MAC Run Comes To An End For UMass
The Minutemen lost to Toledo 77-67 in the MAC semifinals.
UMass saw its run in the MAC Tournament come to an end Friday night with a 77-67 loss to Toledo in the semifinal round at Rocket Arena.
UMass (17-16, 7-11 MAC) clawed back after falling behind by double-digits early but could not overcome shooting struggles. The Minutemen shot 41.3 percent from the field, 19 percent from three-point range and 52.4 percent from the free throw line.
Leonardo Bettiol led UMass with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds, continuing a strong late-season stretch while shooting 8-for-12 from the floor.
Freshman point guard Danny Carbuccia added 11 points and five assists. Marcus Banks Jr. finished with nine points on three three-pointers, while Dimitri Clark provided seven points and six rebounds off the bench.
Toledo (18-14, 11-7 MAC) used balanced scoring to secure the win, led by Sonny Wilson with 18 points, Mynor Strong with 17 and Sean Craig with 15.
Toledo opened the game on a 7-0 run and pushed the lead to 13-2 just over four minutes into the contest.
UMass came back with nine of the next 12 points, including a Banks three-pointer and a Hankins-Sanford layup that cut the deficit to 16-11 with 12:41 remaining in the first half.
The Rockets answered with six straight points to stretch the lead back to double digits before UMass mounted its strongest run of the half.
A 16-4 burst, capped by an Isaiah Placide three-pointer, followed by a Ndjigue steal and Carbuccia layup, gave UMass its first lead at 27-26 with 6:04 left in the half.
A Bettiol layup put UMass ahead 29-28, but Toledo closed the half on a 15-5 run. A three from Leroy Blyden Jr. helped send the Rockets into the break with a 43-34 lead.
UMass worked to cut into the deficit early in the second half and pulled within eight multiple times. Hankins-Sanford trimmed the margin to 52-44 with a layup.
Toledo would score six straight points to extend the lead to its largest of the game at 61-46 with 13:25 remaining.
UMass responded again with an 8-0 run. A Clerc second-chance layup, a Ndjigue three-point play, a K’Jei Parker steal and layup and a Clerc free throw pulled UMass within 61-54 with 10:10 left.
The Minutemen remained within striking distance but could not get closer than seven over the final minutes. A Banks three-pointer with 3:32 remaining cut into the deficit, but UMass couldn’t get any closer as Toledo closed out the 77-67 victory.
UMass finished with 10 steals, its highest total since early February. The Minutemen also held a 42-36 advantage in points in the paint.
Bettiol’s 21-point effort marked his second straight game with at least 20 points and his third in the last four contests. He finished the season shooting 61.1 percent from the floor.
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