banks Jr. capped a 12-5 Massachusetts run with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, cutting the Marshall lead to 38-37 going into the halftime break.
Out of the locker room, Banks Jr.'s jumper gave the Minutemen a 39-38 lead less than two minutes into the second half.
The two teams matched baskets but back-to-back triples, gave Marshall the lead.
Banks Jr. dunk a three-pointer to highlight a 7-0 run for the Minutemen.
Marshall answered with a triple of their own to take a 51-48 lead with 13:28 on the clock.
Jayden Ndjigue's free throws and a jump shot from K'Jei Parker brought the team within four.
Coming off a timeout, baskets by Fricks and Von Komen gave Marshall a 75-67 advantage with 3:12 left to play.
A hook shot from Bettiol brought the Minutemen within five, 77-72, with 26 seconds to play.
Massachusetts traded free throw attempts in the remaining 15 seconds but was unable to close the deficit, falling 78-72.

Newcomer Notifications

Seven newcomers saw action on the evening, with Bettiol, Marcus Banks Jr., Parker K'jei and Hankins-Sanford entering as starters.
Banks Jr. led the scoring for both teams with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field.

Numbers To Know

2: Two Minutemen tallied five rebounds over the evening: Bettiol and Hankins-Sanford.
3: Three Minutemen reached double figures on the night: Banks (18), Bettiol (15), and Parker (13).
13: Massachusetts totaled 13 steals on the evening.
18: As a team, the Minutemen recorded 18 total assists in the matchup.
28: The Minutemen snagged 28 rebounds in the contest.

Series History

With the result, Massachusetts now holds a 3-4 record against the Thundering Herd all-time.
Massachusetts is now 0-1 over the season and 47-48 with Coach Martin at the helm.

Up Next

The Minutemen take on UAlbany on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. in the Mullins Center. 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

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

K'Jei Parker

Jayden Ndjigue

Players Mentioned

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

Danny Carbuccia

Dimitri Clerc

Daniel Hankins-Sanford

Jayden Ndjigue

K'Jei Parker

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics