Minutemen Secure Interstate Win Over Harvard, 78-71

AMHERST, Mass. -- Massachusetts basketball (5-3) claimed a convincing 78-71 win over interstate foe Harvard (5-5) on Wednesday at the Mullins Center. The Minutemen shot executed offensively throughout the evening, shooting 51 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.

The Minutemen were led by Marcus Banks Jr. who recorded 29 points, four rebounds and two steals while going perfect from the free throw line. Banks Jr. continued to be efficient from deep, going 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.

Danny Carbuccia showcased his court vision, dishing out a career-high 13 assists in the matchup, tying him for seventh in program history for a single game.

Leonardo Bettiol scored 18 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead all post players. K'Jei Parker and Jayden Ndjigue each contributed 10 points with Ndjigue adding six rebounds and a steal.

The Crimson were led by Robert Hinton who scored a game high 35 points and grabbed eight rebounds and two steals.

Breaking Down the Action

Ndjigue opened the scoring with a 3-pointer less than a minute into the game.
The teams traded baskets early with the Minutemen taking an early 7-4 lead after a hook shot from Leonardo Bettiol with 15:47 on the clock.
Eight points by Parker highlighted a 10-3 run over four minutes.
Harvard answered with an 8-2 run of their own for a 19-15 scoreboard with 8:38 left in the half.
Back-to-back layups from Tey Barbour pulled the Crimson within seven.
Banks Jr. garnered an 8-0 run of his own and sent both teams to the locker room with the Minutemen holding a 36-21 advantage.
Banks Jr. continued his hot streak with a triple less than 30 seconds into the half.
A three-point play by Daniel Hankins-Sanford extended the Minutemen's lead, 46-25 with 16:38 left in the game.
In an attempt to close the gap, Robert Hinton's pair of layups sparked an 11-4 run over nearly three minutes.
Chandler Pigge and Batties combined for eight points in a minute and brought the Crimson within nine.
Back-to-back jumpers from Bettiol and Banks extended the Massachusetts lead, 68-56.
13 points by Hinton, including multiple stops at the free throw line, brought the Crimson within three with 32 seconds left in regulation.
The Minutemen answered with six straight points from Banks to extend their lead to 76-69.
A pair of free throws from K'Jei Parker iced a 78-71 Massachusetts win.

Newcomer Notifications

Six newcomers saw action on the evening, with Bettiol, Banks Jr. and Carbuccia entering as starters.
Banks recorded 29 points in his performance and went 4-for-4 from the free throw.
Bettiol went 7-10 from the field with 18 points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Carbuccia recorded a career-high 13 assists.

Numbers To Know

2: Two Minutemen went perfect from the freethrow line: Banks Jr (4-for-4) and Bettiol (4-for-4).
4: Four Minutemen reached double figures on the night: Banks Jr (29), Bettiol (18), Ndjigue (10) and Parker (10).
13: Carbuccia recorded 13 assists over the evening.
33: Massachusetts nabbed 33 rebounds as team.
36: The Minutemen recorded 36 points in the paint.
50: Massachusetts shot 50 percent or better from 3-point range for the first time since Nov. 20, 2022 vs. Charlotte.

Series History

With the result, Massachusetts now holds a 21-15 record against the Crimson all-time.
Massachusetts is now 5-3 on the season and 52-50 with Coach Martin at the helm.

Up Next

The Minutemen The Minutemen take on in-state opponent UMass Lowell on Saturday, Dec. 6 with tip-off set for 4:00 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

Daniel Hankins-Sanford

Jayden Ndjigue

K'Jei Parker

Players Mentioned

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

Danny Carbuccia

Daniel Hankins-Sanford

Jayden Ndjigue

K'Jei Parker

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics