The Massachusetts Minutemen secured a thrilling upset victory in the 2012 Atlantic 10 Tournament quarterfinals early Friday afternoon in Atlantic City, ousting the top-seeded Temple Owls 77-71.

Point guard Chaz Williams sparked a 17-0 UMass run to begin the second half, and the Minutemen outscored Temple 46-35 after intermission to advance to the conference semifinals.

Jesse Morgan scored 21 points to lead UMass, and Williams repeatedly found his way into the interior of Temple's defense while racking up 20 points and 10 assists.

UMass' only chance at earning an NCAA tournament berth is to win the Atlantic 10 tournament, which the Minutemen can now do with two more wins.

For more on the Atlantic 10 Tournament, check back to this StoryStream. Meanwhile, SB Nation's college basketball hub will prepare you for the month of March and the madness it brings.