The University of Massachusetts Minutemen had a big win against the Portland Pilots on Wednesday night at the Diamond Head Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. UMass was led by senior guard Luwane Pipkins, who scored 28 points and had seven assists in the 100-78 victory.
The Minutemen got off to a hot start, leading by as many as 15 points in the first half. The Pilots were able to cut the lead to four points at halftime, but UMass pulled away in the second half. The Minutemen outscored Portland 56-41 in the second half to secure the victory.
Pipkins was the star of the game, but he was supported by a strong performance from freshman guard Carl Pierre, who scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Sophomore forward Chris Baldwin also had a solid game, scoring 14 points and grabbing seven rebounds.
The Minutemen were also able to get contributions from their bench, with freshman guard Unique McLean scoring nine points and freshman forward Tre Mitchell adding eight points and four rebounds.
The win was an important one for UMass, as it improved their record to 8-3 on the season. It was also a big win for Pipkins, who has been one of the team’s best players all season. He is now averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists per game on the season.
The Minutemen will look to keep their momentum going when they take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Friday night in the Diamond Head Classic championship game. UMass will need another big performance from Pipkins if they want to come away with the tournament title.
