The University of Massachusetts men’s basketball team secured a close 84-82 win over Toledo on Tuesday night at the Mullins Center. The Minutemen improved their record to 12-8 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), while Toledo fell to 10-9 and 4-3 in conference play.
Graduate student Leonardo Bettiol led UMass with 20 points and nine rebounds. Junior Jayden Ndjigue and senior Daniel Hankins-Sanford both posted double-doubles, each scoring 12 points, with Ndjigue grabbing 10 rebounds and Hankins-Sanford pulling down 11. Marcus Banks Jr. contributed 15 points, three rebounds, and a steal, while Danny Carbuccia had a team-high nine assists.
For Toledo, Leroy Blyden Jr. scored a game-high 22 points and was perfect from the free throw line, making all six attempts. Sonny Wilson added 16 points, Austin Parks had 14, Kyler Vanderjagt finished with 12, and Sean Craig also reached double figures with 12 points.
The game remained close throughout the first half, with both teams exchanging leads. Massachusetts entered halftime ahead by one point after holding off a late surge from Toledo.
In the second half, UMass built an eight-point lead early on but saw Toledo tie the game several times as play continued. Key plays included steals by Carbuccia that led to fast-break layups and timely three-pointers from Parker and Isaiah Placide.
A flagrant foul on Toledo’s Sean Craig allowed Hankins-Sanford to hit two free throws late in the game, giving UMass a slight edge. In the final minutes, free throws by Ndjigue and Banks Jr. helped secure the win for Massachusetts despite a last-second push from Toledo.
Four Minutemen scored in double digits: Bettiol (20), Banks Jr. (15), Hankins-Sanford (12), and Ndjigue (12). The team’s largest lead was seven points in the second half. Hankins-Sanford recorded his seventh double-double of the season.
UMass recorded eight steals during the game and shot 66% from the free throw line.
Next up for Massachusetts is an away game against Buffalo at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 23. The matchup will be streamed on ESPN+, with updates available through umassathletics.com or @UMassMBB on X (Twitter).
