UMass just pulled off one of college basketball's biggest moments this season. The Minutemen men's basketball team (17-15, 7-11 MAC) outlasted No. 20 Miami (OH) (31-1, 16-0 MAC), 87-83, at Rocket Arena in the MAC Quarterfinals on Thursday. This wasn't just any tournament win - the Minutemen survived two double-digit deficits to knock off the last remaining undefeated team in Division I men's basketball and advance to the semifinals.
As the eighth seed facing the #1 seed, UMass wasn't supposed to be here competing at this level. The men's team's path to the tournament wasn't easy, sneaking in as the eighth seed for the last spot in the conference. Despite holding the same MAC record as Ball State, who was left out of the tournament, the Minutemen earned their spot off a tiebreaker. Now they've beaten the only undefeated team left standing. The Minutemen secured their first win over a nationally-ranked opponent since taking down No. 19 New Mexico on Nov. 22, 2013 by an 81-65 final. UMass had lost 11 straight against ranked foes since (which included two this season to Miami (OH)).
The Minutemen were led by Leonardo Bettiol with 25 points and eight rebounds on an efficient 10-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from the free throw line. Marcus Banks Jr. added 18 points and five rebounds, including two triples. What made this win even sweeter: with his first make from behind the arc, Banks Jr. broke the program single-season three-pointers made record with 108. The real difference came on the boards - UMass hammered the RedHawks on the glass with a 41-24 rebounding disparity leading to a 24-point advantage in points in the paint. The Minutemen advance to the second round of the MAC tournament, where they will face the winner of Bowling Green vs. [next opponent].