2008 Woodie Awards
Men's Basketball: Minutemen struggling to finish games
Turnovers continue to be an issue as team adjusts to offense
Scott Feldman, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Sports
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"Let's play intense basketball for 40 minutes, let's go out there and compete on every play and every possession," he said.
It is how UMass plays the final 20 minutes of its games that has Kellogg particularly worried. The Minutemen have been outscored in the second half in four straight games, all of which were losses.
Nov. 12 against Southern Illinois, the Minutemen (1-4) jumped out to an early 15-point lead and ended the half up 39-29. Yet the Saluki's won 80-73 and put away UMass with a 10-0 run in the final three minutes. UMass was outscored 52-34 in the second half.
In its game against No. 13 Memphis on Nov.17, UMass was able to keep it close and trailed by 33-25 at the half. In the second half they were outscored 47-33 in the 80-58 loss.
The loss in their home opener to Jacksonville State highlighted the Minutemen's problems to closing out games. Leading 74-69 with 30 seconds left, UMass allowed a 6-0 run in 22 seconds and lost 75-74. During that span, the Minutemen missed two free throws that could have sealed the game.
Last Saturday, in the Minutemen's 84-67 loss to Green Bay, they entered the half on top 39-37, but were dominated over the next 20 minutes and were outscored 47-28.
It's not just Kellogg who sees the problems in the second half. Shooting guard Ricky Harris echoed the sentiment following the loss to Green Bay.
"[Finishing games] has been our problem all season long," Harris said. "We come out in the first half and play really well and in the second half we just die. It just has to all come together and we have to figure out what it is we want out of this season."
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