BOSTON, MA (February 26, 2025) – Following their round one victory against the University of Southern Maine, the UMass Boston men's basketball team advances to the Little East Conference Semifinal bout against the LEC #1 Keene State Owls in Keene, N.H. at 7:00 p.m on Thursday, Feb. 27.

The Beacons finished the regular season 13-11, including back-to-back victories against the Plymouth State Panthers and the Vermont State University Castleton Spartans to close out the regular season. They finished with an 8-8 LEC record, tied with the Southern Maine Huskies. The Beacons won the fourth seed tiebreaker for securing a victory against the second-seeded Western Connecticut Wolves, compared to the Huskies who were 0-2 vs WestConn this season.

The Owls have been a giant this season, fluctuating on and off the top-25 AP Index. This season, they finished with a 20-5 overall record and a 14-2 LEC record, good for the #1 record in the conference. In the season's final three games, the Owls showed humanity by dropping two conference matchups against the Wolves and the Rhode Island College Anchormen in the season finale. With the LEC's top record, the Owls secured a first-round bye, while the Beacons advanced past the four-seeded Huskies in the first round.

In the first matchup against the Owls this season, the Beacons challenged the Owls and went the distance in their 71-82 effort from the Clark Gymnasium. The Beacons enter Thursday's game coming off their most significant win of the season over the Huskies when UMass Boston scored a season-high 108 points.

UMass Boston is averaging 78.8 points per game, with 36.4 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 9.6 steals, and 3.2 blocks per game. In round one, Emanuel Zayas (Hollywood, Fla.) and Raphel Laurent (Peabody, Mass.) each contributed 27 points, with Zayas lacing four triples, and Laurent forcing nine steals. The Beacons have entered a new gear following the start of the tournament. Zayas and Laurent are two pieces of a deep core that prides their play on both sides of the ball. Xavier McKenzie (Lowell, Mass.) has been a consistent offensive option all season long, averaging 15.2 PPG in 18 games. McKenzie and Zayas are the lead sharpshooters for the Beacons, with Zayas shooting 40.8% (73-179) and McKenzie shooting 41.7% (30-72) from beyond the arch. Mark Barrett (Brookline, Mass.) and Tyler Victor (Brockton, Mass.) lead the efforts on the glass, with Barrett averaging 5.9 boards per game, and Victor averaging 5.2 per game. Barrett has pulled in 147 total rebounds (21 offensive, 126 defensive) in 25 games, while Victor has tallied 115 total (55 offensive, 76 defensive) in 22 games. Barrett and Zayas are the leading playmakers for UMass Boston, with Zayas dishing out 89 total assists (3.6 APG), and Barrett with 88 total assists (3.5 APG) as an untraditional point-forward. There are four Beacons averaging more than 1.5 steals per game, with Zayas leading all defenders with 47 total steals (1.9 SPG), followed by Laurent and Barrett each with 1.7 SPG, and McKenzie with 1.5 SPG. On the bench, Anthony Gauthier (Jaffrey, N.H.) and Davon Sanders (Mansfield, Mass.) have stepped up when the team needs them the most. In his previous three games, Gauthier has averaged 10.3 PPG. In the season finale against the Spartans, he recorded his first career double-double with the Beacons (10 points, 10 rebounds), and followed it up with another 10 point and five assist performance in round one. Sanders is coming off a career-high 16 points against the Huskies in round one.

The Owls' leading scorer, Octavio Brito, leads the LEC in scoring with 573 total points in 25 games for a 22.9 PPG average. Brito has earned seven LEC Player of the Week awards this season through his scoring tear. As a unit, the Owls are averaging 89.4 PPG, 37.1 rebounds per game, 15.6 assists per game, 10.0 steals per game, and 3.3 blocks per game. Brito leads the Owls in all categories with 22.9 PPG, a team-high 58 three-pointers made, 213 total rebounds (8.5 RPG), 86 total assists (3.4 APG), 38 total blocks (1.5 BPG), and 46 total steals (1.8 SPG).

As per championship regulations in 2024-25, the game broadcast will cost $10$ to view on LittleEastTv. Admission will cost adults $7$ and children $5$. Live stat coverage will be available for free.

For all things UMass Boston Athletics, stay tuned at UMass Boston - Official Athletics Website.