Minutemen Knock Off No. 20 Miami (OH) In MAC Quarterfinals

Team	1	2	F
Massachusetts	37	50	87
Miami (OH)	39	44	83

Massachusetts

Miami (OH)

CLEVELAND - Massachusetts men's basketball (17-15, 7-11 MAC) outlasted No. 20 Miami (OH) (31-1, 16-0 MAC), 87-83, at Rocket Arena in the MAC Quarterfinals on Thursday. The Minutemen survived two double-digit deficits to knock off the last remaining undefeated team in Division I men's basketball and advance to the semifinals.

The Minutemen were led by Leonardo Bettiol with 25 points and eight rebounds on an efficient 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free throw line.

Marcus Banks Jr. added 18 points and five rebounds, including two triples. With his first make from behind the arc, Banks Jr. broke the program single-season three-pointers made record with 108.

In his first game back from injury, Daniel Hankins-Sanford netted 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Jayden Ndigue tacked on 16 points and eight boards of his own, including an and-one to tie the game with 4:45 to play.

Miami (OH) had a balanced offensive attack, with five scores in double-figures. Bryant Byers led the way with 17 points and five rebounds.

The Minutemen secured their first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since taking down No. 19 New Mexico on Nov. 22, 2013 by an 81-65 final. UMass had lost 11 straight against ranked foes since (which included two this season to Miami (OH)).

Breaking Down the Action

Danny Carbuccia, Hankins-Sanford, Bettiol, Ndjigue and Banks Jr. started for the Minutemen.
Neither team led by more than four in an extremely tight first half.
It was UMass who jumped to a quick 8-4 lead after a Hankins-Sanford jumper with 17:05 on the clock. He previously opened the scoring with a driving layup.
The RedHawks responded with nine of the next 14 points to pull even at 13 after two Trey Perry free throws.
Consecutive layups from Carbuccia and Bettiol gave UMass its largest lead back at 17-13, but Miami used a mini 7-2 run to take a 20-19 advantage with 10:03 on the clock.
The RedHawks' lead reached as much as four at 27-23, but the Minutemen responded with a 9-2 run to take a 32-29 advantage after a Bettiol jumper with 3:37 until halftime.
The final 2:30 saw four lead changes, with an Antwone Woolfolk buzzer beater giving Miami a 39-37 halftime lead.
The RedHawks began the second half on a 13-5 run, as Peter Suder hit Miami's second straight three, to make the score 52-42, with 14:37 on the clock.
The Minutemen responded with a 10-2 run, capped off by a triple from Banks Jr., to cut the Miami lead to just four, 56-52, with 11:24 remaining in the game.
The RedHawks lead ballooned back to 10 points following a slam and Trey Perry triple, to make the score 66-56 at 10:07.
Following two Miami free throws at 7:38, Ndjigue, Banks Jr. and Bettiol combined to go on a 9-0 run to tie the game at 71 with 5:22 remaining in the game.
A Banks Jr. trey gave the Minutemen their first lead since the first half at 77-76, with 3:54 on the clock.
Suder connected on a step-back jumper with 0:50 left to play in the game to knot the score at 81.
Hankins-Sankins responded with what proved to be the go-ahead basket with 29 seconds remaining.
Four free throws from Banks Jr. sealed the victory, with the Minutemen securing an 87-83 victory.

Numbers To Know

4: Four Minutemen recorded double-digit points on the night: Bettiol (25), Banks Jr. (18), Ndjigue (16) and Hankins-Sanford (11).
109: The number of three-pointers in the career of Banks Jr., a new program record.
10: The number of made field goals for Bettiol, who finished 10-of-15.
202: Carbuccia is up to 202 career assists in his career. He became just the sixth different Minuteman player to eclipse 200 assists in a season.

Up Next

With Thursday's win, the Minutemen earned a spot into the MAC Semifinals. UMass will face the winner of Toledo vs. Bowling Green at 5 p.m. Friday's game will be streamed on CBS Sports Network with live updates and links available at umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marcus Banks Jr.

Leonardo Bettiol

Danny Carbuccia

Daniel Hankins-Sanford

Leonardo Bettiol

Marcus Banks Jr.

Jayden Ndjigue

Daniel Hankins-Sanford

Scoreboard

University of Massachusets Athletics