BOSTON, MA (February 7,2024) – The UMass Boston men's basketball team put up a season-high 85 points against the UMass Dartmouth Corsairs behind 19 points from sophomore Connor Walden including three other Beacons in double figures. However, the Beacs would ultimately fall short in the battle of the UMasses from the Clark Gymnasium.

Walden led all Beacons' scorers with 19 points from the field including three from downtown, and three free points from the charity stripe. Walden was supported by three of his teammates who managed to score double figures in the score sheet. Junior guard Emanuel Zayas contributed 18 on six shots and two from downtown, while senior guard Bobby Joy and sophomore guard Hector Perez each added 11 points with Joy knocking down four of his seven shots, while Perez connected on three of his seven shots, all from deep-range. Walden also assisted in anchoring the Beacons' defense contributing a team-high three steals, while junior forward Erik Donaldson and first-year forward Cameron Love each added two blocks in the effort. Donaldson and Walden were the leaders on the backboards tonight, with Walden contributing a team-high eight boards, followed by Donaldson who pulled down seven. Beacons shot 48.3% from the field as a team in their most efficient offensive outing of the season, as they capitalized for 10 second-chance points, 18 fast break points, 14 points off turnovers, and 34 points in the paint.

Donaldson lost the tip to begin the game but took possession immediately back and scored for a layup in the paint to open scoring for the Beacs in the first half. Both UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth would trade punches to begin the game, trading baskets for the first five minutes of the half. A Love lay-in followed by Perez's first three-pointer of the night stretched the Beacons' lead to the largest of the night thus far to seven points (20-13). A pair of free throws from sophomore guard Alex Woolery would tip the needle to nine points in favor of the Beacs, however the Corsairs responded with back-to-back three-pointers, including a fast break layup to bring the deficit right back to one point in a wild five-minute stretch. The Corsairs Nic Boyd could not be stopped from beyond the arc, as he hit four three-pointers in the span of four minutes to keep the Corsairs just out of reach from the Beacons. The Corsairs closed out the half on a 17 point run fueled by the hot hand of Nic Boyd and fastbreak paint presence. The Beacons found themselves in the whole seven points closing out the first half. UMass Boston shot an efficient 16-29 in the first half, good for 55%
from the field including 6-9 three-point shooting.

Sophomore guard Carson Meczywor got the Beacs rolling in the second half, as he connected on a piar of free throws to get the ball rolling. The Corsairs opened up with the same radiant heat the closed out the first half with, connecting on a three-pointer immediately following a fastbreak score in the paint to stretch their lead back to double digits (60-50). Through eight minutes played, Joy connected on an and-one jumper to bring the Beacons into striking distance (66-63), however it took the Corsairs two minutes to regain their ten-point cushion following two deep-range shots by the Corsairs' John Marcille that found the bottom of the bucket. Sophomore Fidendi Francois followed up another Perez three-pointer with a layup to bring the Beacons back to within ten with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation. That 10 point deficit would be the smallest of the remaining seven minutes, as UMass began to run away with the lead in the final five minutes of the game, as UMass Dartmouth finished with 101 points to the Beacons' 85 in a Little East Conference offensive onslaught at the Clark Gymnasium regular-season finale.

Beacs will continue to close out their regular season this Saturday, February 10 against the Panthers of Plymouth State University. With the loss tonight, the Beacons move to 6-17 on the year, with an LEC record of 5-9. Tune in to UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website (beaconsathletics.com) for live stats and video coverage this weekend.