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BYU 77, UMass 71 (OT)
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
A battle between two talented, high-powered teams from different corners of the country lived up to the billing Tuesday afternoon as BYU took down UMass 77-71 in overtime at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.
With BYU ahead 62-61 at the end of regulation, Cougars center Corbin Kaufusi fouled UMass guard Trey Davis with one second left. But after making the first free throw to tie the score at 62, Davis clanked the second and the teams headed for bonus basketball.
But it was all Cougars in overtime as BYU (10-3) held UMass scoreless in the final two-and-a-half minutes to secure its third straight win.
UMass (6-6), meanwhile, lost its second straight and continued on a tough road stretch during which the Minutemen are playing four of their next six games away from home.
BYU — which leads the nation in scoring at 88.9 points per game — started slowly and took a narrow 32-30 lead at halftime. Then the two teams traded the lead back and forth for the entire second half, including three times in the final two minutes of regulation.
BYU was led in scoring by 25 points from guard Anson Winder and five rebounds, but guard Kyle Collingsworth had a monster game for the Cougars with 18 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals.
The Cougars managed the win despite shooting 39 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range.
Forward Maxie Esho led the Minutemen with 16 points and nine boards, guard Donte Clark added 14 points and UMass center Cady Lalanne posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The game was just the fourth meeting between the two programs, with UMass winning last year’s duel 105-96 in Springfield, Mass. The game also marked the Minutemen’s first-ever trip to Utah.
BYU returns to action Saturday at home for a showdown against No. 8 Gonzaga, and UMass gets a week off before returning home to host Iona on Dec. 30.
