UMass keeps game face on
Relegated to NIT, Minutemen roll
AMHERST - Like a GPS device after a wrong turn, the University of Massachusetts responded with one word: "Recalculating."
Needing to find a new sense of direction after a devastating loss to Charlotte in last week's Atlantic 10 quarterfinals - a loss that probably cost them an NCAA Tournament bid - the Minutemen found their way with an emphatic 80-60 win over Stephen F. Austin last night at Mullins Center in the first round of the NIT. Senior Dante Milligan led the way for UMass with a career-high 24 points on 11-for-14 shooting.
"We were definitely upset with our performance in Atlantic City," said Milligan, who also hauled down 9 rebounds and blocked 7 shots. "I knew for sure that our team was going to come out with something to prove."
UMass (22-10) will host a second-round game Saturday against Akron, which defeated Florida State, 65-60, last night in overtime. The game tips off at noon and will be on ESPN.
UMass had said all the right things about being motivated and happy to be in the NIT. Still, on the heels of the loss to Charlotte - a game the Minutemen led at halftime by 17 - it was an open question as to whether a few extra days of spring break would be more appealing. Even Coach Travis Ford admitted to having concerns, saying, "I didn't know exactly where we were at mentally."
Those fears were allayed when UMass came out with a high level of defensive intensity in running out to a 33-25 halftime edge.
When a quick 7-0 run for the Lumberjacks closed the gap to 1, Ford and the crowd of 2,112 began to see visions of Charlotte all over again. The Minutemen responded with a fierce 12-0 run in just 2 1/2 minutes. The game was never close after that.
UMass controlled the tempo, turning the contest into a free-flowing affair in the second half. Stephen F. Austin (26-6) came in as the nation's second-best defensive team, having never allowed more than 75 points.
Though they were making only their second postseason appearance (the NIT in 1977), the Lumberjacks had landed on the national radar with road victories over Oklahoma, San Diego, and Texas-Arlington, three teams in the NCAA Tournament. But after a long day of travel from Nacogdoches, Texas, they were no match for Milligan and the Minutemen.
"We didn't talk about him very much in the scouting report," conceded Danny Kaspar, coach of Stephen F. Austin, which was led by Josh
For Milligan and fellow seniors Gary Forbes and Etienne Brower, the recalculation of goals came one day after absorbing the reality of not making the NCAA Tournament. All three hail from New York, and now their goal is to win the NIT championship at Madison Square Garden.
"Right after the selection show, everybody was down," Milligan said. "We were all upset, but we knew we kind of did it to ourselves.
"But after that day, we said, 'We can't hang our heads. We've just got to move on and make the most of the NIT.' Hopefully we got a good start today."
Forbes had 19 points, while Brower scored 8 and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds.
"I was definitely proud of the guys," said Forbes. "Their mental focus was totally immersed in trying to win this game.
"Everybody was disappointed, but we still have the chance to do something special in this program."
