Josh Cohen leads UMass men’s basketball past UAlbany (photos)

AMHERST, Mass. –– Massachusetts (1-0) put an exclamation on their season opener, securing a dominant 92-71 victory over UAlbany (0-1) on Tuesday evening at the Mullins Center.

Led by 22 points from Josh Cohen, the Minutemen controlled the action for much of the game; holding the Great Danes to a lead for the entirety of play. UMass shot an efficient 43% from the field and 45% from three-point range.

In his Minutemen debut, Cohen guided the way on both sides of the ball. The NEC 2022-23 Co-Player of The Year posted 22 points on 9-of-15 from the field to go along with eight rebounds and three steals in just 19 minutes on the floor.

Keyed by a 12-0 run to start the first half of play, Massachusetts never trailed in the game, scoring 46 points in the first half including eight baskets from beyond the arc. Daniel Hankins-Sanford led all scorers in the first half with 10 points, setting a new career-high in his first 20 minutes as a Minuteman.

Massachusetts led by as many as 30 points in the second half, as Cohen sparked a 10-0 run with 14:45 remaining. Diggins made his mark on the second half, going 3-for-4 from the field, scoring eight points.

Defensively, the Minutemen controlled play from start to finish, swiping 12 steals and holding a 21-0 advantage in points off of turnovers. Massachusetts resisted the Great Dane’s attempts to speed up play, turning the ball over just five times.

Breaking Down The Action

Josh Cohen opened scoring for Massachusetts, scoring his first point as a Minuteman.
UMass took the lead early, going on a 12-0 run to start the game. The stretch was highlighted by a pair of three-pointers from Rahsool Diggins and Jayden Ndjigue.
UAlbany answered back with an 9-0 run of their own to make a 14-11 score with 13:05 remaining in the first half.
The Minutemen stormed back, subsequently adding a 13-2 run sparked by a Marqui Worthy layup at 11:44.
Cohen notched his first career triple at 8:41, making the score 30-16.
Diggins posted his second three-pointer of the evening to further UMass’ 18-2 run. The points granted the Minutemen an 18-point lead with seven minutes remaining in the half.
Daniel Hankins-Sanford came out hot off the bench, making four of his first six field goals, and perfect 2-2 from the three-point line. These 10 points marked a career-high for the sophomore transfer.
Massachusetts led by a then game-high 20 points entering the second half.
Throughout the first 20 minutes of play, UMass posted an impressive 67% from the line, recording a blistering 8-13 in three-pointers.
Cohen put the Minutemen on the board first once again in the second half, lending a driving layup.
The senior transfer bolstered UMass to a 23-point advantage at the 17:25 mark, posting seven quick points in the second half alone.
Cohen continued his offensive prowess, catalyzing an 8-0 UMass run elapsed across 2:47. The forward added another six points to his statline– notably with a three-pointer at 12:26.
Matt Cross made his contribution to the scoresheet, adding his second layup and fourth point of the contest at 10:01.
Keon Thompson mounted a dynamic cross-court play, finding Rahsool Diggins at the basket for the dunk; allowing UMass a 79-49 lead with 7:47 remaining in the game.
Robert Davis Jr. lit the lamp, adding a triple of his own off the assist of Tarique Foster at 3:47. The completion brought the Minutemen to a defining 23-point advantage.
Foster closed out scoring for UMass, adding a free throw off the Great Danes’ 18th turnover as the clock read 2:10.

New Kids On The Block

Cohen led the way among the nine newcomers, scoring 22 points in just 19 minutes on the court. The St. Francis transfer was perfect from the three-point line, while adding a team-high rebounds (8) and steals (3).
Hawkins-Sanford followed behind, posting a career-high in points (14). The University of South Carolina transplant posted a complete game, adding three assists, three rebounds, and three blocks.
Six of the seven freshman made their debut in maroon and white on Tuesday.
Curry led the freshman with seven points, picking up two rebounds.
The remaining rookies, (Davis Jr., Worthy, Foster, and Ndjigue) combined for 14 points.

Numbers To Know

1: The Minutemen secured their first win of the year in the 2023-24 season opener.
2: Cohen’s made three-pointers on the night, the first two of his career.
4: Number of Minutemen to reach double-figures on the night (Diggins, Cohen, Hankins-Sanford, Thompson)
8: Newcomers made their Minutemen debut in the 2023-24 home opener; including two transfers and seven freshmen.
12: Massachusetts recorded a game-high 12 steals on the night.
18: The Minutemen refused to back down, notching 18 points off second chance opportunities.
21: UMass’ defensive pressure came up big for the Minutemen, scoring 21 points from UAlbany turnovers.
32: The bench made their presence known, scoring 32 points across the game.