BOSTON, MA (February 10, 2024) – Behind 30 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, junior guard Emannuel Zayas led the Beacs to victory by the skin of their teeth on Saturday afternoon away from home against the Plymouth State Panthers in a Little East Conference showdown, with playoffs looming in the coming weeks.

Zayas led all scorers with six three pointers, and 10 makes from the charity stripe, good for 30 points to go along with his near triple double. Zayas was everywhere for the UMass in the win, as he was supported by teammates sophomores Connor Walden with 22 points on 10-17 shooting, and Hector Perez with 11 points on 4-8 shooting including 50% from downtown on three makes from deep-range. Walden was the next leading rebounder for UMass, as he ripped down six rebounds on the night. The Beacons shot 52% from deep range tonight, to go along with 24-54 total shooting from the field. UMass Boston also knocked down their free throws when they mattered most, going 18-23 from the charity stripe.

The Panthers started the game with malice, as they opened play by winning the initial possession and turning it into three points. Plymouth state would jump out to a 10-2 run to start the game, but the Beacons would find their footing and get right back into it following jumpers from Perez and sophomore guard Fidendi Francois to level scoring at 10. For the next 15 minutes, the two teams would cat fight back and forth, going basket-for-basket down the stretch of the first half where it was tight throughout. Zayas was slow to start off, as he got a feel for the flow of the game through finding his teammates for open looks, and by reading the defense off the rebound. Zayas would hit his first three-pointer with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. With seven minutes remaining, a fastbreak steal and score extended the Panthers' lead to seven, as they maintained this cushion for the remainder of the half. UMass Boston finished the half with 34 points on 10-24 (42%) shooting from the field. Zayas finished with 10 of his 30 through the first half.

Zayas picked up where he left off in the first, starting off the Beacons scoring from the charity stripe, knocking them both down to cut the Panthers' gap to seven. He followed this up on the next trip with a deep three that brought the game to within two possessions. Perez and Walden fed off the energy and each contributed jumpers to bring the Beacons to within one of the Panthers with 14 minutes remaining. A layup by sophomore forward Erik Donaldson gave the Beacons a one point lead in the seventh minute of play. As the game clock crept under ten minutes, Zayas connected on another three pointer to bring the UMass lead up to five. Zayas would connect again from deep range following a steal and score by Francois, to increase the Beacons' lead to nine points with under eight minutes remaining. The Panthers were down late, but with offensive rebounding and second chance three point opportunities, they were able to hang around until the final whistle. With three minutes remaining, a Plymouth State three pointer would bring them to within three, with three minutes remaining, however Zayas would go on to ice the game at the free throw line to cap off one of the most productive nights of his season, as Zayas and the Beacons come back home with the conference W.

The Beacons advance to 7-17 overall this season, with a conference record of 6-9 in the Little East Conference. UMass Boston men's basketball will be back on the road again on Valentines Day, Wednesday February 14 against the Spartans of Vermont State University Castleton. Tune in to UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com) for live stats and video coverage.