AMHERST — A year ago, Rayshawn Miller was a rarely used walk-on for the UMass men’s basketball team and Carl Pierre was a high school star likely heading to prep school.
But the two Bostonians have taken advantage of opportunities that were unforeseen last year. Both gave the Minutemen a lift Tuesday in an 85-76 win over Western Carolina.
Miller didn’t have any points 31 minutes into the game, but he buried a 3-pointer that started an 11-0 run that sealed the win.
He said he was unfazed by the magnitude of the situation when he shot it.
“It’s the same shot,” he said. “I’m laid back. It’s my demeanor. Whatever I see I’m taking. Open shots. I’m not trying to force anything. I’m still getting use to it.”
Sophomore Luwane Pipkins said Miller has been reliable.
“He’s a laid-back guy. He’s fundamentally sound,” Pipkins said. “If the ball comes to him and he’s got an open shot, he takes it. He rarely misses.”
UMass coach Matt McCall said Miller’s approach has contributed greatly to his success.
“Ray wants to win. He’s so appreciative of the opportunity he has every day to be a part of this program,” McCall said. “He reminds me of (director of basketball operations) Jake Kurtz who is on my staff, who was so appreciative of the opportunity he had at Florida to be a part of that program. That transitioned into him being a starter his senior year. Ray’s not thinking he hasn’t scored. He’s thinking my feet are set, I’m wide open, I’m going to drill this 3.”
Pierre scored in double figures for the second straight game with 15 points, further rewarding McCall’s decision to give him a scholarship in the spring.
“I think this is great for Carl. He’s getting baptized by fire,” McCall said. “When you look at him down the road — Jaylen Adams was originally signed with Jacksonville University and Cliff Warren (who is now an assistant at UMass). Cliff Warren leaves and goes to Maryland and Jaylen goes to St. Bonaventure. As a freshman Adams got on the floor an enormous amount. In his junior year he was terrific and in his senior year he’s one of the best guards in the country. That’s not to put pressure on Carl, but when you get this kind of experience and you’re in close games, it only helps your development.”
McCall praised Pierre’s approach.
“Carl is always completely focused on our team and never focused on himself. He’s focused on what’s best for the program and what goes into winning,” McCall said. “Like Ray, he has an appreciation level for being here. He’s not afraid. His development is big for us going forward.”
NOTES — UMass has won five straight games in regular-season tournament situations. Technically the Niagara and Western Carolina games were both part of the Barclays Center Classic, which moves to Brooklyn, New York, Friday. The Minutemen won all the games in the Gotham Classic last year. Going back to 2015, UMass is 8-1 in tournaments. It went 3-1 in the 2015 Las Vegas Tournament.
The Minutemen made 20 of 22 free throws.
Rashaan Holloway played just 11 minutes with four points and two rebounds. He was in foul trouble early and unproductive in the second half.
The crowd of 2,042 saw a game that was close most of the way but never tied.
McCall elected to play Chris Baldwin with three fouls in the first half. He never picked up a fourth.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage