HONOLULU, Hawaii – The already shorthanded Portland men's basketball team lost another starter in the first half to injury and dropped a 100-78 decision to UMass on the second day of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.
The Pilots (6-8) finished the game with just seven active scholarship players after second leading scorer Vukasin Masic went down with an ankle injury late in the opening period. Portland still battled and were in the game until the final few minutes.
Four players score in double figures, led by Tyler Harris, who had 20 points. Tyler Robertson added 17 points and Bol Dengdit and Juanse Gorosito helped out with 12 points each from the bench.
Led by Dengdit's three offensive rebounds, Portland did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 12 boards that resulted in 18 second chance points.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 7-6 advantage, Portland went on a 6-0 run with 17:28 left in the first half to increase its lead to 13-6. Masic went down with less than five minutes left in the half and the Pilots trailed 48-40 at intermission.
UMass kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing a 53-40 advantage before Portland went on an 8-0 run, finished off by Harris' jumper, to shrink the deficit to 53-48 with 17:06 to go.
The Minutemen pushed back to a 14-point lead before the Pilots responded and cut it to six spurred by a pair of free throws and putback from Dengdit. Harris' two free throws then made it 67-61 with 11:23 remaining.
A Robertson three-pointer again pulled the Pilots within six at 72-66 with 9:13 left and Portland got a defensive stop, but missed an open three-pointer on the ensuing possession. The Pilots ran out of gas as the Minutemen went on a 12-1 run to put the game out of reach.
Game Notes
» The Portland bench came alive by scoring 25 points to its scoring output.
» Bol Dengdit's 12 points were a season high.
» Portland cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Portland got five rebounds from both Tyler Harris and Tyler Robertson.
» Josh Cohen was a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and made all nine of his free throws to finish with a game-high 28 points for UMass.
» The Minutemen shot 59 percent for the game and made 21-of-23 free throws.
Up Next
The Pilots conclude action at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic on Sunday vs. Temple in the seventh-place game. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. (PT) on ESPN2.
Get Your Tickets Now!
Secure your spot now for any upcoming Portland Pilots ticketed home event by visiting PortlandPilots.com/Tickets or by downloading the Portland Pilots App. For group and fan experience package information, email pilotsboxoffice@up.edu.
Donate Today
Fans interested in making a contribution to the Pilot Athletic Fund can do so by clicking here. Your gift directly helps our nearly 300 student-athletes as they strive to make a difference in our community and achieve academic and athletic excellence. Thank you for support of Pilot Athletics!
Follow Along With the Action
Get the latest news and information about your favorite University of Portland athletic programs by visiting PortlandPilots.com. You can also follow along for the most dynamic coverage and team-centric content by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, and following us on Instagram.