Nov. 11, 2006

Box Score | Quotes | Photo Gallery

AMHERST, Mass. -- Four players scored double-figures as Massachusetts (1-0) routed Dartmouth, 98-61, before 6,079 fans Saturday evening in the season-opener at the Mullins Center. Senior Rashaun Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y.) led the Minutemen with 25 points and 10 rebounds for his 31st career double-double. Freshman Tiki Mayben (Troy, N.Y.) also posted a double-double in his first career game with 12 points and 11 assists while senior James Life (Fort Myers, Fla.) and junior Gary Forbes (Brooklyn, N.Y.) each added 17 points.

UMass came out of the gates on fire building a 10-0 lead and forcing a Dartmouth timeout just 3:09 into the start of the game. The Big Green finally got on the board at the 16:41 mark, but UMass went on another 7-2 run upping its lead to 19-4 and forcing the second Big Green timeout of the half with 13:25 left.

Life hit his third three-pointer in 10 minutes snapping a 7-0 Dartmouth scoring run at the 9:55 mark. It also stopped a three and a half minute scoring drought by the Minutemen.

Dartmouth hung around for most of the first half after withstanding the initial 10-0 UMass onslaught, but the Minutemen closed out the final 3:15 on an 18-5 run to take a commanding 52-29 halftime advantage.

UMass shot a blistering 66 percent (19-29) from the field in the first half and forced 10 Dartmouth turnovers. The Big Green shot 48 percent (12-25), but were just 1-of-7 (14 percent) from three-point range.

UMass began the second half right where it left off and took a game-high 25-point lead at 60-35 with 15:49 left forcing another Dartmouth timeout. The Big Green did not go away though and used a 14-5 run over the next four minutes to make it a 65-49 game.

The Minutemen responded, however, with a 24-2 run in the next 7:34 to provide the knock-out punch.

UMass shot 62 percent (39-63) from the field for the game and dominated the glass, 41-24. 10 different Minutemen recorded at least two points. UMass also held a commanding edge in the paint, 60-22. Dartmouth finished the game shooting 42 percent. They were led by Marlon Sanders' 14 points.

The Minutemen will now head to Pittsburgh, Pa., for the First Commonwealth Colonial Athletic Association Basketball Classic. The Minutemen will play three games in three days beginning with Oakland on Friday, Nov. 17 at 2:00 PM. They will also face No. 4 Pittsburgh on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 5:00 PM and Northeastern on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 2:00 PM. All games will be broadcast on the UMass Sports Network (100.9 FM in Western Massachusetts) and online at www.umassathletics.com. The game against Pitt will be televised by Fox Sports Pittsburgh.

Notes:

• Tiki Mayben's becomes the first UMass player with 10 or more assists since Maurice Maxwell had 10 against Xavier on Jan. 8, 2005.

• Mayben tallied his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 assists.

• Mayben's 11 assists tie a Mullins Center record. Monty Mack also had 11 dimes against Saint Joseph's on Feb. 21, 1998.

• This is Rashaun Freeman's 31st career double-double. He finished with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds.

• The 98 points by UMass is the most since it scored 99 vs. Saint Joseph's on Feb. 22, 1994.