Sports

Report finds divide between athletes and non-athletes at Amherst College

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

The divide between varsity athletes and the rest of the student body is a primary concern detailed in a report Amherst College released last week.Amherst President Carolyn “Biddy” Martin commissioned the report, titled “The Place of Athletics at...

UMass football program mourns death of former lineman Michael Boland

By MATT VAUTOUR

AMHERST — The UMass football program is mourning the death of senior offensive lineman Michael Boland.Boland, 23, who completed his playing career and his degree in the fall semester, was at home in Rockville, Maryland when he died Saturday. His cause...

Wednesday’s colleges: Smith drops Springfield on hardwood

Staff reports

The Smith College women’s basketball team had a pair of double doubles en route to a 64-51 win over Springfield, Wednesday in Northampton.Kennedy Guest-Pritchett had 15 points and 11 boards, while Samantha Alakai had 10 and 12, respectively, for the...

Watson and Clemson dethrone top-ranked Tide, 35-31

By RALPH D. RUSSO

TAMPA, Fla. — College football’s first national championship rematch was fitting sequel to the original, with an unusual twist at the end.Deshaun Watson and Clemson dethroned the champs and became the first team to beat Nick Saban’s Alabama dynasty...

Matt Vautour: Baylor, an unlikely No. 1

By MATT VAUTOUR

Baylor didn’t get a vote in the preseason poll. None in the first regular season poll either. Heck, it was picked fifth in the Big 12’s preseason poll.But with the season around it’s midpoint, not only do all 66 voters have the Bears ranked, but 55 of...

Easthampton’s Stephen Hyde, Jeremy Powers battle for cyclocross national championship in Hartford

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Easthampton cyclist Jeremy Powers has looked over his shoulder at Stephen Hyde for years.The mentor, a four-time national champion, watched his mentee grow through the JAM Fund program into one of the top cyclocross riders in the country.Hyde pursued...

Hockey hall of famer Milt Schmidt, 1951 NHL MVP, dies at 98

By JIMMY GOLEN

BOSTON — Milt Schmidt, the hockey hall of famer who led Boston to two Stanley Cup championships as the center of the “Kraut Line,” served Canada in World War II and returned to the NHL to win its MVP award and two more titles as the Bruins general...

UMass misses opportunities, falls 86-81 to George Mason

By MATT VAUTOUR

FAIRFAX, Va. — There were a couple of moments late when UMass looked like it might produce a sequel to their wild 2014 come-from behind win at George Mason.But while the Minutemen had several good looks at a would-be game-changing 3-pointers, none of...

Wednesday’s high schools: Jake Balderston records 100th point in Amherst Regional hockey career

Staff reports

The team accomplishment came last year, when the Amherst Regional hockey program won a Western Massachusetts Division 3A title.An individual milestone came in 2017 for senior Jake Balderston.With three goals and an assist in a 7-0 win over Easthampton...

Wednesday’s wrestling: Frontier Regional takes down Smith Vocational

Staff reports

Tanner Finch earned Frontier Regional’s only pin but the Red Hawks’ wrestling team beat Smith Vocational, 54-21, Wednesday in Northampton.Finch pinned Smith Voke’s Jon Tennyson in 47 seconds at 133 pounds.Koby Ouimette (160), Stone Mitchell (285) and...

Wednesday’s colleges: UMass stops URI in 68-67 women’s basketball win

Staff Reports

Ryan Holder’s steal with a second left sealed a 68-67 win for the UMass women’s basketball team over Rhode Island Wednesday at the Mullins Center. Hailey Leidel scored a career-high 27 points, including four points that gave the Minutewomen (7-9, 1-2...

UMass notebook: Derek Kellogg changes starting lineup, inserts freshman Brison Gresham

By MATT VAUTOUR

FAIRFAX, Va. — In an effort to shake up his team after Friday’s loss to St. Bonaventure, UMass coach Derek Kellogg changed his starting lineup Wednesday, replacing junior forward Seth Berger with freshman Brison Gresham, who made his first career...

Thomas’ 29 points, 15 assists send Celtics past Jazz 115-104

By DOUG ALDEN

BOSTON — Isaiah Thomas keeps setting personal bests, and the Boston Celtics keep winning games.Thomas had 29 points and a career-high 15 assists for Boston, which made 17 3-pointers for the second straight game while defeating the Utah Jazz 115-104 on...

Tuesday’s high schools: Nate Piorier beats buzzer as South Hadley edges Easthampton

Staff reports

The South Hadley and Easthampton boys basketball teams were locked in a back-and-forth game until the buzzer.Just when the Eagles thought they earned their second win, Nate Poirier and the Tigers snatched it away.Poirier’s fade-away jumper from just...

Beantown as Shoetown: Sneaker makers stake claim in Boston

By PHILIP MARCELO

BOSTON — Shoe makers are racing to the Boston area as they compete for millennial talent.Reebok picked the city’s rapidly growing Seaport District for its new global headquarters in December, following in the footsteps of New Balance and Converse,...

Bruins beat Sabres thanks to fast start

By KEN POWTAK

BOSTON — A fast start and another solid outing by goaltender Tuukka Rask made for a fairly easy afternoon for the Boston Bruins.Patrice Bergeron and Tim Schaller scored second-period goals Saturday to help the Bruins beat Buffalo 3-1 and complete a...

Remembering the names of 2016

Amherst RegionalSage Bailin — CMass/WMass Division 1 outdoor 400 hurdles champ.Luca Brashear — WMass boys 1-meter diving champ.Joe Costello — Coached Amherst boys to state Division 1 ultimate championship.Sophia Jacobs-Townsley — Won the District F&G...

UMass basketball struggles in Atlantic 10 ‘street fight’ against St. Bonaventure

By MATT VAUTOUR

AMHERST — The young UMass basketball team found out quickly that conference play figures to be a little tougher than what it had seen so far.St. Bonaventure’s veteran backcourt outplayed the Minutemen’s young guards, and UMass couldn’t keep up in a...

UMass basketball notebook: two players ejected in St. Bonaventure loss

By MATT VAUTOUR

AMHERST — UMass and St. Bonaventure has been a good rivalry in recent years, but the matchup got extra heated when Minuteman center Brison Gresham and St. Bonaventure big man Jay Ayeni were each ejected in the first half of the Bonnies 89-77 win at...

PODCAST: David Jablonski on Dayton basketball and the Atlantic 10

Verified Twittter user David Jablonski joins Matt Vautour on the show this week to discuss the beginning of Atlantic 10 basketball play.