Carl Pierre’s jumper with 2.7 seconds left in regulation capped a 19-point second-half rally as the UMass men’s basketball team beat Saint Joseph’s, 80-79, Saturday afternoon at the Mullins Center.
UMass (10-17, 3-11 Atlantic 10) outscored the Hawks 43-25 in the second half after trailing by 17 heading into intermission. Saint Joseph’s had a late possession following Pierre’s game-winner, but missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
Jonathan Laurent scored a career-high 24 points for the Minutemen. Pierre had 21 points for his fifth 20-plus point effort of the season.
UMass shot 57 percent from the field, including 47 percent (10 of 21) from 3-point range.
Amherst 62, Hamilton 56 — The third-seeded Mammoths (23-4) won the NESCAC Tournament championship for the first time since 2014 with the victory over the hosts, Sunday in Clinton, New York.
Fru Che (eight rebounds) and Grant Robinson scored 16 points apiece, while Joseph Schneider added 10 rebounds in the win.
C.J. Bachmann added 10 points off the bench.
Robinson scored 32 points in a 74-69 semifinal win over Williams on Saturday.
Emerson 80, Springfield 69 — Jake Ross (Northampton) had 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Cam Earle added 19 points in his final career game, but the Pride (11-15) saw their season end with a loss in the NEWMAC semifinals, Saturday in Boston.
Tufts 47, Amherst 46 — The sixth-ranked Jumbos knocked off the two-time defending national champion and fourth-ranked Mammoths in the NESCAC Tournament semifinals, Saturday at Bowdoin in Brunswick, Maine.
Courtney Resch came off the bench to lead Amherst (23-3) with 15 points. Hannah Fox scored 14 points while Madeline Eck had seven points and seven rebounds.
Fordham 76, UMass 64 — Destiney Philoxy had 26 points, Hailey Leidel added 18 and Vashnie Perry 12, but the Minutewomen (13-15, 5-9 Atlantic 10) fell in New York, Sunday.
Mount Holyoke 18, Gordon College 3 — Abby Baldwin (Florence) had six goals and one assist, Julianna Rankin had four goals and Haley Subocz (Northampton) had goal and an assist as the Lyons rolled in their season opener on the road, Saturday.
Springfield 19, Western New England 3 — Kate Sarnacki (Granby) had five goals and three assists to lead the Pride in their season opener, Saturday in Springfield.
UMass 12, Harvard 9 — Chris Connolly scored five goals and Jeff Trainor added two as the Minutemen (1-2) picked up their first win of the season, Saturday in Cambridge.
Amherst 3, Trinity 2 (OT) — Jamie McNamara scored in overtime, while Kaitlin Hoang and Miriam Eickhoff each had one goal as the Mammoths (13-10-2) advance to the NESCAC Tournament semifinals with the road win Saturday.
Amherst 5, Colby 0 — P.J. Conlon, Nick Bondra and Joey Lupo each had a goal and an assist as the Mammoths (14-6-4) won at Orr Rink Saturday in the NESCAC quarterfinals.
UMass 2, Bryant 1; Georgia 4, UMass 0 — Kenadee Rausch struck out seven in the complete-game victory for the Minutewomen, Saturday at the Georgia Classic. Erin Stacevicz went 2-for-3 and Madison Gimpl added an RBI with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
Stacevicz went 3-for-5 in the loss to the No. 8 Bulldogs.
UMass 2, Central Connecticut 1 — Luke Oliphant’s two-run single was the difference in the Minutemen’s season-opening win over CCSU on Saturday. Sunday’s series finale was cancelled.
Atlantic 10 Championships — UMass senior Jonathan Collins repeated as heptathlon champ to lead the Minutemen to sixth place, Sunday at George Mason.
Atlantic 10 Championships — UMass senior Bridget Deveau repeated as pentathlon champion to lead the Minutewomen to third place, Sunday at George Mason.
Emilie Cowan won the 500-meter dash (1:13.01), and Jada Harris won the 60 hurdles (8.45) and high jump (1.73 meters) for UMass.
NESCAC Championships — Sean Mebust won the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:00.17 for Amherst, while the Mammoths’ 400 free relay team took first, Sunday at Middlebury.
NEWMAC Championships — Springfield freshman Luca Brashear (Amherst) placed fourth in both 1-meter and 3-meter diving during the multi-day championships held at MIT.
NEWMAC Championship — Springfield senior Sierra Skaza (Belchertown) was third on 1-meter diving and fourth on 3-meter at the multi-day championships held at MIT.
NEISDA Championships — Kerry Fleming, of Northampton, won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:55.79 for Simmons, Saturday at MIT.