Nov 24, 2003

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - Aaron Cook scored 20 points and Hartford held off a late run by Massachusetts for a 72-66 win on Monday night.

Hartford (2-0) led the entire game and went ahead by 12, 54-42, with 11:30 to play, but UMass pulled within 65-63 with a little more than a minute remaining. The Hawks, 25 of 30 from the line in the game, hung on.

Hartford hit 5 of 7 3-pointers in the first half and led by as many as 10 before taking a 42-34 halftime lead. Cook had 12 points in the first half.

Rashaun Freeman saved UMass (1-2) from early destruction with 17 of his team-high 19 points in the first half.

Gabe Lee scored 16 for the Minutemen, while Anthony Anderson, held scoreless in the first half, had 12 second-half points on four 3-pointers.

Hartford's Ryan Stys scored 17 points and Charles Ford had 10.