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By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — Mental toughness is a requisite for a championship team.The Mahar boys basketball team sure showed a lot of it on Friday to reach the MIAA Division 5 semifinals.The fifth-seeded Senators couldn’t have had a worse start against No. 13 Boston...

By GEORGE MILLER

NORTHFIELD — Saturday's MIAA Division 5 boys basketball state quarterfinal allowed Pioneer the chance to flip an old adage on its head, and discover just how hard it is to lose to the same team three times in one season.That's not to say the Panthers...

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — The Mahar boys basketball team’s run in the MIAA Division 5 state tournament was in serious peril after eight minutes of Friday’s game against Boston English. Hosting the No. 13 Eagles in the quarterfinals, the fifth-seeded Senators found...

By CONNOR PIGNATELLO

AMHERST – UMass director of athletics Ryan Bamford confirmed on Thursday that UMass will increase its men’s basketball budget upon entrance to the Mid-American Conference for the 2025-26 academic year. UMass spent $4.5 million on men’s basketball last...

CONNOR PIGNATELLO

AMHERST – Though UMass only officially announced its transition from the Atlantic 10 to the MAC at Thursday’s press conference, it’s a move that’s been in the works for months, if not years.UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford came into the job in...

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — There was a lot on the line heading into the UMass men’s basketball team’s matchup with Fordham on Wednesday night at the Mullins Center.The Minutemen were looking for their first 20-win season in 10 years, their first three-game conference...

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

WESTPORT — The Westport defense made life difficult for the Franklin Tech girls basketball team on Wednesday in the MIAA Division 5 Round of 16.The fifth-seeded Wildcats smothered the No. 12 Eagles and didn't give them any easy looks at the rim early,...

By GARRETT COTE

The previous two times the UMass women’s basketball team played La Salle this season, the Minutewomen held late leads in the fourth quarter and watched them slip away en route to two heartbreaking conference defeats.But on Wednesday afternoon in...

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — The Mahar boys basketball team seems to get stronger and stronger as the games progress. Hosting 21st-ranked Old Colony on Tuesday in the MIAA Div. 5 Round of 16, the No. 5 Senators found themselves trailing 21-17 midway through the second...

By GARRETT COTE

NORTHFIELD — Late in the second quarter, No. 14 Athol found itself down just two points after cutting into No. 3 Pioneer’s once eight-point lead.During the next stoppage, Panthers head coach Scott Thayer belted out “everybody relax” to his team...

By GARRETT COTE

It’s been a complete turnaround from last season, and not the turnaround the UMass women’s basketball team had hoped for.It was going to be almost impossible to replicate the success the 2022-23 team had last winter (program record in wins, Atlantic...

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — Only three scholarship players were set to return from last season’s UMass men’s basketball team. Just as fans did following each disappointing loss throughout the 2022-23 campaign, players filed for the exits following one final stinker in...

Top-seeded Hoosac Valley certainly looked the part on Monday night.The Hurricanes shook off a strong start from visiting Mahar, turning a two-point lead after one quarter into a 32-13 halftime advantage.Hoosac pulled away for a 63-32 victory over the...

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

MAYNARD — The Pioneer girls basketball team seemed to have a counter for every punch Maynard threw on Monday in the MIAA Division 5 Round of 16. The seventh-seeded Tigers led 33-27 going into the fourth quarter, and while they held a lead throughout...

By GARRETT COTE

Trailing by three points with under a minute to go, the UMass men’s basketball team turned to one player to carry them to a comeback victory.That would be Matt Cross, who nailed four consecutive free throws as part of his game-high 26 points to boost...

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

NORTHFIELD — It’ll be a birthday Pioneer Valley Regional junior Brayden Thayer will never forget. It was going to take a big year offensively for Thayer to become the 20th player in Pioneer history to hit the 1,000 point mark. He entered the season...

By GEORGE MILLER

TURNERS FALLS — The only real difficulty for Franklin Tech came in the fourth quarter Friday night, but oh, what a considerable difficulty it was.Pioneer Valley Christian, trailing 44-20 after three quarters, flew back into contention on the strength...

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

ORANGE — The No. 16-17 matchup is always highly anticipated in the Round of 32 in the state tournament.The Mahar and Lee girls basketball teams didn’t disappoint on Thursday in the MIAA Div. 5 state tourney. Kenzie Garrity caught fire in the final...

By GEORGE MILLER

SOUTH DEERFIELD — It's got to do a basketball coach's heart a world of good when his team doesn't allow a single basket in the first quarter.Frontier Regional flexed its typically strong defensive muscles Thursday night, running out to a 20-2 lead...

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — The streak is finally over.Following an abysmal stretch of 15 consecutive losses, the UMass women’s basketball team finally put an end to its skid with a 58-45 win over St. Bonaventure on Wednesday night at the Mullins Center. Kristin...