Nov. 25, 2005

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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Demario Eddings scored a career-high 28 points to lead UAB (1-0) past Massachusetts (1-2), 86-77, Friday afternoon in the 27th annual Tip-Off Classic at the MassMutual Center. The Minutemen, who trailed by as many as 14 points late in the first half, got within two points three times in the second half but the Blazers never gave up the lead. Rashaun Freeman led the Minutemen with 21 points and 11 rebounds for his 20th career double-double. Brandon Thomas had a season-high 22 points as well as four assists. Stephane Lasme had 14 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks. He has now recorded 16 blocks in the last two games.

Both teams exchanged baskets for the first five minutes as they ran the ball up and down the floor. UMass held an 11-9 lead when the Blazers ran off six straight points in 58 seconds to take a four-point lead, 15-11, with 14:26 left in the first half. Junior Rashaun Freeman (Schenectady, N.Y.) hit a lay-up with 13:35 left to break a UMass scoring drought and bring the Minutemen back within a basket. Following a free throw by the Blazers, Freeman earned an old-fashioned three-point play for the second straight possession. He missed the free throw, but brought UMass within a point.

With UMass trailing by three points a few seconds later, junior Brandon Thomas (San Antonio, Texas) drained a three-pointer just as the shot clock was expiring to tie the game at 18 with 11:05 left. Thomas then made a steal at halfcourt and drove the length of the floor for a crowd-electrifying dunk with 10:02 left that forced UAB to call a timeout. The five straight points by Thomas gave the Minutemen a 20-18 lead. The Blazers came right back, however, and used a 13-2 run in the next 2:53 to take a 31-22 lead with 6:32 left. After UMass converted four straight free throws to get within five points. the Blazers scored seven of the next nine points to take a 10-point lead.

Every time the Minutemen tried to make a run, UAB had an answer and led 40-30 with 3:21 left in the first half. UAB extended its lead to a game-high 14 points, 44-30, before UMass got consecutive baskets by Freeman and sophomore Lawrence Carrier (San Bernardino, Calif.). Richard Jones had a basket for the Blazers right before intermission to give them a 46-34 lead at the break. The Blazers shot a blistering 58 percent in the first half while the Minutemen shot 47 percent. UMass was just 5-for-11 (.46 percent) from the free throw line. The Blazers were also 5-for-11 (46 percent) from three-point range while UMass was 1-for-6 (17 percent). UAB held a 22-14 edge in rebounding and a 12-4 advantage in bench scoring. Both teams had 12 turnovers. There were five ties and 10 lead changes in the first 11 and a half minutes of action before UAB took the lead for good with 8:40 left in the first half on a three-pointer by Marvett McDonald.

The Blazers scored the first basket of the second half, but UMass then went on a 12-2 run in the next 2:42 to cut its deficit to four points at 50-46. A Thomas three-pointer with 16:39 left forced UAB to call a timeout. The Minutemen kept up the run following the timeout. A jumper by junior Maurice Maxwell (Philadelphia, Pa.) got the Minutemen within two points, but he then committed an intentional foul a few seconds later. The Blazers took advantage and earned four points out of the possession to get their lead back up to six points at 54-48. They got another basket to go up eight, but back-to-back Thomas three-pointer's got UMass back within two points at 56-54.

The Blazers slowly started to build their lead back up as UMass went cold from the field. UAB outscored the Minutemen, 18-6 following Thomas' consecutive trifectas, to take a 74-60 lead with 9:55 to play. The Minutemen hung tough and made one last gasp in the final eight minutes. A dunk by junior Stephane Lasme (Livreville, Gabon) sparked a 7-0 UMass run in the next 2:11 that made it a seven-point game. McDonald hit a three-pointer for the Blazers from the corner that stopped the run.

The Blazers led 77-69 at the final media timeout with 3:13 left in regulation. A pair of free throws by Thomas with just over three minutes left got the Minutemen within six points at 77-71. The teams then exchanged baskets, but the Blazers put the game away when McDonald hit a lay-up as the shot clock was expiring. UMass called timeout and trailed 81-73 with just 1:33 left. The Blazers made their free throws down the stretch and hung on for the first win in the series between these two teams.

UAB shot 50 percent from the field for the game, while the Minutemen were 47 percent. The Blazers were 7-for-17 (41 percent) from behind the arc, while the Minutemen were 4-for-16 (25 percent). UMass out-rebounded the Blazers, 39-36, but committed 23 turnovers. UAB had 16 turnovers, including just four in the second half. The Minutemen had 11 in the second half. McDonald (13), Wen Mukubu (13) and Carldell Johnson (10) all reached double-figures for the Blazers in addition to Eddings.

The Minutemen will return to the Mullins Center to host Savannah State Monday night at 7:00 p.m. To purchase tickets, call 1-866-UMASS-TIX, stop by the Mullins Center Box Office or go online to www.umassathletics.com.