Maxie Esho key in second half for UMass
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AMHERST - What would have been the biggest play of Maxie Esho's night wasn't quite completed.
On a fast break, University of Massachusetts point guard Chaz Williams tried to throw an overhead hook pass from the right side of the basket to Esho for an alley-oop.
The throw was off, but the freshman leaned to catch the ball and nearly threw down a reverse dunk, but hit the rim.
While he missed a shot at SportsCenter's Top 10, he still played a key role in the second half when he scored seven of his nine points in the Minutemen's 76-67 win Wednesday over St. Bonaventure.
"I thought he was unbelievable in the zone and on the front of the press. And his energy and athleticism I think gave us a different kind of look.. He gave us a nice boost," UMass coach Derek Kellogg said. "His energy was I thought great defensively. And if he didn't miss that dunk, I thought that it might have made a highlight reel."
Esho said he's grown more comfortable as the season progresses.
"I'm getting more confident as the season goes, and toward the end of the season," Esho said. "(I just try to bring) energy, rebounds, just to be aggressive on the press, on the full-court press."
TECHNICALS - Among Raphiael Putney's five fouls was a technical after a dunk in the first half and a flagrant foul in the second half. St. Bonaventure's Chris Johnson was also called for the technical.
WHITE RIBBON PLEDGE - Kellogg and members of his staff wore white ribbons on their lapels as part of the White Ribbon Pledge campaign that promotes ending violence against women.
About 50 students officially took the pledge on the court at halftime.
CARTER HONORED - Senior Sean Carter wasn't part of the ceremony that honored UMass athletes with 4.0 grade point averages as he was in the locker room preparing for the second half. But the senior sociology major's name was announced as part of the ceremony.
HOME STREAK - The win improved the Minutemen to 12-0 at home this season - 11 wins at the Mullins Center and one at Curry Hicks Cage. It's the best start since the 1993-94 Minutemen were 14-0 at home.
MISCELLANEOUS - Among the 4,253 fans in the building were Atlantic 10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade and former Major League Baseball player, manager and coach Don Zimmer.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass.
