Daniel Haskins-Sanford posted a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds to help the UMass Minutemen down Florida State, 103-95, on Saturday in the Orange Bowl Classic. Haskins-Sanford scored seven points in a 1:26 stretch that allowed UMass to boost its lead to 98-80. Photo courtesy of UMass Athletics.
SUNRISE, Fla. – UMass head coach Frank Martin enters his fourth season as boss of the Minutemen, who have coincidentally transitioned from the Atlantic 10 to the MAC. Martin’s team showed its ability as UMass took out Florida State, 103-95, in the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, Fla.
The Minutemen had used the three-point game of shooter Marcus Banks in the first half as he made three triples in the first three minutes to push UMass to an 11-5 lead. UMass defended and built the lead after a pair of threes from K’Jei Parker finished an early 8-0 run. Forward Daniel Haskins-Sanford scored in the lane and gave UMass a 32-19 lead with 9:04 remaining in the first half.
Haskins-Sanford and Parker led all scorers with 24 points each, and Haskins-Sanford accumulated 10 rebounds and was named the game’s MVP. Parker scored 14 of his points in the first half, while Haskins-Sanford found 18 in the second 20 minutes.
“They (his team) answered the bell, and we were in control,” said Martin. “I wouldn’t say we were in control in the first half because all I did was switch defenses. We were making shots, which was disguising our lack of defending. In the second half, they actually defended and gave us an opportunity to win.”
Haskins-Sanford joins Italian forward Leonardo Bettiol as tough matchups in the paint since they are two different types of posts. Haskins-Sanford utilizes his athleticism to score inside, while Bettiol’s size and ability with his footwork allow him to be successful.
“I knew I had to be aggressive to help my team out,” said Haskins-Sanford. “Last game vs. Boston College, it was the same message – ‘Just be aggressive.’ That was the message coming into the game – just be aggressive, guard your man, and help your teammate if he needs help.”
Trailing 47-43 at halftime, Bettiol scored 11 of his 20 points in the first 6:18 to allow UMass to retake the lead at 61-58. UMass would never trail again as Parker and Haskins-Sanford combined for 10 points in a 1:41 stretch, which gave the Minutemen a 93-76 lead with 4:14 to play.
“The game is still won and lost in the paint,” Martin said. “You have to defend in the paint, and you have to score in the paint. It’s how you collapse defenses. How you get it in the paint is up to you as a coach and your team and your talent.”
Martin discussed feeling like he had put UMass in a tough situation due to the path taken to get into Sunrise and play back-to-back games against two ACC opponents.
“It’s not the opponent in whatever league. I wish we could play 20 teams from the ACC and the Big 12. It’s that we played BC on Wednesday night, and I got home at midnight. The guys had finals at 8 am. We had to practice at 7 am yesterday, so we had to catch a flight to come here and play a team – on one day of practice – that plays the polar opposite of how Boston College plays – from pace to defense – and when you are coaching ten new guys, it’s really hard to understand how to how to coach them through their minds. – UMass head coach Frank Martin
Florida State dropped its fourth game in a row against a quartet of potential NCAA tournament representatives in Georgia, Houston, Texas A&M, and UMass.
Robert McCray V led five Seminoles in double figures with 21 points and 11 assists. UMass outscored FSU 48-40 in the paint, with 19 points off of 12 Seminoles turnovers.
“Tonight our focus level and our effort level from the start were very inconsistent, and it was nonexistent to start the game and very inconsistent throughout the game,” commented Seminoles head coach Luke Loucks. “We let two ‘hot guys’ and ‘hot guys’ in our vocabulary — They should not get an open three off and have eight uncontested threes and make seven. To start the game like that is a pretty big hole.”