DAYTONA BEACH, FLA (December 28, 2024) – Beacons' sophomore Xavier McKenzie (Lowell, Mass.) put the 'shine' in sunshine today, as he contributed a career-high 32 points on day one of the Florida Sunshine Shootout Tournament in a 99-77 win against the Penn College Wildcats.

The Basics
UMass Boston 99 – 77 Penn College
UMass Boston: 6-2 (2-1 Little East Conference)
Penn College: 4-6 (2-0 United East Conference)
How it Happened

• Captain Emanuel Zayas (Hollywood, Fla.) opened scoring from downtown following a Wildcats' three-pointer to keep the Beacons level. Zayas and McKenzie were microwaves to start the game, heating up almost immediately with 11 combined points to total the Beacons' offensive output in the opening five minutes of the first half. McKenzie continued to have it his way like a happy meal, scoring from inside and outside at will. First-year Raphel Laurent capped off the first half with a good lay-in to conclude with a comfortable 11-point margin. McKenzie had 21 (8-10 FG, 3-4 3PT, 2-3 FT) of his 32 in the first half, as the Wildcats couldn't answer the offensive specialist. Zayas and Laurent combined for 17 points in the first to support the run sparked by McKenzie's fire.
• McKenzie picked up the second half where he left in the first, scoring the first six points consecutively off dishes by Zayas and a steal by Laurent. Graduate defensive anchor Mark Barrett would throw the Wildcats a new look by draining his second three-pointer of the game to bring the lead up to a daunting 17 points with still 17 minutes to go. Junior guard Hector Perez (Easton, Mass.) added another from deep range to make it a 24-point lead. The Wildcats were able to claw their way back to a 15-point deficit, but ultimately, the Beacons were too bright for Penn College, as UMass Boston ran away with their lead to score a season-high 99 points in their first game following the holiday break.

By the Box:

• It was a well-rounded team performance from the Ocean Center in today's win. McKenzie's 32 points (13-18 FG, 4-6 3PT, 2-3 FT) gave the Beacons a push, and junior Tyler Victor's (Brockton, Mass.) near double-double with nine rebounds and 14 points were both season-highs for the junior transfer.
• Zayas inched 16 points closer to the 1,000 career-point mark, scoring six field goals, including four from beyond the arc. He is now 45 points away and stands at 955 points in his tenure as a Beacon. Zayas flirted with a triple-double, coming just one rebound and assist shy of the first of his career. Nine rebounds and nine assists were good for team highs in both categories, as the captain left his fingerprints on all facets of the game.
• Barrett was also a jack-of-all-trades, providing eight rebounds and six assists to go with eight points, including two three-pointers.

Who's Next:

• The Beacons play their final game in Daytona tomorrow night, Sunday, December 29 at 8:00 p.m., against the Husson University Eagles from the Ocean Center. Live stats and video coverage can be found at UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website.