UMass To Play For Spot In MAC Title Game
The Minutemen play Toledo in the MAC semifinals at 5 p.m. on Friday on CBS Sports Network.
UMass will have little time to savor Thursday’s upset.
Barely 24 hours after knocking off the nation’s final unbeaten team, the Minutemen return to the floor Friday evening with a trip to the MAC championship game on the line.
UMass will face Toledo in the MAC Tournament semifinals at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, with tipoff scheduled for 5 p.m. on CBS Sports Network.
What was laughable before yesterday is now visible even if one has to squint and use a little bit of their imagination, but before UMass even has a chance to play for a chance to reach the NCAA Tournament, the Minutemen need to get past Toledo.
The teams met in Amherst in January, when UMass earned an 84-82 victory in a game that unfolded much like many of the Minutemen’s MAC contests this season, tight throughout and decided late.
UMass led 35-34 at halftime before the teams traded runs throughout the second half. The Minutemen briefly created momentum with an 8-0 run early in the half, fueled by steals from Danny Carbuccia and capped by a Daniel Hankins-Sanford dunk.
Toledo answered repeatedly and the decisive stretch didn’t come until the final five minutes. Jayden Ndjigue gave UMass the lead for good with a layup that made it 70-69 with about 4:20 remaining. A flagrant foul moments later allowed Hankins-Sanford to convert two free throws, and Marcus Banks Jr. followed with a jumper to extend the margin.
K’Jei Parker, Ndjigue and Banks all made clutch shots to secure the two-point victory.
Leonardo Bettiol led the Minutemen with 20 points and nine rebounds in that meeting, while Banks added 15 points and Parker hit four three-pointers.
Both teams arrive in Friday’s semifinal after dramatic quarterfinal wins.
UMass defeated No. 20 Miami (Ohio) 87-83 on Thursday, ending the RedHawks’ undefeated season and handing the program its first win over a nationally ranked opponent since 2013.
Bettiol led the Minutemen with 25 points and eight rebounds, while Marcus Banks Jr. added 18 points and Jayden Ndjigue finished with 16 points and eight rebounds. Daniel Hankins-Sanford chipped in 11 points and eight boards as UMass dominated the glass, outrebounding Miami 41-24.
Toledo advanced with a 77-76 victory over Bowling Green in its quarterfinal matchup.
Sonny Wilson leads the Rockets offensively, averaging 17.2 points and 4.5 assists per game. Sean Craig anchors the interior with 7.2 rebounds per contest, while freshman Leroy Blyden Jr. delivered a 23-point performance in Toledo’s win Thursday and ranks among the MAC’s top free throw shooters.
For UMass, Bettiol and Banks continue to pace a balanced scoring attack.
Bettiol averages 18.0 points per game while shooting a MAC-best 60.9 percent from the field and grabbing 7.9 rebounds per contest. Banks adds 16.9 points per game and recently broke the program’s single-season three-point record.
The Minutemen also maintain one of the conference’s most consistent advantages on the glass. UMass ranks second in the MAC with a plus-5.4 rebounding margin and averages 12.1 offensive rebounds per game.
The winner of Friday’s semifinal will advance to the MAC Tournament championship game Saturday at 8 p.m. at Rocket Arena, where they will play the winner of tonight’s other semifinal between #2 Akron and #3 Kent State. That game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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