UMass holds off Saint Joseph's for A10 first-round win (Mar 08, 2017)

By AP
Published

PITTSBURGH (AP) C.J. Anderson scored 17 points, Zach Lewis added 14 and Massachusetts held off a late rally from St. Joseph's for a 70-63 victory in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament on Wednesday night.

No. 12 seed UMass (15-17) snapped a three-game skid and plays fifth-seeded St. Bonaventure in a Thursday quarterfinal. No. 13 seed St. Joseph's (11-20) lost ten of its last 11.

Luwane Pipkins' 3-pointer stretched the Minutemen's lead to its largest of the game, 58-39, with about eight minutes left. But the Hawks rallied with a 24-6 run to pull to 66-63 with 14 seconds left. Lewis made a pair of free throws and forced a turnover, and Anderson sealed it with a dunk.

Lewis surpassed 1,000 career points and Pipkins finished with 13.

James Demery scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead St. Joseph's.