Minutemen Come To Life At Long Range

Top 25

Top-ranked Massachusetts, undaunted by poor first-half shooting, hit three 3-pointers in the first 3 minutes of the second half and pulled away from Rutgers for an 85-68 victory at Amherst, Mass.

The Minutemen (3-0 in the Atlantic 10, 10-1) led just 36-33 at halftime after making only one of eight 3-pointers and only two outside shots. But they came out firing in the second half, five of their first six shots were from 3-point range.

Mike Williams, who had 16 points, made the score 39-35 with a 3-pointer 54 seconds into the second half. Derek Kellogg followed with a 3-pointer and, after Williams missed one, Tyrone Weeks’ layup and Kellogg’s 3-pointer gave the Minutemen a 47-35 lead with 3:28 gone.

(17) Missouri 64, Notre Dame 56

Paul O’Liney overcame early foul trouble to score 20 points as the Tigers (11-2) pulled away to defeat the Irish (9-5) at Columbia, Mo.

Missouri, however, shot just 33 percent and narrowly avoided losing consecutive games for the first time since late in the 1992-93 season.