Only four games into the regular season, University of Massachusetts coach Derek Kellogg’s freshman class is already paying dividends.
The Minutemen got 43 points from first-year players to spark an 83-58 victory over St. Francis last night at the Mullins Center in Amherst.
Rookies Sampson Carter and Terrell Vinson each had 13 points, Freddie Riley 12, and Ricky Harris 10 for UMass, which improved to 2-2. Junior Anthony Gurley led the Minutemen with a game-high 18 points.
After Sean Carter began the game with a dunk 10 seconds in, the next 12 points for the Minutemen came on 3-pointers from four players. A 9-0 run gave UMass a 20-8 lead, and the rout was on.
Providence 106, Vermont 64 - Marshon Brooks had 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting and tied a career high with five steals as host Providence (4-1) rolled over Vermont (2-2). Jamine Peterson added 20 points and 5 rebounds in 16 minutes for the Friars, who took control of the game with runs of 20-4 and 18-4 in the first half and led, 56-26, at halftime.
Quinnipiac 59, Maine 46 - Jeremy Baker had 10 points and 10 rebounds as visiting Quinnipiac (3-1) toppled Maine (2-3) in Orono. James Johnson added 16 points and Justin Rutty scored 14. Maine, which shot just 19 of 62 (31 percent) from the field, was led by Troy Barnies with 11 points.
Loyola (Md.) 58, Dartmouth 41 - Shane Walker recorded a double-double and Loyola outscored Dartmouth, 14-1, in the final 7:33 for the victory in Hanover, N.H.
Walker had 14 points and 11 rebounds and the Greyhounds (3-2) outscored the Big Green, 31-16, in the second half to ruin Dartmouth’s home opener. The Big Green are 0-4.
Rhode Island 75, Stony Brook 58 - Senior forward Lamonte Ulmer scored a team-high 16 points as host Rhode Island beat Stony Brook (3-1), the 16th straight win over a nonconference opponent for the Rams (3-0).
Lafayette 86, Hartford 82 - Jared Mintz had his fourth career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds to help Lafayette (4-1) hold off hard-charging Hartford (2-2) in Easton, Pa.
Texas 78, Pittsburgh 62 - J’Covan Brown scored 12 points, replacing guard Varez Ward, who was injured in pregame warmups, to help No. 3 Texas (4-0) beat Pittsburgh (4-1) in the championship game of the CBE Classic in Kansas City, Mo.
Kentucky 73, Cleveland State 49 - Heralded freshman John Wall found his form in the second half and proved too much to handle in the open floor as No. 5 Kentucky (5-0) raced past Cleveland State in the Cancun Challenge. Wall scored a team-high 15 points, including 11 after halftime, as he zipped in and out of the Cleveland State defense.
West Virginia 69, The Citadel 50 - John Flowers came off the bench to score 13 points, and No. 8 West Virginia (2-0) never trailed in a home win over The Citadel.
