The Beacons got a much needed in-conference win Wednesday, Jan. 23, in overtime against Vermont State Castleton University. Senior guard Emanuel Zayas led the way with 30 points — a season high for him — including seven in OT, all coming from the foul line.
Their 89-85 win over the Spartans broke a four-game losing streak for UMass Boston. Since coming back from the break, the Beacons have a 3-6 record while going 1-4 against Little East Conference opponents.
The Beacons lost star freshman forward Cameron Perkins after their exhibition game at UMass Amherst in December; he was absent from the floor again against VTSU, as he has been for the entirety of this nine-game stretch.
The Beacons’ break lasted 14 days from Dec. 14 to Dec. 28, when they arrived in Daytona Beach for the Florida Sunshine Shootout. UMass Boston channeled that theme and shot Penn College out of the gym, winning 99-77, the second most points the Beacons have scored all year. Xavier McKenzie tallied 32 points against the Wildcats, his most of any game this season.
In hindsight, this thumping is a red herring — UMass Boston has only beaten 5-11 and 3-13 teams since. The season has flipped, and all of a sudden the Beacons are faltering against tough competition. Now sitting at 8-8 overall, the Beacons have sunk to sixth in the LEC with a lousy 3-5 record.
UMass Boston is also dealing with an injury to Xavier McKenzie, who hasn’t played since their loss against Husson following the Penn College game. McKenzie had been playing impressively on both ends of the floor and is relied on for his scoring production. Freshman guard Davon Sanders has stepped up to help fill a hole and has taken advantage of the opportunity.
The slender 6-foot-2 rookie has gotten to the line just over two times per game since their loss against Husson. Sanders has done a good job forcing the issue to get downhill and drive to the basket, something McKenzie normally brings on a nightly basis.
If the Beacons are going to trend upwards without two of their top guys, a lot of pressure and opportunity will be in the hands of Zayas. Right now, in his senior year, the Beacons need as much from him as they ever have with their current state of injuries. When healthy, one of the Beacons’ strengths is their array of talent that can score from multiple levels. Right now, that’s not the case.
In four of their next five games, the Beacons will face teams which are ranked above them in LEC standings. There aren’t any more conference games, and UMass Boston is one of three teams in their conference at 3-5. Four home games, four road games— not that it’s affected the .500-performing Beacons, who play at the same clip everywhere. From this point on, they’ll be playing who they’re chasing.
