UMass makes clean getaway

AMHERST -- Perhaps the 2004-05 season hasn't been a giant leap forward for the University of Massachusetts basketball program, but it has been more than just one small step for Minutemankind.

UMass yesterday put the wraps on a 16-11 regular season with a 69-64 victory over Duquesne. The Minutemen won as they have throughout much of the season -- by delivering at crunch time.

This time it came from sophomore center Stephane Lasme, who hit two free throws with 12.7 seconds left and UMass clinging to a 3-point lead. When Duquesne's DeVario Hudson missed a hurried 3-pointer and UMass's Art Bowers secured the rebound, the Minutemen were finally home free.

Last season, Lasme hit only 15 free throws, connecting on just 44.1 percent. Yesterday, he accessed the inner Rick Barry by going 14 for 14, tying a UMass record (Donta Bright in 1996) for most freebies without a miss.

"I'm still working on it," said the soft-spoken Lasme about his free throw technique. "I'm not taking it for granted."

Lasme tied teammate Rashaun Freeman for high-scoring honors with 16 points (Lasme was 1 of 2 from the field), and added 11 rebounds, eight on the offensive end. Maurice Maxwell contributed 12 points.

Duquesne (8-21, 5-11 Atlantic 10) was led by Bryant McAllister, who had 14 points.

The Minutemen are 11-2 in games decided by 6 points or fewer, including an Atlantic 10-record 5-0 in overtime. It's a narrow edge UMass has developed, but it has resulted in the team posting its first winning season in five years, and its best record in seven years.

With third place sewn up in the Atlantic 10 East, the Minutemen now set their sights on the A-10 tournament. On Wednesday, they will take on La Salle, one of the teams UMass dispatched in overtime. To get to the NCAA Tournament, UMass will have to win four games in four days, something that has never happened in A-10 annals. Otherwise, they will hope to nab an NIT bid. Normally, UMass's record would be sufficient to consider that a certainty, but this has been a very poor year for the A-10, and even UMass coach Steve Lappas acknowledges nothing is guaranteed.

"I know we're a postseason team -- we play Wednesday," said Lappas. "I don't want to get into all that about the NIT."

Maxwell believes the A-10 tournament is up for grabs. "I honestly feel we can play with anybody in the conference," he said. "But at the same time, I think we'll need a little more out of everyone." Maxwell provided a little more yesterday, thrust into running the team as point guard for the longest stretch of the season. Senior Anthony Anderson is almost certainly done for the year with back problems, and fellow senior Chris Chadwick -- who has effectively run the point the second half of the season -- could only give the team eight first-half minutes because of a respiratory problem. Maxwell stepped in seamlessly, dishing out six assists and turning the ball over just twice.

UMass led almost wire to wire, but Duquesne took a brief 41-39 lead on a 3-pointer by Chauncey Duke with 15:09 left. Lasme then hit four straight free throws to put UMass ahead to stay. Trailing, 64-62, the Dukes had two chances to tie in the final minute, but couldn't convert. First, Martin Osimani's floater bounded off the rim. In the scramble for the rebound, the Minutemen got a two-on-one break, in which Bowers fed Maxwell for a dunk.

Osimani then connected to bring Duquesne within 66-64, and Maxwell hit just one of two free throws with 31.9 seconds left.

McAllister missed the tying 3-point bid. Duquesne's Kieron Achara got the rebound and got fouled, but missed the front end of a one-and-one with 14.6 seconds left. The Dukes then fouled Lasme -- which on this day was not a good strategy as he knocked down two more free throws to basically end the drama.