Umass Manhandles Owls

Top 25

Massachusetts, the nation’s top-ranked team, continued its perfection with a 59-35 victory over Temple at McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia Thursday night.

Massachusetts (20-0, 8-0 Atlantic 10) handled its toughest road test of the season with aplomb, as the Minutemen crept to a 30-12 lead at the half and totally befuddled the Owls’ offensive scheme.

Temple made a puny 20.6 percent of its field-goal attempts.

It wasn’t supposed to be that easy. Temple (11-8, 7-1 in the East Division) beat the Minutemen here a year ago, and it was an Owls defeat of Kansas on Dec. 22 that allowed Massachusetts to take over the No. 1 ranking.

Temple got within eight, at 36-28, with 11:28 to go, but Massachusetts held the Owls without a basket over the next 5 minutes during an 11-2 run.

Junior center Marcus Camby, in his third game back after a four-game absence that followed his collapse for reasons which remain undiagnosed, had 15 points and nine blocks for the Minutemen, and Carmelo Travieso had a game-high 16.

The only casualty for Massachusetts was Donta Bright’s A-10 record free-throw streak. The senior forward made his first of the night, stretching his record to 40 in a row, but missed his next two.

(7) Utah 77, Texas-El Paso 62

Brandon Jessie and Keith Van Horn scored 17 each to lead the Utes (17-3, 9-1 WAC) over the Miners (10-9, 2-8) at Salt Lake City.

UTEP’s Mark Ingles hit his school-record-tying seventh 3-pointer to cut Utah’s lead to 65-59 with 2:30 left. However, UTEP scored just three more points.

(11) Memphis 83, DePaul 82 (OT)

Mingo Johnson scored six points in overtime as the Tigers (16-3, 7-1 Conference USA) withstood DePaul’s second-half surge at Rosemont, Ill., sending the Blue Demons (7-12, 0-8) to their school-record ninth straight loss.

(18) Syracuse 72, Miami 51

John Wallace scored 19 points and Otis Hill had 17 as the Orangemen (15-6, 6-5 Big East) held the visiting Hurricanes to 30 percent shooting en route to a victory at Syracuse, N.Y.

Syracuse avenged a 75-66 loss to Miami earlier this year. Wallace and Hill helped the Orangemen build a 13-point lead in the first half.

Providence 76, (21) Boston College 75

Derrick Brown scored 23 points and Michael Brown added 20 as the visiting Friars (11-7, 4-6 Big East) continued their domination of the Eagles (12-5, 5-4) with their victory at Newton, Mass.