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By KYLE GRABOWSKI

BOSTON – Before the MIAA Division 1 state championship game Sunday against Xaverian, Pope Francis coach Brian Foley encouraged the Cardinals to take 60 seconds and soak in TD Garden’s bright lights. Feel the moment. “It's pretty surreal, but we just...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – UMass’ strong presence on the low block overwhelmed Albany in the WNIT’s opening round Friday in Amherst. The Minutewomen grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and scored 25 second chance points en route to a 73-48 victory. They will face Harvard in...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

The line wrapped around Smith College’s Indoor Track & Tennis complex an hour before tipoff. Smith athletic director Kristen Hughes’ phone lit up with a text, “It’s like a Rihanna concert out here.”Ainsworth Gymnasium holds roughly 500 people, and the...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Morgan Morrison analyzes basketball possessions as an engineer. The Smith College senior views defenses and opponents as problems and challenges to be solved.“There’s never not an answer to me,” Morrison said. “When I’m watching the game when I’m on...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

LOWELL – Ryan O’Leary gave himself a terrible view of Pope Francis’ game-winning goal against top-seeded St. John’s Prep.The forward from Easthampton was setting up for a rebound when Nick Petkovich’s snap shot dribbled over the goal line just past...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

NORTHAMPTON – Mary Washington thought it cut the head off of Smith College’s basketball dragon.Pioneers center Morgan Morrison, the NEWMAC & New England Women's Basketball Association Player of the Year, fouled out with 6 minutes, 31 seconds left of...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST – Matt Cross spent the last seven years of his life at a different school each year before arriving at UMass.He chose to make some moves to face better competition, prepare himself for his future or seek greater opportunity. Circumstances...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Miranda Oakes stood in the Smith College student section, notebook in hand. St. John Fisher guard Katie Moravec stepped to the free throw line late in the third quarter of last weekend’s NCAA Division 3 tournament second round game.“One fish! Two...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

CHESTNUT HILL – The maroon helmets never changed. Massachusetts still spread across their chests in maroon or white. But it still didn’t look like the same UMass hockey team this season. At least, UMass hockey as constructed over the past four...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Frank Martin spent as much time as a concrete mason as a basketball coach in his first season leading the UMass men’s basketball program. He laid the foundation that the Minutemen’s future success can rise from.UMass’ season ended Tuesday against...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

The old adage says beating a team three times in a season is hard. What about four?The UMass hockey team will face Boston College for the fourth time this season at 7 p.m. Wednesday inside Conte Forum in the Hockey East tournament preliminary...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

WALPOLE — Tessa Kawall winked as she blew a kiss to the Walpole student section after hitting a free throw.They couldn’t rattle the Amherst Regional senior. Top-seeded Walpole couldn’t stop her from attacking the rim. She rattled in the second free...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Going out with a whimper would have been an improvement.The UMass men’s basketball team scored a season-low 38 points and fell 71-38 against Richmond in the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament’s opening game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

All 15 Atlantic 10 Conference men’s basketball teams are facing the same pressure this week at the Barclays Center: win the conference tournament to reach the NCAA Tournament, or lose and go home.UMass, seeded 13th, has a longer road than most. The...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

NORTHAMPTON – Morgan Morrison sat at the end of the Smith College bench.The senior, and NEWMAC Player of the Year, picked up her fourth foul with 24.4 seconds left in the third quarter of Saturday’s NCAA Division 3 Women’s Basketball Tournament second...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

Cal Kiefiuk scored two goals in the first period, and the UMass hockey team defeated Maine 4-3 on Saturday to sweep the Black Bears in Alford Arena for the first time since 2010.The Minutemen hadn’t swept a Hockey East series all season, and it was...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

HADLEY — Amy Cyr paced the back hallway leading to Hopkins Academy’s locker room checking her phone. She couldn’t bear to watch her son Teddy Cyr attempt late free throws in a tight MIAA Division 5 state tournament basketball game Friday.The No. 7...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

NORTHAMPTON – Amelia Clairmont triggered an avalanche.The Smith College junior guard hit the first shot of Friday night’s NCAA Division 3 Women’s Basketball Tournament opener against SUNY Morrisville: a 3-pointer from the left wing. Then she splashed...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

AMHERST — Coming to UMass made T.J. Weeks Jr. nervous at first.Not only was college a big thing, he was following in his father’s footsteps. Tyrone Weeks was an important part of the greatest stretch of UMass men’s basketball history from 1994-98.“I...

By KYLE GRABOWSKI

SOUTH HADLEY – Colin Quinn flexed his arms as the basketball dropped through the hoop and bounced off the floor.The South Hadley senior guard fought off two Lunenburg defenders in the air and finished a layup that put the Tigers ahead by double digits...