University of Massachusets Athletics
University of Massachusetts
1-0,0-0MAC
Troy
0-1,0-0Sun Belt
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 38 | 33 | 71 |
| Troy | 28 | 32 | 60 |
November 02, 2026 | Men's Basketball
Junjie Wang tallied a double-double in his UMass debut
TROY, Ala. – The UMass men's basketball team staged a 32-1 run bridging the end of the first half and beginning of the second to turn a six-point deficit into a 25-point lead, on the way to a 71-60 win at Troy in the season opener for both sides on Monday evening. Four Minutemen finished with double-figure points, led by 18 points and 13 rebounds from Junjie Wang. Jordan Clayton added 16 points and eight rebounds.
Noa Zemljic scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in his first-collegiate game while Dwayne Wimbley Jr. added 10. The win came over the two-time defending Sun Belt Champions.
The Minutemen finished with 10 blocks on the evening, led by a career-high seven from Abdullah Ahmed. Danny Carbuccia dished a game-high eight assists.
Breaking Down the Action
UMass jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, with points by Ahmed, Wang and Dimtri Clerc. Troy responded with a 16-2 run. J. Hutchinson began the run with five straight points, as a Caden Diggs layup gave the Trojans an 18-8 lead with 10:45 left in the first half.
Zemljic's first-career 3-pointer pulled UMass within 18-11, then Cheick Sylla followed just over a minute later in a sign of things to come for both. Not long after, Zemljic converted a 3-point play then knocked down a corner three to the Minutemen within 24-21 with 6:02 left in the half.
Troy extended its lead back to 27-21, but the Minutemen responded with a big 15-0 run, with points by five different players. Wang and Sylla both had four points in the rally, as a Sylla layup gave UMass a 36-27 lead with 2:26 on the clock.
A Wimbley Jr. jumper gave UMass a 38-28 lead with just over a minute until halftime, which proved to be the halftime margin.
The Minutemen started the second half like they began the first, scoring 15 straight points to take a 53-28 lead. Wang had eight points in the span, while Ahmed had four via a pair of dunks. Clayton also knocked down a 3-pointer to extend UMass' run to 32-1 since the end of the first half, giving the Minutemen a 25-point lead with 16:28 on the clock.
The Trojans connected on their first field goal in 9:52, sparking an 8-0 run of their own, but Clayton responded with another 3-pionter for a 56-36 lead with 13:36 to go.
The game settled into a rhythm from there, with the Minutemen lead hovering between 15 and 19. Clayton connected on his third 3-pointer of the half, but the Trojans had another run in them. A 6-0 surge got Troy within 65-52 with 6:17 on the clock.
The Trojans couldn't get closer than nine the rest of the way. Wang was 4-for-4 from the free throw line over the final 27 seconds to erase any doubt.
Numbers to Know
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UMass shot 43.1% from the field (28-of-65), including 29.2% from 3-point range (7-of-24).
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Troy finished at 34.4% (22-of-64) and 25.0% from behind the arc (7-of-28).
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The Minutemen held a 47-40 edge in rebounds.
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Ahmed's seven blocks was the most by a UMass player since Daniel Rivera had eight in a 77-72 win over Northeastern on Dec. 18, 2024.
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UMass won its season opener for the 16th time in its last 17 tries.
Next Up
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The Minutemen head to Boston for a Friday showdown against Boston College at TD Garden. Opening tipoff is set for 4 p.m. as part of the TNT Sports Hall of Fame Series. UConn faces Michigan in game two of the single-admission doubleheader at 8 p.m.
