John HollandBy Paul Seaver (TheArenaPulse) The records are not all that impressive and conference play will be vital for both Boston Univ. (7-10) and UMass (9-5).
However, on Sunday afternoon both programs secured key victories against tougher opponents, adding a bit of confidence for each group as conference play begins to kick into full force.
Rebounding propelled Boston Univ. over Vermont, while UMass used stellar defense to slow down Dayton and pull off a needed victory in their A-10 opener.
For the Terriers, the 2010-2011 season has certainly been nothing to gloat about. However, with America East play set to dominate the next few months, BU took a huge step in overcoming a tough non-conference slate and put focus solely on the America East.
Entering the season, Vermont (11-4, 2-1) appears to be the favorite, yet again in the conference. That may still be the case, yet BU's 9-point victory on Sunday certainly has to raise the idea of the Terriers being in the discussion.
Outside of Vermont, Maine (8-7, 2-1) is the only other team in the league with an overall record above .500. Despite being 7-10, the Terriers are well tested already this year with trips to Kentucky and Villanova already under their belt.
Taking it all in stride, the Terriers' win on Sunday was their second in a row and only the second time all season they have managed to win back-to-back games. At 2-1 in the conference, can BU make a run at lone NCAA bid in the America East?
BU out-rebounded Vermont 38 to 26, establishing a dominating presence on the glass and snapping the Catamounts' four-game winning streak.
John Holland struggled from the field, but was red-hot from the free throw line en-route to a 24-point performance. Teammate Darryl Partin also chipped in with 24 points, guiding the Terriers to a 74-65 win.
As for UMass, the Minutemen began the season at 7-0, but would they be able to sustain that early season success? The answer initially has been no, however a big victory on Sunday to begin Atlantic-10 play has propelled them back into that discussion.
UMass limited Dayton to just 18 points in the first half, 50 for the game, enabling themselves to secure a 55-50 victory to begin conference play. The loss for the Flyers dips them to 1-1 in the conference and 13-4 overall.
Similar to BU star John Holland, UMass' go-to-guy Anthony Gurley struggled from the field (2-for-10), but managed to finish 10-for-10 from the free throw line, ending his afternoon with a game-high 15 points.
Dayton's leading scorer, Chris Wright was limited in Sunday's action, recording only six points in 20 minutes of play.
The victory was a needed one for UMass. The Minutemen were just 1-5 in their previous six games, including a recent 29-point loss to Central Connecticut State. However, Sunday's victory proved UMass can compete with some of the best in the A-10.
Temple, Richmond, Dayton, and Xavier have highlighted the conference in recent memory and each of those four teams are expected to threaten amongst the league's elite, yet again. However, with other pesky squads, such as UMass, Charlotte, LaSalle, and URI, the conference has become a multi-bid league over the past few seasons. This year is not expected to be any different.
The overall records and sub-par resumes for both UMass and Boston Univ. are nothing to go overboard about, yet Sunday's success for each are huge steps in the right direction.
Conference slip-ups are something that each will look to avoid as the months of January and February come and go if either group will present themselves with an opportunity of a postseason berth.
UMass (9-5, 1-0) will head to Xavier on Wednesday night in search of their tenth victory this season. Boston Univ. (7-10, 2-1) will prepare for a pair of conference road games at Albany (1/15) and UMBC (1/17).
Can UMass and/or BU use their recent wins and take the next step forward?
*Photo: John Holland
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