BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Graduate guard Jake Ashworth (Fairhaven, Mass.) scored a game-high 25 points to lead the visiting UMass Dartmouth men's basketball team to a convincing 80-48 victory over Bridgewater State University on Tuesday night at the Tinsley Center.
The game marked the season opener for the host Bears (0-1). The Corsairs improve to 3-0 on the young season with the win. UMass has won each of the last six meetings of the two teams and is 36-12 versus the Bears since 1973.
Ashworth connected on 8 of 9 field goal attempts including an impressive 7-for-8 from behind the arc. He also added three rebounds, two assists and four steals. Ashworth tallied 17 of his 25 points in the first half.
Senior guard Marcus Azor (Brockton, Mass.) posted a double-double for the visitors with 14 points and a game-best ten rebounds. Azor also checked in with three blocked shots, a steal and a game-high six assists.
UMass led from start to finish as the Corsairs jumped out to a quick 15-3 lead and never looked back. The visitors took a 45-23 advantage into the break and led by as many as 38 points (71-33) in the second half.
UMass shot 45% (32-71) for the game including 10-for-27 (37%) from three-point range. The Corsairs forced 19 turnovers, blocked seven shots and held a 48-38 rebounding advantage with a 15-10 edge on the offensive glass.
Bridgewater State was limited to a 31.7 shooting percentage and the Bears connected on just 1 of 15 (6.7%) three-point attempts.
Freshman center Camden Dunbury (Pocasset, Mass.) paced the hosts with a team-high nine rebounds and five blocked shots to go along with six points and a steal in his BSU debut.
BSU sophomore forward Keyth Key (Springfield, Mass.) tallied a team-high seven points and added four rebounds and a steal.
The Bears are back in action later this week when they compete in the EC Tip-Off Classic. Bridgewater will face Endicott College on Friday night at eight o'clock and take on host Emmanuel College on Saturday evening at six. The Corsairs entertain MIT on Thursday afternoon at four.