Nov. 12, 2004

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. - UMass topped Concordia of Quebec, 73-64, in the final tune-up before the regular-season opener against Birmingham Southern on Nov. 23. Rashaun Freeman scored a team-high 21 points and added nine rebounds in the win. Art Bowers and Maurice Maxwell each had 15 for UMass.

"I was happy with the way we responded at the end of the game with the run we made," said head coach Steve Lappas. "We made a lot of mistakes and I think our young kids were nervous but we had some good looks early on and had the big run at the end of the game. It was nice to see some special things out of our guys late in the game and see the growth from last season."

With the scored tied at 54 with 6:03 left, UMass went on a 19-6 run to build a 73-60 lead with 54 seconds left before the Stingers added the final four points of the game. In the run, Anthony Anderson and Art Bowers each canned a pair of three-point field goals to put UMass in control for good.

Anderson finished with eight points and handed out a team-high five assists.

UMass shot 58.6 percent from the floor in the second half after a 33 percent first half.

Junior Jeff Viggiano led UMass off the glass with 11 rebounds as the Minutemen outrebounded the the undersized Stingers, 43-32.

UMass' freshman trio of Olivier Lamoureux, Lawrence Carrier and Jeff Salovski made their collegiate debuts as Carrier nailed a three-pointer and the Big Deli had a bucket.

The Stingers, who beat the University of New Hampshire earlier this fall, were led by Patrick Perrotte who had 20.

The Minutemen will have 11 days before their regular-season opener against Birmingham Southern on Nov. 23 at the Mullins Center.