BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior guard
Josh Lopes records first career double-double to lift the UMass Dartmouth men's basketball team over Bridgewater State University, 95-71, in non-conference action on Saturday. The Corsairs improved to a 3-4 overall record with the road win and handed the Bears their fourth loss of the season.
Junior guard
John Marcille opened the scoring for the Corsairs with his first three-pointer of the afternoon. UMass Dartmouth quickly found their rhythm on offense, gaining a commanding 23-6 lead seven minutes into the first half. The Corsairs went on a 20-4 run highlighted by four consecutive triples and a dunk by junior center
Cam Dunbury. Shortly after checking into the game, junior center
Ryan Flauto posted four points along with three rebounds to help extend the Corsairs advantage to a 21-point cushion.
The Bears kept chipping away crossing the midway point of the half making six straight free throws to narrow the Corsairs lead down to 31-21. Bridgewater State strung the next eight points together to make it a one possession game with under six minutes left to go. It was back-and-forth action in the final minutes of the first half as Marcille drained his third three-pointer of the game with 3:58 on the clock. First year
Danny Reyes finished a late layup for the Corsairs to give the visitors an eight-point edge heading into the break.
The intensity carried over into the start of the second half with both teams creating early scoring chances. After Dante Kikuba sank a three-pointer at the 16:18 mark to make it 48-45, Marcille tacked on the next four points for the Corsairs featuring a one-handed slam off the lob from Lopes. UMass Dartmouth soon found their spark again generating an 20-6 run finished off by a triple from first year guard
Camden DiChiara to pull away with a 23-point lead.
Entering the last five minutes of the game, graduate student
Isaac Percy knocked down his second triple of the afternoon followed by a dunk from graduate student Micheal Eurquhart Jr. to put UMass Dartmouth ahead 89-68. Lopes went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe while Reyes laid in the last basket to cement the third victory for the Corsairs over the Bears by a final score of 95-71.
Lopes recorded his first career double-double as a Corsair after dropping 20 points (7-21 FG, 1-5 3-FG, 5-5 FT) along with a team-high 10 assists. He also hauled in six rebounds, made five steal, and blocked one shot. Marcille led the scoring with a team-high 24 points (9-15 FG, 4-9 3-FG, 2-2 FT) to go along with five rebounds and five assists.
Percy (6-17 FG, 2-9 3-FG) and Flauto (5-6 FG, 2-2 FT) each posted double figures as well for UMass Dartmouth in the win. Percy grabbed a team-high nine boards while Flauto and Dunbury each hauled in eight rebounds apiece.
The Corsairs return to action for the 2024 Cruzin Classic held in Miami Gardens, Fla. taking on Carroll University on Friday, Dec. 20 with a10:00 a.m. tipoff.
