UAFS Men lose to UMass Minutemen

Editor’s note: Story by Jonathan Gipson, sports information director for the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

AMHERST, Mass. – After dropping its first two games of the season, the University of Massachusetts was in dire need of a win.

They finally got one Saturday night.

Anthony Gurley led five players in double-figures with 21 points as the NCAA Division I Minutemen pulled away down the stretch to beat Division II University of Arkansas at Fort Smith 94-68 in the Legends Classic here at the Mullins Center.

UMass (1-2) had lost to Central Florida in its season opener and lost to Cornell in the opening game of the Classic on Wednesday. UAFS (1-1) suffered its first loss of the season after beating Division III University of the Ozarks in its season opener on Tuesday night.

The Minutemen, who were one of four regional hosts, automatically earned a berth in the classic semifinals.

UMass led 43-28 at halftime behind a solid 50% shooting effort (19 of 38) and finished the game shooting 55% from the field (36 of 66). The second-half catalyst was the Minutemen’s 3-point shooting. After only sinking two treys in the first half against Lions’ zone, which they were forced into by foul trouble, the Minutemen sank six 3-pointers in the final 20 minutes.

UAFS shot 33% from the field (11 of 33) in the first half and led by as many as four points. The Lions finished the night shooting 44% from the field (29 of 66). The Lions shot 55% (18 of 33) in the second half but couldn’t make up the early deficit.

Junior guard Aaron McHenry of Fayetteville, Ark., scored 18 points to lead the Lions, while freshman guard Jalynn Mitchell of Jonesboro, Ark., and junior guard Josh Simmons of Houston, Texas, chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Simmons fouled out midway through the second half, and freshman Dean Neville of Melbourne, Australia, fouled out late to make the Lions’ bench even more depleted. UAFS played without starting point guard Cedric Henderson of Houston, Texas, who will be sidelined indefinitely with a foot injury.

UAFS will return to action on Tuesday when it travels to Weatherford, Okla., to play Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 7 p.m. The Lions will travel to Statesboro, Ga., Nov. 28 to play Troy, Georgia Southern and Valparaiso in the classic sub-regional on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Link here to the Lions’ season schedule.