UMass Outlasts Toledo
The Minutemen hung on to beat the Rockets 84-82 at home on Tuesday night.
UMass outlasted Toledo 84-82 on Tuesday night at the Mullins Center in a game defined by tension, ties and late leads, with both teams trading blows throughout the second half before the Minutemen made the plays they needed down the stretch.
After a tightly contested first half in which UMass led 35-34 at intermission, the teams continued to go back and forth in the second half.
The opening minutes set the tone, with Daniel Hankins-Sanford knocking down a turnaround jumper and Marcus Banks Jr. drilling an early three to give UMass a slight edge before Toledo answered with pressure at the rim and trips to the free-throw line.
UMass created brief separation midway through the first half when K’Jei Parker buried a three to push the lead to six, but Toledo immediately responded with a 6-0 run to erase the cushion.
From there, the half became a sequence of exchanges. Leonardo Bettiol finished around the basket to keep UMass level, Jayden Ndjigue knocked down a three inside the final minute to reclaim the lead, and Bettiol followed with another layup to stretch it to three before Toledo closed within one on a stepback jumper at the horn.
Key swings came across the final 10 minutes as neither team could build meaningful separation.
UMass opened the second half with a strong push, rattling off an 8-0 run capped by a Hankins-Sanford dunk to regain momentum. Danny Carbuccia fueled the stretch with steals that led directly to transition layups, helping the Minutemen stay in front through the early portion of the half. Toledo continued to answer, tying the game at 51 with 11:32 remaining and again at 63 following consecutive trips to the free throw line.
Toledo’s Sonny Wilson and freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. led the push to keep the Rockets within reach, while UMass responded with buckets from Bettiol, Banks Jr. and Parker down the stretch. Banks Jr. steadied the Minutemen with three straight free throws during one swing, and Isaiah Placide briefly put UMass back on top with a three as the game tightened.
UMass took what would prove to be the decisive lead with about 4:20 remaining on a layup from Ndjigue that put the Minutemen up 70-69. A flagrant foul on Toledo moments later sent Hankins-Sanford to the line, where he converted both free throws, and Banks Jr. followed with a jumper to push the margin to five.
From there, the final minutes demanded execution. After Toledo closed within three, Parker knocked down a three with 1:21 remaining to give UMass a 79-75 cushion. Ndjigue and Banks Jr. combined to convert key free throws inside the final 30 seconds to maintain the edge, and Parker added one more at the stripe after Toledo trimmed the margin again.
A late Toledo basket and free throw brought the Rockets within two, but time expired before another possession could materialize.
Bettiol led UMass with 20 points and nine rebounds, pushing the Minutemen in crunch time while also helping spark several of the offense’s key runs. Banks Jr. added 15 points and went a perfect 5-for-5 at the free-throw line at pivotal moments, and Parker’s four 3-pointers provided crucial scoring bursts.
Toledo was paced by Blyden Jr.’s 22 points with four assists and two steals, and the Rockets got balanced scoring from Wilson (16), Austin Parks (14), Kyler Vanderjagt (12) and Sean Craig (12). Yet even with five Rockets in double figures and a near-55 percent team field goal clip, UMass’s late execution proved the difference in a tight test.
The win improved UMass to 12-8 overall and 3-5 in the MAC play.
UMass returns to action Friday night at Buffalo at 7 p.m. in a contest that can be seen on CBS Sports Network as the Minutemen look to continue their push up the MAC standings and chase a spot in the conference tournament.
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The late-game execution stood out here, especially those Banks free throws when it mattered most. Close wins like this build confidense going into conference play. Had a buddy who played D1 hoops and he always said the teams that know how to finish two possession games in January are the ones that make noise in March. Ndjigue's timely three and those clutch boards from Bettiol realy showed some grit when Toledo keptanswering back.