UMass Takes Advantage of Their Chance
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Bob Huggins says his team dug itself a hole. A few nights earlier, that might have been putting it gently.
Cincinnati, Huggins’ former school, came to Morgantown and thumped the Mountaineers 62-39, holding the Mountaineers to 20 percent shooting. That followed last Saturday’s heart-breaking loss to Georgetown that came down to the buzzer, and it dropped them to 4-4 in the wide-open Big East (at least, wide-open beyond Georgetown).
The Moutnaineers tried to begin digging out of that hole on Saturday night with a 77-65 victory at Providence. The game wasn’t a thing of beauty, but it was a win, and it can start to get them back on track. Even with the win, the West Virginia mentor isn’t getting too high.
“We put ourselves in a terrible hole, and we’ve got to fight our way out of the hole,” Huggins said after the win.
The Mountaineers shot nearly 61 percent from the floor in the first half, but went in with just a three-point lead. Providence held a 12-point lead with over six minutes to play in the first half, but the Friars fell back into their pattern of offensive struggle as they scored just two points for the remainder of the half.
Perhaps the best sign for the Mountaineers was winning the game with a sub-par performance from leading scorer Alex Ruoff, who struggled with foul trouble and had five points. In the prior two games, he scored a total of 15 points and they came away with two losses.
Senior Darris Nichols was once again very valuable, scoring a game-high 23 points. Despite having four turnovers to go with three assists, he made a number of clutch plays that helped win the game. He’s not the quickest player or a lights-out shooter, but he simply knows how to play and knows what he has going for him.
Joe Mazzulla, a native of Johnston, Rhode Island, had a good homecoming in scoring 11 points on 5-8 shooting off the bench. More important was his defense, something Huggins was quick to cite as a reason he’s continued to play. He’s also someone who has adapted well to the new coach.
“We’re in a hole, and there’s one guy I know I want in the hole with me. I want Mazzulla in there with me,” said Huggins, who likes the energy Mazzulla has brought of late.
Ten teams are separated by two and a half games in the Big East, with the Mountaineers square in the middle of that group. Five of the remaining games are on the road, so Saturday’s win bodes well for them, but Huggins isn’t making much of the home and road difference even though Big East games haven’t seen many road wins thus far this season.
“I think good teams win wherever they play, and that’s what I’ve tried to convince these guys,” said Huggins. “It’s all in your approach and your frame of mind, and how you go after things.”
Other Notable Games
Connecticut 60, Pittsburgh 53: Five straight wins now for the Huskies.
Missouri 77, Kansas State 74: A complete turnaround from a few nights earlier, as the Wildcats go from knocking off Kansas to losing against a depleted Missouri squad (albeit on the road.)
UCLA 82, Arizona 60: Kevin Love continues to come alive, posting another double-double (26 points, 11 rebounds) to lead the Bruins.
Stanford 67, Washington State 65 (OT): A big overtime win for Stanford keeps them in second place, while the Cougars get swept at home.
California 79, Washington 75: A big weekend for the Golden Bears, as they sweep two in Washington.
Tennessee 76, Mississippi State 71: The Bulldogs come back to earth this week after a nine-game winning streak. The Volunteers, meanwhile, continue to roll.
Arkansas 80, Florida 61: The Razorbacks cap off a good week, having knocked off Mississippi State earlier in the week.
Penn State 85, Michigan State 76: There’s a lesson to young players out there with this game – make your free throws. The Nittany Lions did, going 34-51 at the foul line.
Purdue 83, Illinois 75: Two teams going in opposite directions, as the young Boilermakers continue to play well and the Illini continue to struggle mightily as they fall to 2-8 in Big Ten play.
Maryland 88, Georgia Tech 86: Don’t look now, but the Terrapins have won four of five, including their last two road games.
Virginia Tech 72, Virginia 65 (OT): Three straight wins for the Hokies, including two in overtime.
Syracuse 87, Villanova 73: The road team takes both games this season between these two teams.
Iowa 53, Ohio State 48: First Michigan State, now Ohio State falls at the hands of the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.
Kentucky 63, Georgia 58: The Wildcats are back above .500, and 4-2 in the SEC.
Rhode Island 82, Dayton 70: The Rams bounce back from a loss on the road to the Flyers last month, and they’ve now won four straight.
Richmond 64, Charlotte 58: For the second straight Saturday, the Spiders knock off one of the top Atlantic 10 teams, this time on the road.
Saint Louis 71, Massachusetts 59: The Billikens are becoming a giant-killer at home, having already knocked off Rhode Island there a couple of weeks ago.
Gonzaga 87, Santa Clara 82 (2 OT): The ‘Zags win a dandy on the road, with Austin Daye scoring 13 of his 22 points in overtime.
George Mason 72, James Madison 46: The Patriots continue to roll, improving to 8-3 in the CAA.
VCU 65, Towson 42: The Rams stay just ahead of the Patriots in the CAA standings by holding serve at home.
Northeastern 63, Drexel 40: The Huskies cap a good week with two road wins, while the Dragons fall to 2-9 in the CAA.
Davidson 78, Chattanooga 71: In a showdown of top teams, the Wildcats improve to 13-0 in Southern Conference play with this road win.
Toledo 59, Kent State 56: Not a good loss for the Golden Flashes with the BracketBusters matchups set to be announced in a couple of days.
UNC-Asheville 71, Winthrop 56: Some thought there might be a changing of the guard in the Big South, but how many thought UNC-Asheville would be that team? The Bulldogs are 7-0 in Big South play and have a two-game lead over Winthrop with this win.
UMBC 75, Vermont 73: The Retrievers snap the Catamounts’ five-game winning streak with a big road win. UMBC is in sole possession of first place in America East.
Oral Roberts 73, Centenary 62: The Golden Eagles just keep winning, improving to 10-0 in Summit League play.
Eastern Kentucky 87, Tennessee Tech 77: The Colonels have won three straight and five of six, and are in a tie for third in the Ohio Valley at 8-5.
Jacksonville 75, Gardner-Webb 62: The Dolphins move to 8-1 in Atlantic Sun games, remaining on top.
Cornell 66, Yale 45: The Big Red move to 4-0 in Ivy League play and are off and running.
Penn 68, Dartmouth 66: Did someone write off the Quakers? They’re 2-0 in Ivy League play with a pair of home wins.
