The first time UMass and St. Joseph's played, the Hawks jumped out to a huge lead (20-3) before the Minutemen rallied to grab a one point lead. This time around the teams played to a similar score in a much more even paced first half.
Carl Jones' 3-pointer with 30 seconds to go was enough for the Hawks to earn a 29-28 halftime lead over the Minutemen in front of a packed crowd at Hagan Arena.
Terrell Vinson and Jesse Morgan both finished with a team-high eight points for UMass who shot just 34.3 (12-35) percent in the first stanza. Sophomore point guard Chaz Williams chipped in with four points, five assists and no turnovers, but he and Raphiael Putney both were whistled for two fouls in the half.
Jones led the Hawks with 13 points in the half connecting on 5-of-8 shots and 3-of-5 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Ronald Roberts led St. Joes with five rebounds and added five points, as the Hawks won the battle on the glass, 23-19.