It’s going to be another exciting finish in the I-91 rivalry after a tight first half between the UMass Minutemen and Quinnipiac Bobcats.
Chaz Williams leads UMass with eight points and four assists including a running layup with under five seconds left in the half to close the deficit to four. Sophomore forward Raphiael Putney added seven points for the Minutemen and Freddie Riley and and Javorn Farrell chipped in five points.
Quinnipiac was led by the two-headed monster of James Johnson and Ike Azotam. The pair scored 26 of the team’s 40 points in the half, with Azotam finishing with 12 points and six rebounds.
Both teams shot the ball well in the first half, with the Bobcats hitting 55 percent of their attempts and UMass knocking down 41 percent of their shots. The squads were even more impressive from beyond the arc, with both teams hitting five attempts.