Box Score DARTMOUTH, Mass. – Junior Jordan Rezendes (Onset, Mass.) and senior Alex Rodrigues (Fall River, Mass.) combined for 54 points to lead the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth to a convincing 87-61 victory over visiting Worcester State University this evening in a NCAA Division III men's basketball contest at the Tripp Athletic Center.
The Corsairs (4-3) bounced back from Saturday's lowest scoring total of the season to shoot 54.8 percent (31-for-61) from the field, 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from downtown, and 85.7 percent (18-for-21) from the free throw line.
Rezendes narrowly missed a double-double with a career-high 36 points and nine rebounds. He was red hot from the floor, connecting on 13 of his 17 attempts, including 4-for-5 from beyond the arc. The junior guard was a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Rezendes also handed out a game-high six assists.
Rodrigues also reached double digits in scoring with a career-high 18 points in just 23 minutes of action. The Fall River, Mass. native was 6-for-10 from the field and 6-for-7 from the charity stripe. He also pulled in six rebounds to give the hosts a boost off the bench, while starting center junior Wale Abraham (Lynn, Mass.) was limited to just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.
After a back-and-forth opening 13 minutes of action, UMass Dartmouth utilized a 22-5 run to break open a 22-all tie over the final seven minutes of the frame. Rezendes ignited the surge with 12 points, including a pair of triples, while Rodrigues and senior Josh Castillo (Lynn, Mass.) chipped in with four and three points, respectively. Castillo finished with 10 points and a pair of helpers.
Worcester State (1-4) scored the opening basket of the second stanza, but the Corsairs then picked up right where they left off with a 14-2 run. The hosts used the inside/outside combination of Rodrigues (6 pts.) and Rezendes (8 pts) to account for all the scoring in the surge. Rodrigues capped the run with a lay-up to give UMass Dartmouth a 58-31 advantage with 13 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Lancers responded with a mini, 6-0 run to whittle their deficit to 21 points, but the Corsairs would not let the contest get any closer. The hosts would eventually balloon their largest lead of the night to 33 points (79-46) with just under five minutes left on the clock.
Sophomore Paul Brooks (Arlington, Mass.) nearly registered a double-double with 12 points and nine boards to lead the visitors. Classmate Jeremy Bacon (Milford, Mass.) scored all nine of his points from the foul line and hauled in seven rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Sophomore Noris Cuevas-Nova (Amherst, Mass.) also tallied nine points.
The Lancers held the rebounding advantage (47-32), highlighted by 22 offensive boards. The Corsairs forced 22 turnovers, including five steals by freshman Cody Borges (Dartmouth, Mass.), while committing only 12.
UMass Dartmouth will return to action at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 4, when the Corsairs travel to Bridgewater State University.
