Minutemen run falls flat
KINGSTON, R.I. — UMass’ Luwane Pipkins sized his defender up from beyond the 3-point line on the right wing as the final seconds were winding down, rose up and released a high-arcing shot.
For a moment, it looked as though the Minutemen had completed an improbable rally to tie the game. But the ball went halfway down, rattled out and into the hands of Rhode Island’s Jared Terrell.
“It looked like it was good,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “Sometimes the basketball gods just don’t give it to you. Sunday I usually go to church and it just didn’t happen.”
Instead, it was E.C. Matthews who left the Minutemen praying for answers. The URI star scored 22 points, including nine in the final 4:53, as the Rams fended off UMass, 79-77, yesterday at the Ryan Center.
Neither team could gain more than three points of separation from the 16:46 mark of the second half to 4:02, and then Matthews took over the game.
The junior guard made back-to-back jumpers to give URI (11-6, 3-2 Atlantic 10) a 67-62 lead with 4:02 to go. Then, after UMass (11-7, 1-4) cut the lead back to three, Matthews made a 3-pointer and then set up Kuran Iverson for another to make it 73-66.
Moments later, Matthews’ driving layup made it 75-68 with 1:38 to play that looked to be a dagger. After scoring six points in the first half, Matthews went 7-of-8 for 16 points in the second.
“They were tough shots,” Kellogg said. “He threw some fadeaways from almost at the 3-point line that were just big-time, older, veteran plays. I thought our guys did a decent job defending him.”
The Minutemen didn’t fold to Matthews’ heroics, though. Led by DeJon Jarreau, who collected 15 points and a careerhigh nine assists, UMass mounted a furious charge after trailing by 10 with 1:14 to go.
The Rams helped by missing six consecutive free throws. Jarreau made a layup, Matthews missed twice at the line, and Jarreau raced back and earned an and-one with 38 seconds left. His free throw missed, but the play made it a onepossession game at 78-75.
On the ensuing URI possession, Terrell committed an offensive foul to give UMass the ball with a chance to tie, but Pipkins’ trey attempt missed.
The Minutemen, powered by Rashaan Holloway’s 20 points and seven rebounds, controlled the paint and led by as many as 15 in the first half. But a one-handed dunk from Hassan Martin seemed to ignite URI, and the Rams went on an 11-2 run to end the first half down 38-34.
“We just have to learn how to take care of the lead when we’re up,” UMass guard Donte Clark said.
Those are the lessons this young UMass team is continuing to learn. The Minutemen won just once — over preseason league favorite Dayton — in a tough five-game stretch to open the conference season, but Kellogg thinks his team is improving.
“I like my guys,” Kellogg said. “I like this team. I think we’re coming around, but I think we still have a little work. We’re so close but we still got a little ways to go.”