Men’s basketball secured four wins following their winter break after pummeling Plymouth State University, a Little East Conference opponent, Jan. 14.
The Beacons defeated the Panthers 80-55, improving their conference record to an LEC-leading 5-1.
UMass Boston continues to be anchored by two of the LEC’s three highest scorers this year: Cameron Perkins, first with 24.1 points per game, and Raphel Laurent, who sits third with 21.8 points per game of his own. The multi-level scoring two-way duo have carved the path for the Beacons who are statistically middling in both scoring and defense statistics in the LEC. UMass Boston is fifth in scoring average and fifth in team average against.
Laurent and Perkins have both taken on heavy workloads to bring the Beacons into contention and lead them to first place in the Little East. The two sit first and second on the LEC’s minutes per game rankings.
Second-year guard Davon Sanders slots fifth into that list following an impressive freshman year. Sanders’ shot has slumped as a sophomore, as he’s shooting under 40% from the field and under 30% from three, but Sanders has brought a complete game that has earned him a steady spot in the rotation — and often in the starting five for two seasons now. Former Beacons guard Emanuel Zayas in the past described Sanders as a “special kid.”
“He said he just wanted to be a sponge and learn everything he can … Davon is going to have a great career, and I know that for sure,” Zayas said.
Perkins and Laurent, both sophomores, have shown their stardom time and again as they see more young Beacons emerge to contribute to this conference-leading group.
Junior Skyler Venezia has started just two games but has shown consistency in his role off the bench. He’s second to Perkins in three point percentage and has taken the fourth most on the team. As a talented two-way player that can play up and down the lineup, he compliments the like-minded physical defensive prowess of Raphel Laurent.
Following the win, the Beacons had played out their entire non-conference schedule; they finished just 4-5 outside of the LEC which included a 1-4 start to the season.
