AMHERST — For anyone associated with Central Florida or with no stake in either side, the two games between UMass and UCF have been a pair of memorable classics.
But for the Minutemen, the series was a pair of heartbreakers. For the second straight year the game came down to the final second and both times UMass left stunned.
The Knights got a putback with 3 seconds left last year in Orlando, Florida. This year, Nick Banyard hit a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left as the Minutemen fell, 65-62.
“It definitely hurt the way it ended,” junior Donte Clark said. “I don’t think we were expecting him to make that last 3.”
UMass trailed 62-59 late, but Clark, who’d struggled all game, made a 3-pointer from the right corner to tie the game 62-62. A.J. Davis, who had the game-winning putback in last year’s win for the Knights, tried to be the hero again, but his driving layup rolled off the rim with four seconds left.
Banyard grabbed the rebound as his momentum carried him beyond the 3-point line. The fifth-year senior spun and launched, and his 3-pointer fell in with 0.6 seconds left silencing a previously boisterous Mullins Center. After a timeout, UMass was unable to get a shot off.
“I thought that was a pretty good college basketball game,” UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. “Unfortunately they ended up with the ball at the end and made a big fade-away 3. I thought we played plenty hard enough to win. We just didn’t come up with some plays.”
UMass’ defense kept the Minutemen in the game on a tough shooting day. They were 10-for-38 from 3-point range (26.3 percent) and 25-for-72 from the floor. UMass forced 20 turnovers (15 steals) and committed just 10.
“It was definitely one of our best defensive games,” Clark said. “We were all over the place today. We can definitely build off of this game. We have to clean up little things like defensive rebounding at the end of the game.”
Kellogg was pleased and frustrated.
“We did a lot of great stuff and then we did things that make you wonder if we practiced yesterday,” Kellogg said. “We did a lot of decent stuff and we made a lot of mistakes that led to baskets.”
The Minutemen attempted 30 more shots (72-42) than UCF, but the Knights were effective getting to the line. They made 22 of 30, including 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall’s 3-for-5 effort. Fall came in shooting 25 percent, but he made two with 31 seconds left to push the lead to three before Clark’s game-tying shot. UMass attempted just nine free throws and missed seven of them.
Luwane Pipkins struggled, hitting 7 of 22 from the field and 2 of 12 from 3-point range for 16 points. But he had seven steals, six rebounds and no turnovers.
The result muted a breakout effort by freshman Ty Flowers, who had 20 points, including six 3-pointers and nine rebounds.
“His attitude has been really good. I think attitude goes into how you play,” Kellogg said.
Tank Efianayi led the Knights (5-1) with 24 points, while Fall had nine points and 16 rebounds.
UMass (5-2) hosts Pacific, Thursday at 7 p.m.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage